iChat iPhone from Apple?

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)

Appleinsider reports (http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=2251) on a research note by analyst Shaw Wu about a possible second version of the iPhone from Apple.

This second version would incoporate Apple's iChat software and may be dubbed "iChat mobile". According to Wu, Instant Messaging (rather than email) would be the focus of the device.

According to recent reports (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2006/11/20061115090741.shtml), one version of the iPhone has already been contracted out with target delivery in early 2007. This first version of the iPhone was described as a candy-bar form factor (artist rendition (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2006/09/20060913215342.shtml)).

Previous predictions of Shaw Wu are reviewed in our Guide pages (http://guides.macrumors.com/Shaw_Wu_%28Analyst%29).

[SC68Cal]

So, a second generation of a product that doesn't even exist.

[puckhead193]

i'm still waiting for the 1 gen ;)

[Much Ado]

To be honest, it's only another iPhone rumor to add to the mix. The idea that Apple is ploughing ahead with new models is nice, but let's wait for v1.0 first before we start speculating about 'new' features.

[Small White Car]

Well, I have to say that I was getting pretty tired of all the iPhone rumors day after day.

But now that they're talking about a totally DIFFERENT phone than the one we know nothing about...well that's much better! :D

[twoodcc]

i'm still waiting for the 1 gen ;)

me too. but both sound nice i guess

[tvguru]

This rumor kinda makes me laugh. Something about having a rumor about an update to a product that we haven't even seen yet seems comical to me.

I am in the market for a new phone though. Looking at the rumored BB 8800 or the Apple phone if it's up to par. Only time will tell.

[MattyMac]

Just bring it already:mad:

[Josias]

I think he meant, that besides the standard edition, there will also be a model with iChat itegrated. BTW, iChat Mobile is an old name. I saw it on this board several months ago.

My Siemens MC60 is getting pretty old. I really hope they release it before February 9th (my birthday:D ).

[Some_Big_Spoon]

I want a device the size of an ipod that I can check my mail on, chat, and do some web-surfing for info, all without the ridiculous GUI deformities of windows mobile and treo, etc. and simple, easy to use hardware to back it up. I want to take it out of my pocket, see what I want, then put it away. Seamless integration with my macs as well.

Maybe I'm in a nitch, but I don't see how this could lose. Make it simple, powerful, and seamless and people will ditch the baffling ordeal of their ipaq-esque phones in a heatbeat.

[skoker]

Insanely Great™*


*if and when it ever comes out

[stephenli]

okok, please add multi-language capability as well as "ink" for text input.

[justflie]

I think Apple will incorporate this type of functionality into their first phone. Why the heck else would people buy it, because it's pretty?! It has to have enough sweet features to convince people to drop their current phone and maybe even contract, otherwise it's going to be a huge and very very well publicized flop. They've gotten a lot of free press lately on the iPhone so they can't screw this up or the general public (not just us mac geeks) will hear about it.

[gugy]

just bring the dam phone at MWSF alongside with the widescreen iPod.
so tired of waiting!:rolleyes: :eek: :D

[RedTomato]

If this is designed specifically for mobile text-based chat, I'll be all over it in a flash.

SMS and MSN and other text-based messaging have changed my life and the lives of deaf people around the world. Before, telcoms was a closed world to me, now I'm never without my O2 XDA mini :)

It isn't just Paris Hilton who carries a sidekick, millions of USA deaf people do, and I'm willing to bet us deaf form a significant proportion of sales of mobiles-with-qwerty-keyboards around the world.

Bring it on Apple, I'm sick of using Windows Mobile on my otherwise awesomely excellent HTC hardware.

[vincebio]

this has been expected anyway, 2 versions.

I just hope the pro version is the one with the iChat on it :)

otherwise ill end up buying both LOL

[Buschmaster]

I'm beginning to think out this will come out about when the Powerbook G5 does...

[prady16]

wOw.....

even the first phone is not out yet and we already have rumors of a 2nd version!

way to go! :D

[TonySwartz]

Look at Shaw's other "rumors"...

