“Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd. [Foxconn] has secured contracts from Apple Computer for 12 mln mobile handsets that also function as music players, the Commercial Times quoted industry sources as saying,” AFX News reports.
“Apple will launch the mobile handsets in the first half of next year, the newspaper said, without providing financial details of the contract,” AFX News reports.
“Officials of both Hon Hai and Asustek declined comment, the daily said” AFX News reports. “Hon Hai is the world’s leading manufacturing services provider for information technology devices.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “tommo” for the heads up.]
As you can see by the related articles below (and their dates), Apple’s “iPhone” is sort of like a unicorn, except it’s real, doesn’t have a horn, and it also makes mobile calls/plays music (and probably video, too). Not much else is known except that Apple obviously plans to sell a lot of them. If you need a new cell phone, you might want to wait to see what Mr. Jobs brings along to his January Macworld Expo keynote.
Related articles:
Apple’s oft-rumored ‘iPhone’ coming next year? – November 14, 2006
Disney patent application shows ESPN video content coming to wireless iPod – November 09, 2006
Analyst: Apple has choice of four main ‘iPhone’ strategy options – November 06, 2006
Cingular Exec says over one million Apple iTunes-capable phones sold, comments on iPhone, more – November 02, 2006
Cingular music deal suggests possible Apple MVNO for ‘iPhone’ – November 01, 2006
Cingular to launch music service sans Apple – November 01, 2006
iPhone sign? New Motorola Rokr phone uses Real One media player, not Apples’ iTunes – October 24, 2006
Apple’s taken iPod+iTunes to an entirely different level; iPhone will be like supertrain – October 21, 2006
RUMOR: Apple iPhone features leaked – October 19, 2006
Prudential analyst: Apple prepping two ‘iPhone’ models for Macworld Expo January 2007 release – October 16, 2006
Apple seeks rights to iPhone trademark – October 16, 2006
What would an Apple iPhone look like? – October 04, 2006
RUMOR: Apple iPhone to be Cingular-exclusive in US launch, O2-exclusive in Europe – September 26, 2006
Apple’s iTunes 7 contains iPhone clues – September 15, 2006
RUMOR: Apple ‘iPhone’ to debut at Macworld Expo in January 2007 – September 15, 2006
Apple ‘iPhone’ photo a fake, but potential buyers seem real – September 14, 2006
RUMOR: Apple’s ‘iPhone’ to be iPod nano-like candy bar form factor with choice of three colors – September 14, 2006
Apple’s iTunes 7 installer shows ‘iTunes Phone Driver’ as greyed-out option – September 12, 2006
Analyst: Apple could sell 12 million ‘iPhones’ next year – September 11, 2006
Analysts: Apple ‘iPhone’ design and business strategy more ambitious than expected – September 08, 2006
Analyst: Apple ‘iPhone’ finally ready for production – September 05, 2006
Apple CEO Steve Jobs talks up much-rumored ‘iPhone’ iPod mobile phone – August 11, 2006
Is this Apple’s iPhone? – August 03, 2006
BofA ups Apple Computer to ‘buy,’ expects ‘iPhone’ in 2007, shares rise in early trading – July 31, 2006
Not sitting around doing nothing: ‘iPhone’ could add billions to Apple’s revenue – July 21, 2006
Apple CFO on iPhone: ‘we’re not sitting around doing nothing’ – July 20, 2006
Merrill Lynch ups Apple rating to ‘buy’; UBS raises Apple target to $80 – July 20, 2006
Apple Q3 2006 Conference Call notes – July 19, 2006
iPhone, iPod messenger clues in latest iPod firmware update – July 17, 2006
Patent application shows iPod capable of live wireless video conferencing – June 13, 2006
Bear Stearns comments on Apple: ‘true’ video iPod, iPhone, multiple OS plans – May 17, 2006
Apple patent application filed for wireless iPod+iTunes distribution – May 04, 2006
Report: Apple Computer may soon launch its own music ‘iPhone’ – March 31, 2006
