“Apple Computer chief executive Steve Jobs has been boasting about his company’s much-rumored iPod cell phone amongst inner circles,” Kasper Jade reports for AppleInsider.
“The remarks are uncharacteristic of Jobs, who is often regarded for his obsession with secrecy — especially when it comes to unannounced products from his own company. But it’s been said that Jobs’ own excitement over the device has produced a number of zealous ramblings amongst personal acquaintances dating back to this spring,” Jade reports.
Jade reports, “One person familiar with the ongoings believes the Apple cofounder has commissioned the release of cell phone prototypes to at least two potential OEM manufacturing partners in recent months. Current designs are said to conform to Apple’s integrated model and leverage its tightly-knit digital media franchises, that person added.”
Jade reports, “Speaking on conditions of anonymity, a second informant has told AppleInsider of an incremental buzz surrounding the phone, which has heightened in recent weeks. The informant, who flourishes a nearly unblemished track record in predicting Apple’s future music directions, has said the device is slated to turn up earlier than some people may be expecting, in the form of a “big bang” introduction that will catch even some insiders off-guard.”
Full article here.
The rumor that keeps on giving is maybe on its last legs? Is the iPhone finally coming?
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Well, I think there is a “seeit” factor as in “I’ll believeit when I seeit”…
The remarks are uncharacteristic of Jobs
That says it all. Maybe they’re reading his blog?
The point is, the REAL Steve Jobs would never spread a rumor about an unannounced product, no matter how excited he was about it. He was pretty excited about the first iMac, and managed to keep that under wraps.
oh, whatever.
I almost don’t care anymore.
It probably makes good business sense to start talking this up, in the hopes that people delay a purchase until they see what’s coming.
I won’t be getting that Razr now…
The “one more thing” effect : Apple iPhone with a build in iPod nano; it’s not so difficult to imagine.
With the release of the ‘Chocolate’ LG media phones, perhaps Steve (or some imposter) wants people to stay hungry for an Apple product rather than running out and buying what’s already on the market.
Akido –
Thanks for the new URL for fake Steve!
Since Nokia is going to introduce its “iPod killer” will Apple introduce its “Nokia killer”?
Yes, right, and ‘Kasper Jade’ doesn’t have an axe to grind with Steve Jobs.
MOLE BAIT!!!!
By their “track record” you will defeat them.
Mossberg: Chocolate Cellphone Only Looks Sweet; Its Design Is Flawed
http://ptech.wsj.com/archive/ptech-20060803.html
I’m waiting for Apple to do it right.
iPhone? Whatever. Rumors make me nauseous. I’m so burned out on them. If it appears, then I’ll care, and not until then.
Let’s all grant that Steve is a pretty cagey guy. His M.O. for the past few years has been all about as much secrecy as he could get. But it’s entirely possible that it’s not that he couldn’t contain himself, but that he understands far better how to whet people’s appetites. Remember, phones are sold on a contract basis. You sign up to get the deal and you have the damn thing for 1 to 2 years. If you were currently thinking of switching to the new Verizon deal on 2 Razr’s or the new Chocolate phone or something else…a genuine tease of information is FAR more likely to freeze you in your tracks until the iPhone shows up. When I mentioned this “rumor” to my wife she said, “That’s good to hear. I was going to dump my old phone next week but now I’ll wait a litle longer. When is it coming again?”
If it shows up now, next week…I look good. But then…I’m married so even if I’m right it will only be a temporary victory!
It will be “iPhoney” until I can hold it.
You can imagine it:
One more thing…
ring ring
Steve pulls pulls out the iPhone
I “believe”
That would be nice…
And before any of you asks, probably what its going to be is an UNLOCKED GSM phone. So no, it won’t work with Verizon. Yes it will work with TMo or Cingy
mw: window as in… Jobs has a window of opportunity here and he damnwell better use it!
Why Apple won’t release a mobile phone.
1: Deviates from Apple’s main market and will make Apple appear as a monopoly which will have a negative effect on the rest of sales.
2: The mobile phone market is already saturated and highly competitive, many mobile phone companies are using questionable tactics to gain more customers.
3: There is a wide selection of phones from many companies, the customer can buy based upon many style, prices, functions and quality.
4: A mobile phone from Apple will be a one trick pony which limit its attraction.
5: Most people are already locked into plans and if they try to jump ship the carriers will cut a deal. Even giving new phones with a new signup. Apple’s high price for their phones won’t be considered.
6: Apple has come late to this party and all the “fellas” in the business are already old friends.
7: Music on mobile phones is really not that much competition to iTMS/iPod. First off people buy phones to talk and battery life is a main concern.
8: Second as people’s music collection grows, it will overwhelm the mobile phone as well as making backups and moving the music around, like playing on a real hi fi system, PA, DJ-ing etc. A mobile phone has no third party options like the iPod has.
