“As Apple’s entry into the mobile phone market draws nearer each day, Think Secret sources have steadily been gleaning details of the device and its status,” Ryan Katz reports for Think Secret.
Katz reports, “…The iPhone will bs a GSM/EDGE (2.5G) phone and not a UMTS (3G) device… Apple is also said to be courting as many GSM providers as possible across major markets in North America, Europe, and Asia… [Apple] would like to see the same price offered for the device across all carriers. In addition, Apple does not want to see carriers subsidize the cost of the iPhone to customers, bucking an industry trend. Apple’s pricing intentions lie in its desire to maintain the high level of perceived value iPods currently enjoy in consumer minds.”
“One source familiar with the iPhone explained that it is more accurate to think of the device as an iPod with phone capabilities, rather than a phone with iPod functionality,” Katz reports. “The iPhone will likely ship in two capacities, other sources say, packing 4GB or 8GB of NAND flash… Meanwhile, it is growing increasingly unlikely that Apple will be ready to ship the iPhone at or around Macworld Expo San Francisco in January… Some sources have also gone so far as to suggest that even an announcement may elude Expo, especially if it appears the phone will not be available in sufficient quantities until the second quarter.”
More details in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “LinuxGuy and Mac Prodigal Son” for the heads up.]
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“Some sources have also gone so far as to suggest that even an announcement may elude Expo”
translation: People will freak out when they don’t announce it at MWSF and the stock will drop about 10%. Thats the time to buy in and watch it rise when they do announce it later in around March or so.
I have often posted that there s too much rumor to actually fit into the MWSF keynote. Further, that the iPhone is so unique and special that it deserves its own special event.
Apple historically has events and has had them in short order (3 to 8 weeks) following the keynote.
With Leopard and iTV the keynote is full. there will be ipod stats, apple store stats, iTMS stats. Plus no one has mentioned that the iLife suite gets revved at MWSF. It is due to go iLife ’07.
Heck, if Steve didn’t say it himself, I’d say the iTV would not be at MWSF but at a special event 2 weeks after.
It’s funny how many “sources” are spouting off about the iPhone right now. Everything from “Monday” to “Q2 2007”.
great prediction that the “release date draws closer”
… and here I thought time was moving backwards.
fatal – I absolutely agree. Plus, iworks is due for a refresh. Talk about a full dance card – and that is just the stuff that doesn’t fall too far into the rumor column.
iPhone Special Event Tuesday, Feb. 6th, sounds about right to me…
by the way, is iPhone assumed to be the actual name? or is it the unofficial codename?
Any word on the true name for the iTV?
Why dont we hear more about the iTV? At least we know it exists, unlike the iPhone
So much for that assmuch Brian and his “monday” prediction. God I wish that looser would just shut the fuck up already and die.
This just in!
iPhone released – http://apple.com
I’ll get the sour grapes out of the way now since Furizon is the only cellular service I have access to, but sour grapes aside…
I really do think this thing is going to tank. I want it to succeed, and succeed so well that both Apple and VZ will want to talk to each other about providing Apple’s cellular products to VZ customers, but as I’ve said in other threads about the xPhone, What can really be done that hasn’t been done? Of course Apple fans will go ape over it (and here again the sour grapes raise their ugly stems, ’cause I’m the biggest Apple fan on the planet, but thanks to VZ, etc. etc…), and well they should because I have little doubt but that its going to be the most seamless plug-and-play device that has ever hit the market place, second only to the iPod. Its gonna be awesome for Apple users, and maybe Windows users too.
But its still just a cell phone, at least initially. And as per always, the devil is going to be in the details, and I’ll skim over just one that is touched on in the article. Apple want’s to control it’s pricing over its products to quality perception high, (makes perfect sense). But, even if Cingular and/or T-Mobile go for it, its ultimately going to go the way of the Razor and the Rokr (sp?).
Cellular companies also want (and so far have always gotten) complete control over how they sell and package their cellular product and service combinations. Even if Apple succeeds in getting their foot in the door its going to be a serious struggle for them to maintain that foothold based on the debate of who controls pricing which is tightly wrapped up in how cell phones are bundled into value-added service contracts. From the customer’s standpoint, everyone expects to get a free or near-free phone when signing up for new service, or when renewing or upgrading their service. So from this perspective Apple is probably going to shot itself in the foot, or at least wound it’s big toe.
The industry that Apple is trying to break into is already balls-to-the-walls tightly controlled and I just don’t see any fast deals being made that are going to last more than a few months, at best. Of course, if Apple could/would offer its own cellular services then the consumer really would have it made. But, there’d be a downside to that too – access. Apple would have to break in new markets from scratch, and just like we’ve already seen with new communications technologies, they all start out very market specific, usually only the largest markets, and growth is painfully slow because of the large carriers, like VZ for instance.
I want to believe, I really do, but I’m dubious.
Actually, the ‘iPhone’ will only be available in the color yellow, and will officially be called the “iCan’tBelieveIt’sNotButter” phone.
I think Apple should team up with the iRobot Corp. and make a hybrid of the iPod Hi-Fi and the Roomba robot vacuum. Just shove in yer ‘Pod, kick back, and let the little bugger clean house and entertain you at the same time.
iPod with a phone instead of a phone that happens to play music is exactly right. There has not been an “iPod with a phone.” The Motorola products are phones first, with some iPod features tacked on. In fact, this rumored product should be thought of as the “wireless iPod.” Instead of the lame and nearly useless wireless on the Zune, wireless over a mobile phone network will provide Internet access for web and email. It may also allow users to buy music directly, without using a Mac or PC (if it has ‘net access already, why not?). So this will open up the iPod market to the huge group of potential customers who love music but don’t want to bother with using a computer to get it on the player. Oh, and by the way, you can use it as a mobile phone too…
That’s why it will succeed.
No UTMS? So it’s obsolete before it ships. You’d think Apple of all people would ship a phone capable of high speed data.