RUMOR: Apple ‘iPhone’ put on hold – March 30, 2006
Visiongain: Apple ‘iPhone’ launch imminent – March 29, 2006
BenQ exec: Apple’s iPhone ‘definitely coming’ – March 23, 2006
European patent application shows Apple ‘iPhone’ info? – March 21, 2006
Analyst: Apple ‘iPhone’ could put a dent in Motorola – March 20, 2006
Anayst: 75-percent chance of Apple ‘iPhone’ in next 12 months – March 16, 2006
Generator Research: Apple to Ship $4.2bn in Wireless iPods (WiPods) by 2010 – March 14, 2006
Citigroup tech analyst: Apple ‘iPhone’ is going to be a category killer – March 03, 2006
Motorola to make Windows Media phones, keep separate iTunes phone line – February 13, 2006
Review: Motorola SLVR Apple iTunes mobile phone ‘an incredibly slick gadget with some shortcomings’ – February 13, 2006
Ready for your wireless Apple iPod? – February 09, 2006
Wireless iPod? CSR and PortalPlayer to bring wireless connectivity to personal media players – February 08, 2006
Motorola and Cingular launch new SLVR L7 iTunes phone – January 31, 2006
Analyst sees new Apple iBooks by April, ‘media hub’ product, 1GB iPod nano, iPhone within a year – January 31, 2006
Analysts tackle Apple’s ‘Mobile Me’ patent, iPhone rumors, MVNO possibilities – January 19, 2006
The San Francisco Chronicle: Apple may link cell phone, iPod – January 17, 2006
Apple Computer getting into the mobile phone market? – January 12, 2006
Apple applies for ‘Mobile Me’ trademark – January 11, 2006
Morgan Stanley predicts Apple shares surge, Apple ‘iPhone’ in 2006 – December 16, 2005
Wireless Apple iPods coming in 2006? – December 09, 2005
Analyst predicts Apple-branded ‘iPhone’ with iTunes and terabyte iPod within five years – November 11, 2005
How Apple’s Steve Jobs snookered the entire cell phone industry – October 03, 2005
Motorola CEO Zander: Apple to build a smart phone, it’s only a matter of time – September 29, 2005
Apple may eventually introduce its own ‘iPhone’ cell phone-iPod combo and create Apple MVNO – September 12, 2005
If Apple isn’t working on their own iPhone, they’re making a stupid mistake – September 12, 2005
Does Apple need a mobile phone of its own design? – September 09, 2005
Piper Jaffray: Apple should develop ‘iPhone’ by themselves – September 06, 2005
Forbes: Apple Computer planning to become a phone company? – July 08, 2005
Wendland: Bill Gates is right, iPod will be replaced by smartphones – by Apple – May 13, 2005
Is Apple building ‘The Device?’ – December 10, 2002
Apple Registers iPhone Trademark in Australia – December 02, 2002
Sell them Unlocked… PLEEEEAAAASSSSSSSSSSSE, Apple?
I’m one of 12 million who will buy one. Now I wonder whether I’ll be able to sync from my G4 400 under 10.3.9 or if I’ll need to upgrade. A twofer might be in order.
yes go apple go, communictaion is the way to go
The article states “he daily also reported that Hon Hai won orders from Apple for its new 15-inch ‘MacBook’ personal computers which it will deliver starting next month or in January.”
Perfect. I’ll get my 15″ MacBook and an iPhone. And like Mr. Reese, UNLOCKED is the way to go.
Yeah right, the same source said the G5 Powerbook was awarded to the same company. It doesnt exist.
Reminds me of the song:
…There was green alligators and long-necked geese
Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees
Some cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you’re born
The loveliest of all was the unicorn…
Sadly, of course, the Unicorns drowned when they missed the ark so the comparison kind of loses focus but still.
Well, now the sky seems a little bluer, birds chirping in the tree.
Here’s hoping it syncs nicely, like a Macbook Mini Me.
Muahahahahaaa. We Yurpeans can buy cellphones unlocked just like that. Strange you Amerikkans can’t.
ohhhhh yeaaaaaaaa
While we’re talking unicorns, maybe Apple will meld the mythical Phone and the mythical iPod video.