9: Mobile phone carriers want to make money off the downloads over their networks, this will add a large markup to Apple’s iPhone and kill it quicker than sheet.
10: The carriers actually control things, they have all the stores and the connections. Apple’s iPhone would just sit on the shelves much like the failed Motorolla Razor did.
11: People want a cheap mobile phone that just makes calls because experienced mobile phone users know they get dropped, sat on, lost and stolen. So why pay a lot?
12: And to finish this ‘dozen reasons’ why Apple won’t release a iPhone, mobile phone’s totally s*ck playing music and much of anything else, even making calls. A good one would cost a fortune and nobody will buy it because of #11.
the device is slated to turn up earlier than some people may be expecting, in the form of a “big bang” introduction that will catch even some insiders off-guard.
Given that many have been expecting the announcement for some time now, I can only conclude that Kasper is stupid.
The mobile phone market is already saturated and highly competitive, many mobile phone companies are using questionable tactics to gain more customers.
————
Yes, but Apple has a very large and loyal Mac/iPod customer base that are anxiously waiting for an Apple branded phone. Apple would have no problem breaking into this market. Especially if it is a great design. Getting people to “switch” their mobile phone brand would be an easy task, especially with iPod funtionality being a given.
Marketing Goo
I don’t agree with even ONE of your assumtions. Not that there’s anything WRONG with it. Each smartphone I look at has at least one drawback, be it phone quality, VGA camera, OS, ease of use, price or availabilty in my market (Alltel, Cing, Sprint/Nextel) A decent smartphone avaialable across carriers that JUST WORKS would be a great extension to the Mac experience, and very handy for my work.
marketing guru, dont try to be a smart arse.
back ages ago, no one will think selling water in a bottle will make money.
apple always breaks the ground… and ur stupid 12 rules too.
1. This will not make a monopoly because they already have 75% of the MP3 player market, so it’d be right up their ally.
2. The MP3 market had many players before the iPod, and we all know what happened there. First is not always the best. They can come in and get market share. The Xbox 360 did. If the market starts to suck then other companies can jump in. The phone market is sucking with the new phones.
3. At least for me, most phones have something I hate or are lacking something I want. This is the only reason I haven’t upgraded my s710a yet, I can’t find something I like that has what I want. I’m sure I’m not the only one.
4. The iPod keeps up surprised, and the iPhone would keep us just as surprised with updates. It would not be a one trick pony.
5. If Apple doesn’t tie it to one carrier, leaving it unlocked, and having two versions but identical except for the network, they would sell like pancakes during breakfast.
6. See #2.
7. I have faith that Apple will get battery life right. They can change the idea that music on a cell phone sucks. It really wouldn’t be that hard to do.
8. I would be surprised if the iPhone doesn’t have a docking station port on it.
9. Apple will be able to find a way to sell music over any network by using a web browser or the built in iTunes software.
10. Last time I checked, Razr’s are still selling like the iPod of the phone market.
11. Apple pays attention to detail. You can rest assured that any phone from Jobs will make good call quality. They know it’s a phone. They know the iPod plays music first. People buy smart phones, running windows. Why wouldn’t they buy a smart phone, running OS X?
12. I bet it’d have a very tempting price point, and wouldn’t be that expensive, especially if it isn’t only sold in unlocked form and has a contract discount with it.
Maybe the things we didn’t see at WWDC about Leopard were in regards to software to update an iPhone? Or maybe that was just one of the “top secret” features not talked about.
Apple has at least 60 million reasons to build an iPhone. Every iPod owner.
marketing guru,
just my opinion, but i think your wrong on alot of this.
there isnt one mobile phone out there that has a good user-interface and looks great too, probably the best looking phone would be the razr. but the ui is crap.
nokias ui is quite good i think, but their phones are not that great to look at.
i disagree that people just want a cheap phone that works, they want a great looking phone with an amazing ui.
id pay good money for something that was really, really good, but there isnt anything out there thats worth it.
its extremely obvious that technologies are going to merge.
phones will engulf the music player market, yes that includes the ipod, because its a bigger market.
thats why apple HAS to change there direction and incorporate communication techonogy within the iPod name. And they will.
The iPod will not be able to bear the barrage of mobile phone manufacturers that incorporate the ability to play music for ever, at least not in its current form.
i dont think theres a problem though, because apple is known for innovating, i think when apple release their iPhone (probably will keep the name iPod) or whatever its called, that it will be alot different than whats available from anyone right now.
dont be surprised if apple use the iphone as leverage to get people to buy macs. ie the syncing capabilities of the phone should be beyond what anyone is now offering.
because of the potential market, the iPhone Halo effect could be MUCH larger than any iPod halo effect and could be one of those events in apples history that was seen to juggernaut Apples marketshare. IMO.