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Apple declares war on carriers with new FaceTime-capable iPod touch

Friday, September 3, 2010 · 5:15 pm · 38 Comments

Wednesday, “during Steve Jobs presentation at Apple’s special event, a rather un-noticed salvo was launched,” Mark Reschke writes for Three Guys And A Podcast. “It wasn’t Apple TV’s new hardware and software, promising greater things to come, nor was it Ping which set the table for social networking. These products were nothing more than mere flybys.”

Advertisement: Introducing the new iPod touch. Now with FaceTime, Retina display, HD video recording and Game Center. From $229. Buy Now.

“Steve Jobs shot straight across the cell carrier’s bow, and the weapon used was FaceTime on iPod touch,” Reschke writes. “Perhaps Steve was too subtle, and thus most missed it, but I don’t think so. ‘…and a lot of people call it an iPhone without the phone.’ said Jobs. Steve also pointed out ‘It’s also an iPhone without a contract.’ Herein lies the heart of Apple’s game.”

Reschke writes, “Can Jobs take iPod touch and have it become the family home phone? Will iPod touch become Jr.’s phone when he’s playing at a friends house? Will free wifi become popular than ever, making bloated carrier contracts look more archaic with every iPad and iPod touch sold? Yes, yes and yes.”

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Comment Feed

38 Comments

1 2 Next »

Dag

Friday, September 3, 2010 - 5:19 pm · Reply

How long until Microsoft starts up it’s photocopiers on this?
That is the true question.
breeze

Friday, September 3, 2010 - 5:21 pm · Reply

MDN:

Yeah really.
zmarc

Friday, September 3, 2010 - 5:32 pm · Reply

This brings up the question of why there aren’t touch clones out there.
Jack Hansen

Friday, September 3, 2010 - 5:33 pm · Reply

Thank god someone else actually heard this to!!!
LE Studios

Friday, September 3, 2010 - 5:37 pm · Reply

Wall Street has already figured it out today! Apple stock closed today @ $258 a share. There was more activity on Apple then Google. Meaning Apple is the obvious winner that everyone is going to back. I like iTunes 10! Mad about losing the Ring Tone Creation though.
Jersey_Trader

Friday, September 3, 2010 - 5:56 pm · Reply

I assume Mark Reschke is unaware that the frame of the iPad has the iSight hole in it. So, yes, the iPad will also get FaceTime. And no, I did not miss that.
occams razor

Friday, September 3, 2010 - 5:57 pm · Reply

357 by the next iPad (with cameras and retina) January 2011. Just sold a small business, parking the lot in AAPL, wish me luck.

I’m guessing 395 by June with the amazing iPhone 5 and a 30bill quarter.
uh, what Steve said originally...

Friday, September 3, 2010 - 6:06 pm · Reply

Yeah…. but Steve also said when he introduced Face Time in the original, earlier presentation that Apple was submitting it that day to become an open standard and it would eventually be available on other manufacturer’s devices….

SO, I think this pokes a hole in your balloon, somewhat anyway.

FT originally was not intended to be an Apple-only capability, according to what Steve said on stage at that earlier introduction. Has that changed? I haven’t heard. So, Microschlaf and Gurgle can both not only copy Face Time, but license it (probly for free), and put it on their iPad and iPod clones.

Right?

It’s a great selling feature now. Maybe Apple will make it proprietary and not open…. Anyone know the latest?
Winston

Friday, September 3, 2010 - 6:06 pm · Reply

@Dag: It’s their core incompetence. They’ll get to it soon. (Rather, they’ll announce it soon and get to it half-assedly in three years.)
YeahBut

Friday, September 3, 2010 - 6:12 pm · Reply

Now the ISP’s will be charging for that kind of data transmission negating any savings we get from abandoning cell/phone contracts. Friggin’ basterds.
Jamie

Friday, September 3, 2010 - 6:17 pm · Reply

I have to adamant, I did hear Steve say “it’s an iPhone without a contract” and it did make me laugh.

iPod touch WILL become the new “landline”phone. You can iCal me on that if you want.
chaz

Friday, September 3, 2010 - 6:23 pm · Reply

@Jersey_Trader

I agree completely. Can anyone explain why first version of iPad has no front facing camera?????

This is the SOLE reason I haven’t purchased an iPad!!!!

Apple always handicaps he first iteration in some meaningful way. I really really don’t like that about Apple!!!!!!
pcharles

Friday, September 3, 2010 - 6:34 pm · Reply

I do not understand why people are not discus
pcharles

Friday, September 3, 2010 - 6:36 pm · Reply

OK, try again. I do not understand why people are not discussing AirPlay. Airplay in the AppleTV is the Killer app.

Think about it. If you have Hulu on your iPad and Hulu include the AirPlay API in their App, then you have Hulu on your AppleTV. Ditto for Pandora, etc, etc, etc.

Everyone compares Apple
HughB

Friday, September 3, 2010 - 6:39 pm · Reply

@uh
To sell lots of iPod Touches wifi phones they need to have lots of other folks you can call. Not like now with only iPhone 4s calling each other. So why wouldn’t he welcome everyone to make compatible devices. Apple can compete, they make money by making the best, not the most.
pcharles

Friday, September 3, 2010 - 6:40 pm · Reply

OK, the iPad is deciding I have said enough. Everyone compares Apple to ROKU, but ROKU is not even close. Most of the plugins are pretty bad and the real deal breaker is that ROKU does not stream your personal content without going through a third party plugin. Why on earth would you stream your music and photos to the Internet and back to the house when you can do it quicker internally like the Apple
chabig

Friday, September 3, 2010 - 6:42 pm · Reply

This begs the question, “Why do I have to use iPhone cell plan minutes when I’m using FaceTime on wifi?”
pcharles

Friday, September 3, 2010 - 6:49 pm · Reply

I will not allow my iPad to keep deciding I am done.

What I wanted to finish saying was that the Apple TV’s internal streaming allows you to stream much larger files than you can with the over-the-Internet approach of ROKU.

OK, I’m done!!
Gary

Friday, September 3, 2010 - 6:55 pm · Reply

ATT will gladly sell you broadband internet access for your WiFi POP to use your FaceTime “phone” and laugh all the way to the bank.

The carriers know that landlines and circuit-switched voice services are dying and Mbps and GB/mth are the new service charge that will extract roughly $50 to $100 per month from your bank account.

Even the iPhone has basically become a data modem for texting, email and web browser data services.

You’ll still need 3G and 4G data services when you roam away from your WiFi POP.
84 Mac Guy

Friday, September 3, 2010 - 6:56 pm · Reply

First phone landlines became obsolete with cell phones. Now cell phones will become obsolete with VoIP. Soon I expect FaceTime will talk to Skype and other similar services so you will not be restricted to using FT to only talk to other Apple users with FT.

The key piece needed, however, is fast broadband everywhere. By fast I mean fast enough that a internet carried call sounds as good as a landline call does. We are not there yet, but getting close.