The Other Half Returns — Community Innovation Program

Announcements
41

+1 for QI charging ToH as others have mentioned. Heck, have a couple models (one w/ just QI, another with an extra battery) and you’d have me throwing money at it so fast it’d defy the laws of physics.

As some feedback for the poll @Jolla , I would have made the price-point one multiple choice. In reality, I’d pay a wide range depending on what is provided:

  • Aesthetic-only: 25-50e
  • QI-charging (only, no spare battery): 25e
  • QI-charging (plus battery): 75-100e
  • Spare battery: 50-75e
  • Slide-out keyboard (that is connected over Pogo pins or something similar, not BLE): 100-150e
    • I tinkered with doing a similar thing for C2, with a 3d printed chassis and slide-out keyboard that was over BLE, but felt it’d end up being too clunky. Having it being able to just be screwed into the back would be so dope on J2.

Even if we don’t hit 10k, I’d still appreciate the STLs of the back cover to be uploaded somewhere so the community can help drive a 3rd-party ecosystem. Would give me an excuse to upgrade my 3d printer :stuck_out_tongue:

9 Likes
42

Benefit of battery extension ToH to me: Ability to hot-swap without phone going down (assuming juice still left in main battery). How useful would it be on the daily? Little to no. But when you need it and it’s there, you’d be grateful for it. Heck, give it a spare USB-C port somewhere for reverse charging so I can always help trickle charge another phone (like my wife’s), extra $$$ from me.

5 Likes
43

Radio, I second that. As almost all other brands have ditched Regular FM. Who needs DAB?

1 Like
44

To complement other replies, I would buy a wireless charging OH if priced less than 50€.

1 Like
45

Yeah, true that FM is slowly disappearing.

Then, Let’s say:
A audio/radio dedicated TOH with:

-A good DAC
-Audio USB
-MIDI in and out
-Jack in
-Jack out
-DAB receiver + transmitter
-DAB receiver + transmitter
-FM receiver + transmitter
-FM receiver + transmitter

Well, the simple radio TOH has grown a little… :–)

7 Likes
46

Some things or ideas I would like to have/see (or at least want to know if they are possible):

  • Other half with a better/additional battery and Qi charging - to my mind this could make the phone that thick as the camera height.
  • E-Ink display - especially for the use as ebook reader. But would be good if we would get an additional support on the software side to read books with Adobe-ID protection.
  • Another or better camera, maybe also with LIDAR.
  • Stereo speakers pack
  • Solar charging module
  • FM/DAB+ module to support radio listening
  • additional storage slots (SD cards)
  • Connectivity half with USB-C, Hdmi, Display port (especially if there’s no video out with the standard USB port of the phone)
  • Gamepad… :sweat_smile:
47

Cool! Something like a kickstand in combination with a speaker would be nice.

2 Likes
48

DAB is dead.

DAB+ is the actual standard. If I don’t listen to music in my car from streaming services I use DAB+.

1 Like
49

Wireless charging, as it is practical at home and underway (cars, even new planes have it in the seats)

2 Likes
50

Yes, that would be great. I already started to think about possible designs, even without technical additions. Like a back cover with card holders or just in my favourite colour…

2 Likes
51

ooo brilliant idea for TOH!

Heck, that just made me remember that I have some leather leftovers I got from eurokangas that I could make a leather flip cover too!

1 Like
52

With a TOH that expends across the camera bump all the way to the other side (kinda like the pixel 9/10 camera bump), first of all it would be flush with the
camera and there will be no wiggling when laid flat on the table.

But there should be also space for 3.5mm jack, IR blaster, maybe even more sensors like temp/humidity/heart rate.
My point is that TOH can be utilized efficiently without making the phone look ugly or thick as a brick.

3 Likes
53

So much possibilities…

  • Card holder
  • Cable box
  • Headphone holder
  • Adjustable Kickstand
  • …

Coolest thing would be to get a base file for the back cover before the phone delivery starts… :wink:

Edit:

I guess this should also include the measurements.

54

I don’t think we need to reinvent the wheel for everything. MagSafe wallets, stands, and everything you can imagine already exists.
So just a TOH with qi2 support is enough to give us access to all of these accessories (or even enable us to make new ones).

55

Whatever, only FM is easier to fix and there is millions of listeners on FM. Norway tries DAB but the people do not want it. Millions of cars have FM an AM radios still for years to come. So the stations will prevail.

2 Likes
56

The possibility to improve the camera, for example with zoom, and a battery extension.

1 Like
57

@poetaster I think they’re calling you! Make some noise!!

2 Likes
58

Some comments on the suggested features.

No surprise this is the currently top-voted option.

We already have BLE and GPS. The others i don’t really see a need of to be portable, let alone EDC.

Could be cool.

Always handy.

Why not! This would ideally imply USB to the TOH, which is great.

Fun and different.

Given how available USB-C thermal cameras are, i just don’t see it. I don’t think this is an EDC function.

All of these are bound to be quite off when phone is kept near your body.

Just an enabler, hard to argue with.

Honestly i don’t have imagination enough to understand this one.

The camera is already a very capable barcode scanner.
RS485 etc would be a better fit as a dongle.

I don’t see the use.

Basically a duplicate of the LoRa and UWB option.

5 Likes
59

Maybe, but DAB+ offers the chance to listen to stations that aren’t available in my region via FM. But those things may depend on regions/countries - in Germany there a wide range of regional stations that just broadcast via FM where the are located, but in DAB+ across the whole country.

1 Like
60

Yes, indeed, I felt a call. I’ve started (several times) on yet another prototype modular synth for SFOS. This time, based on the Mutable Instruments ports I did for Arduino, based on Work from Volker Boehm. Oh, and a sample machine, a beatbox. It’s one of the reasons a 3.5mm jack is indeed of import. … So, first TOH would have a 3.5mm jack to facilitate being plugged into one of my mixers :slight_smile:

I think I’d do an other wise not so spectacular capacitive touch interface which could be used for many things. And maybe a very large speaker :slight_smile:

Gotta get some other in process designs out the door first :slight_smile:

1 Like