[Xavier]

Come on iPhone! I have been wanting to get a new phone, and if this is as cool as it appears, then i might have to empty my wallet

[manosaurus]

Memrom iPhone NEXT TUESDAY!!!!!

[longofest]

just to clear something up. This right now appears to be a text-based phone. I don't think Wu is talking about iChat AV functionality. Some other sites (of much, much less accuracy) have been claiming that the iPhone would be able to do videoconferencing and whatnot, but currently there isn't any good evidence to support this, and in my opinion it doesn't look like current 3G GSM cellular networks simply don't have the duplex bandwidth to deliver that kind of content. (and 4G is still a ways off)

[LostPacket]

I hope one of these versions is CDMA. GSM would be more practical from a non-locked, carrier-agnostic perspective, but I'd find it hard to give up the EvDO.

[wackattack]

The idea of an iChat Phone is interesting. I don't know how kids are in the US but in europe they use teir phones more to send txt messages then to actually talk. But on the other hand I guess this phone would be priced too high for those kids and in europe everybody uses MSN instead of AIM so I'm not sure they would ever try to release such a device because in that case they should port iChat to Windows as well to make it a hit worldwide.

[CEAbiscuit]

After reading his previous predictions, Shaw Wu is about as good a fortune teller as Carnac.

[spicyapple]

@ Shaw Wu's predictions

I can see it now. Drivers using the iChat feature on their iPhones while hurtling down the interstate. :rolleyes:

[slffl]

I played with a Samsung Blackjack this weekend and boy was that sweet (other than it was running MSMobile). I really hope Apple comes out with something like the Blackjack except with their own mobile OS.

[justflie]

weren't there other rumors regarding an "os x lite" edition earlier in the year?

[SRSound]

artist rendition?
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n141/srsound/iSsistant.jpg

okay i'll stop

[jsw]

artist rendition?

okay i'll stop
If Apple releases a phone in the next few months that has OS X on it, I will personally eat one and post it on YouTube. ;)

[longofest]

I hope one of these versions is CDMA. GSM would be more practical from a non-locked, carrier-agnostic perspective, but I'd find it hard to give up the EvDO.

Don't hold your breath, at least we haven't heard anything about CDMA

[NewSc2]

that one artist's rendition (the black one) looks like a Zune

[gugy]

Don't hold your breath, at least we haven't heard anything about CDMA

true, my days with Verizon are counting down. My contract expires in February anyway. So I hope to see an iPhone by then.

[Multimedia]

It would have to have exceptional features and Verizon would have to be a carrier or it's DOA for me.

[gugy]

for me Verizon is alright. i hope Cingular is not the only carrier, then is DOA for me as well. What good it makes a cool phone with crappy service and coverage.:eek:

[Josias]

Wow, that is one nasty Danish mockup. I hope it won't look like that.:eek:
http://www.baekdal.com/images/articles/iphone.jpg

Here's actually a nice touchscreen iPhone mockup:
http://static.flickr.com/106/299323271_8625bfb1c6_o.jpg

[Lynxpro]

If it comes in the tired "Nokia" candybar design, I won't be purchasing it. I absolutely detest candybar designs because I've never had decent reception from any of the models I've had (whether by Nokia or SonyEricsson, for example) regardless of GSM or CDMA support. It wasn't until I acquired my current Motorola RAZR (with T-Mobile) that I've had better reception than what I used to have with the analog Motorola cell phones from the early 90s with CellularOne.

So unless its a flip phone, The Lynxpro ain't a goin' to buy it. But if Apple makes it like a RAZR but with more iTunes/iCal/iSync/iChat capabilities and a 3 megapixel camera, I'll buy one.

While I don't use the SideKick, I think it would be in Apple's best interest to buy Danger and "Apple up" the design. The SideKick is very popular, and it would also help Apple if they were to acquire the company and switch the SideKick's browser over to Safari since the existing Danger browser does account for 1% to 2% of all net surfing currently, and Safari could use an easy increase in usage if for no other reason to prompt various holdout websites to make their designs more standards compliant and reduce the Microsoft lock-in.

I also think Apple should bring out their own branded flash media (which would complement the iPhone or a Danger SideKick acquisition). Its time they started bringing the hurt to SanDisk's native market, and they could do that simply by bundling some free iTunes downloads with the flash products.