A touch-screen phone would be great, you could make the keys BIGGER for those of us with real hands. PLUS, you could pop-up a full screen keyboard for easy text messaging, all without resorting to those blindingly awful, kludgy micro keyboards as we see on the Treo. Even though I’m a longtime Palm user, I’d NEVER buy a Treo in their current state.
And make that phone QUAD-band, too!
I vote for a MacBook mini, too! Make em in colors and finish to match iPod nanos!
PS: I’m disappointed that there’s no mention of the Zune. After all, MDN means Microsoft Daily news, right?
When M$ follows suit by copying Apple, they’ll market a Zune-phone, but they’ll only be able to call <u>other</i> Zune-phones.
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A Zune phone would leave brown marks on your ear!
Hope it looks like this
http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/9424/
Motorola, Nokia and Samsung must be trembling in their boots. If Apple gets the design and interface right, and I think they are likely to, they can grab the lion’s share of the cell phone market — which is about 1 billion units per year.
My AAPL holdings are standing erect and squirting — green.
SJ is not going to be pleased about this leak…
I wonder if it will have a built-in camera?
Jobs won’t be pissed because all the hype will make it a huge bang when he finally announces it.
Plus he enjoys actually coming out with new items that no-one guessed at. How about the nano gen 1 and 2. Nobody got those. Plus the iTV.
The cool thing about an iPhone will be that even if the phone costs $300 bucks, you’ll probably be getting $150 worth of iPod in it. Looking at it in that way the phone component would be reasonably cheap.
Apple’s biggest problem is getting the US networks to take in on given that they may not be able to make much money out of selling songs….unless you can DL songs wirelessly and Apple give them a piece of the action.
I hope this is not yet another story that proves to be wrong.
I am not really so excited about a phone that can carry some music. I prefer a device that can carry all my music, but one with 4-8GB would be a nice bonus. What I am really excited about is the thought that Apple will finally provide the masses with a phone that can sync to a computer with a single software interface. That is, and iPod-like interface with iTunes (just an example) to control music, photos, and maybe video, but also to manage the contact list and ringtones, etc. Sure, these things can currently be done via various methods, but control of everything via one application would be fantastic. The other thing I am excited about is the possibility of a menu system on a phone that is not completely donkey style. The music would be a bonus.
Happy Happy Joy Joy
Happy Happy Joy Joy
Happyyyyyy Happyyyyyy
Oh, I can’t wait! Could this be Newton Reloaded?
I want a full-bore organizer in my iPhone. I have an iPod (2nd gen) and a Treo 270. I like having them separate, mainly for battery reasons. The Treo’s super-handy for a forgetful freelancer like me. But, Palm Desktop is still basically Claris Organizer from the late ’90s. Let’s have an iPhone that integrates with iCal and Address Book, syncs text documents with Pages, has Dictionary built-in, has wi-fi, runs Safari, and syncs email and text messages with Mail. Oh, and iPhoto/Aperture syncing, too. Let’s get some work done.
I trust the iPon is going to offer a real PDA feature! Inclusing a iCal and Address Book!
The iPohne won’t be sold unlocked. Apple will ditch the current cell provider jackals and announce a cell service of its own to go along with the new iPhone. It’ll also have iCal, iPod capability, etc. and synch with your Mac.
Now if only somebody will kick Verizon’s ass so they will try to get Apple to work with them (and others of course). Of course it’ll never happen – Verizon is Windows centric, and more importantly, they’re always the last of all the service providers to provide new cellular technologies to their customers.
I really hate being stuck with Verizon.
Zeke,
I really doubt it. It’s going to be sold unlocked. And Switch, we Americans can buy unlocked phones. The last 3 Sony Ericsson phones I bought were unlocked. We are a little behind the rest of the world tho, which blows.
m
Apple was just waiting until I bought a new cell phone and then a Nokia 770 tablet. If I had only bought these sooner we would already have the iPhone by now!