“Apple and Cingular have signed an agreement that will make the US’ largest cell phone provider the exclusive carrier of Apple’s forthcoming phone, sources report. Apple’s iPhone remains on track for an early 2007 release,” Ryan Katz reports for Think Secret.
“As previously reported, Apple’s phone will feature a candy-bar design with a 2.2-inch display and 3 megapixel camera. Robust iTunes and iSync support will also be delivered with the phone,” Katz reports. “Apple’s exclusive contract with Cingular is said to be good for the first six months, sources report, meaning other providers will be able to sell the phone in the second-half of 2007.”
“O2 had the exclusive on the ROKR in Europe, however, suggesting that provider may again be tapped to launch Apple’s phone,” Katz reports. “Meanwhile, insiders say Apple is internally estimating that shipments of the iPhone will top a staggering 25 million in 2007 alone.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “raddoc” and “Tom M.” for the heads up.]
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It’s funny how persistent this rumor is, given that Apple has never mentioned it.
But it has strongly hinted!
Cingular has never been a problem for me. Apple, I only use clamshell phones, so this won’t do it.
Interesting… I watched the Donny Deutsch interview of Bill Gates. He asked if Billy had an iPod. His response was that a cell phone was a better approach for a MP3 player. But then Microslop announces the Zune. Who is running the show over there.
… to those who are complaining that Apple isn’t implementing this in their countries yet: Apple IS an American company. It makes sense for them to start off in an environment that they both know and understand before expanding. This is a pretty typical move for Apple (or any company really) that ensures they won’t run into any major implementation issues right off the bat. Let them get it established and I’m sure we’ll see it expand rapidly.
I was hoping that it would be unlocked as well as wifi enabled for both web browsing AND phone calls. Having a web browser that allows for the entering a uid / pw to get onto a wifi node (many hotels require this now) and then make free calls using the internet would be outstanding.
I like the coverage I get with Verizon and had bad luck (from a coverage standpoint) with Sprint, Cingular and T-mobile. I can’t stand the phone crippling that Verizon does and will not be surprised if Verizon loses out entirely on this phone.
It would be even better if this phone sported the rumored touch-less interface enabling great phone, music and camera UI’s.
A 3 mega-pixel phone … if the photo’s rival my canon digital elf it would be a great addition to the iPhone. If the music part of the phone and the camera are well implemented and not crippled I’ll strongly consider switching. Otherwise, I’ll ignore the iPhone and stick to dedicated-function devices.
7over
In my opinion, the best thing for Apple to do is to sell the iPhone (if there actually IS an iPhone in the works) without a contract for a low price, around US $399, which is very cheap for a non subsidized cell phone.
if it is not unlockable I am not interested. I agree with the ones here that said Cingular has a terrible customer service
It would be a shame if they went with Cingular… they seem to have an inability to treat their customers as human beings.
“Otherwise this is going to be another flopperamma like the Moto iTunes phones”
It can’t be that much of a flop. I see those RAZRs everywhere.
And the stock continues to rise. Time once again to start kicking myself for not buying at $7 (split-adjusted) a few short years ago.
FSCK CINGULAR
evil, slimy bastards.
I think I see the future.
It’s just around the corner…
And the name on it says……Apple.
O2 are OK, so I’ll be in there pronto.
Nice if it synchs with iLife and Address Book etc.
Crikey I hate exclusive carrier contracts for new phones. Pain in the as*!
It would be great if they changed that and released it on all carriers at once… Apple can drive that kind of change.
The US cellular industry is so screwed up anyway… different standards. It’s amazing that number portability actually works!!!
Charlie
http://www.TierraGPS.com
O2 is the most sucking provider in the whole of Europe, let’s hope it’s not true..
Vodafone is fine by me
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Tried other providers for a few years, but Vodafone stays the best imho.
The exclusivity of the contract with Cingular is for 6 months in the American market. Expect other limited time exclusive contracts in other regions too.
I would be shocked if AAPL does not hit at least 200 by the end of 2007 and that is on the low end of my expectations. If you look at the products and business plans Apple has now and what is in the works, the roof is going to blow off all of the Wall Street investment firms. Hang on. This is going to be one fun ride.
Cingular is so horrible in my area. I really don’t see any nice rates as far as plans, compared to others. Why don’t they offer this to other companies damn them!!! I want to be able to use an iphone with my Alltel plan. Alltel in my area has really nice coverage. Never had a problem with them but I know everyone has had a different experience with each of the companies. I just wish they would consider it an option to make it available to all the companies. Thats even if this iphone actually happens I am not holding my breath thats for sure.
great. I can’t get one. it has a camera. I, and millions of others, work at companies which do not allow cameras on their premesis.
Why don’t Diet Coke’s come with lip balm while we’re at it? What is the obsession with cameras on phones?
Its a phone – and i want to get and make phone calls.. if i wanted to take a blurry picture of something with bad lighting, i’d draw meself a picture.
Dear Cell phone makers – if you MUST make phones with cameras, could you at least make a version without them? Thanks.
It appears with this article that Apple has scrapped plans to become a service provider along with the new phone… While it reduces risk, it also reduces opportunity.
An interesting move by Apple would be to provide Apple Only services, following the same AIM/iChat model. Service providers carrying the iPhone will also have some Apple-only features, such as iChat A/V (eventually) and a significantly better web browsing experience.
Bore me later. An iPhone? If it doesn’t top the RAZR, don’t bother me. And candy bar phones suck, suck, suck. Flip phone or nothing, man.
Great. Cingular doesn’t have a tower within 50 miles of here.
Oh well, my old cingular phone up and fell apart on me. Got the new Samsung D807 instead of waiting until Apple does or does not come out with a phone in January. You can bet sour grapes I’ll be hoping this rumors false! 😀
MacMan, my Sony Ericsson T637 syncs with AddressBook and iCal just fine.
sh*t sh*t sh*t i haaattte cingular.
I hope this isnt true.
Gzero, I don’t know about the rest of europe but in Ireland all the big O2 stores are also apple centres,selling almost the full range of apple products. This promotion of all things apple could be the reason for O2 being allowed to carry the phone first, if there ever is an iPhone that is.
I’m with you maccam. I’ve never had a cell phone, and I’m not much into the candy bar design, but the idea of an Apple designed phone might be just the thing that puts me over the top on finally buying one.
Of course the biggest thing about an iPhone is, hopefully, that it would be much more compatible with the Mac OS X. It’s disgusting how badly the Macs work with modern mobile phones.
I was in the Cingular store, just last Sunday, helping my Mother-in-law buy a Go-Phone and while we were there, a couple of people were buying ROKR RAZR phones. People are still buying them. I can only imagine how well an iPhone would sell.
That is, if this RUMOR is actually true.
Oh, HD; by the way. The Cingular rep that sold us her phone, set up her phone and had to sit and wait on hold for 15 minutes on the phone, so they have to deal with the same poor customer service that we have to deal with.
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