[jubjub]

My Siemens MC60 is getting pretty old. I really hope they release it before February 9th (my birthday:D ).

Best birthday ever! :)

I'd replace my t610 in 3 seconds flat.

[Prints]

I want a device the size of an ipod that I can check my mail on, chat, and do some web-surfing for info, all without the ridiculous GUI deformities of windows mobile and treo, etc. and simple, easy to use hardware to back it up. I want to take it out of my pocket, see what I want, then put it away. Seamless integration with my macs as well.

Maybe I'm in a nitch, but I don't see how this could lose. Make it simple, powerful, and seamless and people will ditch the baffling ordeal of their ipaq-esque phones in a heatbeat.

I'm in the same boat. There are enough of us to sell a ton of those phones. Bring it on !

[lmalave]

weren't there other rumors regarding an "os x lite" edition earlier in the year?

I think the consensus is that Apple abandoned the idea of building a phone completely from the ground up, which was their original idea. The question is *what* exactly they abandoned. At some level it makes sense for them to use Symbian or some other existing OS in order to get the benefit of 3rd party app availability.

Then again, that rather un-Apple like, since I would think Apple would want to have total control over the interface. Maybe Apple *will* come up with a real-time "OS X Lite" operating system, and the 3rd party apps will have to be Java apps, basically. If Apple makes sure that Java performs well on the iPhone then that would be their best strategy...

[steve_hill4]

artist rendition?
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n141/srsound/iSsistant.jpg

okay i'll stop

Yuck, windows key?

[Rojo]

Oh my god, if an iChat Mobile phone happens, and my boyfriend gets a hold of one, I'm doomed. I can't get him away from the computer now as it is, but if he has a way to IM his friends while we're on the street.... ack!!! This could be seriously dangerous to chat junkies.

As for design, I'm REALLY hoping for a flip phone -- but something tells me Apple is going to go with a candy bar design. The only reason I hate those is because no matter HOW complicated it is to lock/unlock the keys, it manages to ALWAYS happen in my pocket. And then I unknowingly place calls to people without realizing it, which is my worst nightmare.

By the way, I think "iChat Mobile" sounds a bit silly for some reason. It almost sounds like it's not a real phone, but a "play" one. Does anyone else get that impression?

[bravedeer]

I think the consensus is that Apple abandoned the idea of building a phone completely from the ground up, which was their original idea. The question is *what* exactly they abandoned. At some level it makes sense for them to use Symbian or some other existing OS in order to get the benefit of 3rd party app availability.

Then again, that rather un-Apple like, since I would think Apple would want to have total control over the interface. Maybe Apple *will* come up with a real-time "OS X Lite" operating system, and the 3rd party apps will have to be Java apps, basically. If Apple makes sure that Java performs well on the iPhone then that would be their best strategy...

I think that rumor that Apple abandoned the idea of building a phone completely from the ground up is really old and probably not true. They've had a long time to work on this now...

[Thanatoast]

I'd prefer a flip phone, but I don't think Apple could squeeze all the needed hardware into the design. Either that, or we'd have people start thread about how the fan noise drowns out the call and the phone burns their ear :p

If it's gonna be iChat mobile, then they're gonna have to do AV. That'll be their added value. you can get a music-playing phone from anywhere. But a mobile video phone? You have to go to Japan. And if people can just carry over their iChat/AIM accounts, it makes it that much easier.

I know they've got mobile wifi phones now, do they also have combo phones? Thought I saw one once... Anyway, if it's a normal cell untill you move into range of an open network and then automatically connects to iChat, heck, why not?

I'm still looking for the smartphone angle more than any other, though.

[Macula]

Yeah, right. And don't tell me that you haven't heard about the release that will follow Leopard! They say it will even have a new Finder.

[whatever]

Wow, that is one nasty Danish mockup. I hope it won't look like that.:eek:
http://www.baekdal.com/images/articles/iphone.jpg

Here's actually a nice touchscreen iPhone mockup:
http://static.flickr.com/106/299323271_8625bfb1c6_o.jpg
I've been in many debates with people about the iPhone and I've always been on the side that Apple just shouldn't do one. Everyone always says that it would sell like hot-cakes because it would be an Apple phone, but my stance has always been that it would have to run on a particular carrier.

But lately I've been thinking about this and what if Apple bucked the system a little. They made a phone which connected directly to your computer and you downloaded the correct carrier setting to. So if you used Verizon, all you had to do is in setup select Verizon or Sprint....

I feel that one of the big problems with mobile phones is the computer connectivity has always been an afterthought, mainly because they're not computer companies. But what if Apple created a new iApp which managed the phone (ran on both Windows and OS X), which made the connectivity easy. This is basically what happened with the iPod.

Would the carriers care that a generic iPhone ran on their network, maybe the stupid ones, but in the long they're lives would be easier, because they wouldn't have to market the phones, just their service (which is where they really make their money).

I also like the idea of using the click wheel to make a retro style digital-rotary phone. However, I doubt Apple would just display the numbers on the screen and not on the unit. So when in dial mode, you would spin the click wheel and the numbers, displayed on the display in a circle, would highlight the number that you were on and then click the center button on the click wheel to select. If you wanted to get really old school, you could have the rotary sounds come through the headphones. Or course you would still be able to dial by your address book or search through a downloaded version of the white or yellow pages (which would naturally sync into your phone whenever you charge it at home, via blue tooth or direct connection to your computer).

[jsw]

Yuck, windows key?
It's for when you install Boot Camp. ;)

Anyway, as much as I'd love to see a truly "smart" phone, I'd be (pleasantly) surprised if Apple's able to do so with their first release.

[cecildk9999]

As for design, I'm REALLY hoping for a flip phone -- but something tells me Apple is going to go with a candy bar design. The only reason I hate those is because no matter HOW complicated it is to lock/unlock the keys, it manages to ALWAYS happen in my pocket. And then I unknowingly place calls to people without realizing it, which is my worst nightmare.

Yeah, the candybar design seems to be the general consensus, though I'd consider one depending on what it has to offer. I made the switch to a flip phone after my old candybar type accidentally made calls to the police (even if the keys are locked, apparently 911 still goes through); I had a very awkward conversation over the phone, as I got a call back after one of these calls was placed asking if everything was alright :o . I think because I was watching Goldfinger, they heard gunshots and yells. My new phone just randomly takes pictures in my pocket. :confused:

[paris3guy]

i've sort of dismissed the iphone rumors in past, but the ichat connection makes it sound like something that could well be and soon. but the wifi phone sounds like an effort to build up ichat. why not?

[PODshady]

Memrom iPhone NEXT TUESDAY!!!!!

HA!

[ClimbingTheLog]

and in my opinion it doesn't look like current 3G GSM cellular networks simply don't have the duplex bandwidth to deliver that kind of content. (and 4G is still a ways off)

Do you mean latency? evdo gives up to 3mbps in urban areas. That should be plenty.

[jsw]

But lately I've been thinking about this and what if Apple bucked the system a little. They made a phone which connected directly to your computer and you downloaded the correct carrier setting to. So if you used Verizon, all you had to do is in setup select Verizon or Sprint....Many manufacturers already do this with their unlocked phones - but they just store the settings on the phones (no need to connect to a computer).
Would the carriers care that a generic iPhone ran on their network, maybe the stupid ones, but in the long they're lives would be easier, because they wouldn't have to market the phones, just their service (which is where they really make their money).Manufacturers selling unlocked phones is common elsewhere and is now already beginning in the States.
I also like the idea of using the click wheel to make a retro style digital-rotary phone. However, I doubt Apple would just display the numbers on the screen and not on the unit. So when in dial mode, you would spin the click wheel and the numbers, displayed on the display in a circle, would highlight the number that you were on and then click the center button on the click wheel to select.This won't fly - usage is terrible and would make dialing slower than it currently is. And texting would truly suck.

[ClimbingTheLog]

After reading his previous predictions, Shaw Wu is about as good a fortune teller as Carnac.

Yeah, what an idiot. Apparently this guy gets paid bug bucks to read about stuff on MacRumors and Slashdot all day and assemble them into predictions.

Wait a second...

[Macula]

i've sort of dismissed the iphone rumors in past, but the ichat connection makes it sound like something that could well be and soon. but the wifi phone sounds like an effort to build up ichat. why not?

I've never been able to understand how a WiFi phone could be a success before WiFi networks become pervasive and virtually free. How could you use a WiFi phone in your car, for instance? And what's the point of having iChat on your phone when you can only use it in the currently few and limited WiFi-enabled areas?

[ClimbingTheLog]

I've never been able to understand how a WiFi phone could be a success before WiFi networks become pervasive and virtually free. How could you use a WiFi phone in your car, for instance? And what's the point of having iChat on your phone when you can only use it in the currently few and limited WiFi-enabled areas?

Hmmm. I think I figured this one out. It's Apple. Apple makes Macs. All new Macs have Airport. Macs are plugged into the Internet. iPhones are made by Apple. Apple controls the default settings on Mac OS X.

"If you're near a Mac your calls are free."

How 'bout them Apples?

[jsw]

I've never been able to understand how a WiFi phone could be a success before WiFi networks become pervasive and virtually free. How could you use a WiFi phone in your car, for instance? And what's the point of having iChat on your phone when you can only use it in the currently few and limited WiFi-enabled areas?The phones aren't purely WiFi - they use WiFi when they can, and downgrade to cellular when necessary.

[Maccus Aurelius]

Well this certainly beats that ipod integration nonsense. MP3 player phones are a dime a dozen, I'd rather see great communication device that take how the user communicates to the next level, not just stuff a music player in it.

[SilvorX]

deja vu...

[Maccus Aurelius]

Hmmm. I think I figured this one out. It's Apple. Apple makes Macs. All new Macs have Airport. Macs are plugged into the Internet. iPhones are made by Apple. Apple controls the default settings on Mac OS X.

"If you're near a Mac your calls are free."

How 'bout them Apples?

Sweet. But, there's more to just piggybacking on your mac's airport connection to make calls. I think more has to be done to make this networking possible.

[lmalave]

Sweet. But, there's more to just piggybacking on your mac's airport connection to make calls. I think more has to be done to make this networking possible.

There are already wi-fi enabled phones that can make Skype calls if you have a wi-fi connection. This is nothing new or groundbreaking.

Well this certainly beats that ipod integration nonsense. MP3 player phones are a dime a dozen, I'd rather see great communication device that take how the user communicates to the next level, not just stuff a music player in it.

MP3 player phones are a dime a dozen and also *hugely* popular. Look at how well the LG Chocolate is doing with their craptacular phone. The iPhone *must* have iPod integration to be a success, IMO. At minimum it must have seamless iPod integration and a decent-to-good phone experience. Everything else is gravy.

Many manufacturers already do this with their unlocked phones - but they just store the settings on the phones (no need to connect to a computer).
Manufacturers selling unlocked phones is common elsewhere and is now already beginning in the States.
This won't fly - usage is terrible and would make dialing slower than it currently is. And texting would truly suck.

In fact, Sony launched their w800i phone unlocked in the U.S. (was only availalbe from the Sony Style store). The thing is, at $500 it was extremely cost-prohibitive and definitely aimed at technology early adopters. I'm sorry, but phones are just too darn expensive at full retail price. Apple *needs* the subsidy for signing a new contract. That's the only thing that will make the price competitive for the mass market. I expect Apple will partner with T-Mobile and/or Cingular, and that the phone will be available for no more than $300 with new contract (and even that is expensive by today's standards).

Do you mean latency? evdo gives up to 3mbps in urban areas. That should be plenty.

EV-DO is not available on GSM networks in the US. As far as I know the GSM providers (basically T-Mobile and Cingular) are using HSDPA for their 3G network. And everything I've heard about it has been good. The early reports on the Cingular 3G network are that it's quite zippy and handles streaming video just fine...


I also like the idea of using the click wheel to make a retro style digital-rotary phone. However, I doubt Apple would just display the numbers on the screen and not on the unit. So when in dial mode, you would spin the click wheel and the numbers, displayed on the display in a circle, would highlight the number that you were on and then click the center button on the click wheel to select. If you wanted to get really old school, you could have the rotary sounds come through the headphones. Or course you would still be able to dial by your address book or search through a downloaded version of the white or yellow pages (which would naturally sync into your phone whenever you charge it at home, via blue tooth or direct connection to your computer).

Text messaging is extremely popular and I just don't see Apple crippling text messaging on the iPhone. Can you see inputting a 120-character text message on a "rotary-style" interface? Yeah, I can't either. Any kind of rotary interface on the iPhone is a non-starter idea, IMO.

P.S. The title of this thread is: "iChat Phone from Apple?". Kind of implies that there must be as simple, fast way to input text, right? I'm thinking a full qwerty keyboard is a definite possibility...

[Elrond39]

I guess this gives me another reason to repost my own 'shop of it... 1:1 ratio. And now, for your enjoyment, imagine iChat instead of the terrible texting in the pic.

http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/4070/productshotlx0.png

[Sweetfeld28]

Who needs a phone with a touch screen? Unless Apple wants to only sell a $500+ phone which most people would not throw down the cash for, this will most likely never happen.

Just imagine what the cost of one of these screens would cost, and how much it would cost to get replaced if it broke.

[Zigster]

It will list at $399.00 and be called the "iRake".

[Tymmz]

iChat phone? Who is using iChat?

Belkin has a already a nice looking Skype phone on the market and I'm tempted to buy it.

If Apple really wants to release an "instant-messaging-phone" they should keep the options for other messengers open. I believe.

[justflie]

What about something like this (http://www.synaptics.com/onyx)?

I'm pretty sure this was brought up on this site many moons ago, but it's still a pretty sweet idea. Maybe something like what the iphone will be?

[gauriemma]

I want a device the size of an ipod that I can check my mail on, chat, and do some web-surfing for info, all without the ridiculous GUI deformities of windows mobile and treo, etc. and simple, easy to use hardware to back it up. I want to take it out of my pocket, see what I want, then put it away. Seamless integration with my macs as well.


Geez, dude. Relax a bit. Read a book, do a crossword, eat lunch in the park and listen to the birds. Why do people feel like they have to always be "on" and instantly accessible? Value the time you have that's your own.

[Detlev]

iChat phone? Who is using iChat?
Um, I do. How else are you supposed to IM people using AIM, GAIM, etc.?

Belkin has a already a nice looking Skype phone on the market...
Hmm, Skype. The service that keeps dropping my calls and is going to make me pay for it come 2007. Thanks but I'll stick with the phone, email and IM.

BTW, the rumors are taking on a new life. Check this (http://news.com.com/2061-10793_3-6137240.html) out.

[Tymmz]

Um, I do. How else are you supposed to IM people using AIM, GAIM, etc.?

Of course. I know that some people use iChat, but how many? .X %?

I'm fine with SkypeOut. One number for the rest of the world. But like I said. It would be nice, if Apple keeps their Phone open to other IMs (mass market).

[lmalave]

Geez, dude. Relax a bit. Read a book, do a crossword, "eat lunch in the park and listen to the birds". Why do people feel like they have to always be "on" and instantly accessible? Value the time you have that's your own.

Geez, dude, it's all about saving time so you *do* have more time on your own. For example, texting is now used in situations where you would have called/answered a phone call before. Texting is more efficient because you can just put off answering the text until later (you could also not take a call and just call the person back later, but you wouldn't know how urgent the call was unless you took the time to check your voice mail if they left one).

Likewise, I use the humble web features on my Sony Ericsson phone a *lot*, to look up restaurant/bar addresses, movie times, etc. when I am out and about. Again, normally I would have no other recourse other than calling 411 or MovieFone, or finding a newsstand/bookstore where I could possibly look the information up. It would just be a time-saver to have faster, easier access to information from my phone.

Embrace technology, dude. It's only there to help you. You can always *choose* not to check your email even if you have an uber-phone. Heck, you can even turn the phone off while you "eat lunch in the park and listen to the birds".

[peharri]

...and if he is, is there the frightening possibility that if he says it for long enough, the iPhone rumour will come true.

That'll be in 2021, when Apple, the media division of Packard-Dell, rebrands a Sony-Ericsson-Realnetworks Q-380Z 6th-gen personal communicator and sells it as the "iPhone Yahoogolous."

Sorry, that probably needs some explanation. In much the same way as "Turbo" was in the '80s, and "Power" was in the '90s, and "Extreme" is in the 2000's, "Yahoogolous" is the marketing-word of 2021. Nothing to do with the .com that took over Microsoft in 2015 though.

[BornAgainMac]

Sorry, that probably needs some explanation. In much the same way as "Turbo" was in the '80s, and "Power" was in the '90s, and "Extreme" is in the 2000's, "Yahoogolous" is the marketing-word of 2021. Nothing to do with the .com that took over Microsoft in 2015 though.

Turbo brings back memories. The concept of having a button on your computer to use a higher clock speed and turn it off so games run at the standard speed. Some games were designed to run at 4.77 mhz. No faster.

I like the iChat function with the phone but I will be happy to see a phone that fully syncs with a Mac using Bluetooth. Addresses, photos, pictures, dial tones, music, movies, todos, and calendars. That would be cool if the basics would work. I hate my current phone because the designers have no creativity or brain to come up with those features.

[840quadra]

It's for when you install Boot Camp. ;)

Anyway, as much as I'd love to see a truly "smart" phone, I'd be (pleasantly) surprised if Apple's able to do so with their first release.

Since it is the microsized version it will be called Bootie camp!

[ClimbingTheLog]

Sweet. But, there's more to just piggybacking on your mac's airport connection to make calls. I think more has to be done to make this networking possible.

Yes, I wasn't clear on that. I was envisioning a software stack on the Mac that would help the iPhone make a call, do the NAT-busting, browse the local iTunes store, etc. 802.11n is going to be necessary to reach the far ends of most homes.

I don't know that 802.11n low-power silicon exists yet. There are a couple folks here would would though.

[donlphi]

just to clear something up. This right now appears to be a text-based phone. I don't think Wu is talking about iChat AV functionality. Some other sites (of much, much less accuracy) have been claiming that the iPhone would be able to do videoconferencing and whatnot, but currently there isn't any good evidence to support this, and in my opinion it doesn't look like current 3G GSM cellular networks simply don't have the duplex bandwidth to deliver that kind of content. (and 4G is still a ways off)

This is why I think it is pointless to do it unless you are connected to an EV-DO revision A connection. I don't need another "awesome phone" regardless of how well it syncs with iLIFE. I would much rather be able to travel and show somebody what I see, rather than talk about it or send a photo.

EV-DO revision A allows you to connect wirelessly at speeds fast enough to video chat. TEXT im feature is pointless... I can do that on any phone. I'm sure Apple has figured out a FASTER way to type than T9 Word or something.

We need to forget about this 3G & 4G GSM worthless networks. Sony did it right by pairing up with Sprint. If I didn't hate Windows so much, I would buy that new ultra-portable VAIO TXN17P/T Notebook they just came out with.

Oh well... we'll wait for our 3G or 4G iPhone before getting it right I'm sure.

[SRSound]

Yuck, windows key?

wow. I didnt even notice that when I made it.

Elrond39 Yeah, that's what I was going for...

[joeshell383]

I'm beginning to think out this will come out about when the Powerbook G5 does...

Next Tuesday, Sweet!

[mozmac]

I use Google Talk on my BlackBerry quite often. It's a great program. I would assume that iChat support needs to be standard on an iPhone. If they added VOIP later on, that would be AMAZING! They haven't added it to Google Talk yet, because that would use the data network and not run up your minutes, which service providers don't want to do.

[mozmac]

Next Tuesday, Sweet!

Ha ha. That is the phrase of 2005.

[SBik2]

Geez, dude, it's all about saving time so you *do* have more time on your own. For example, texting is now used in situations where you would have called/answered a phone call before. Texting is more efficient because you can just put off answering the text until later (you could also not take a call and just call the person back later, but you wouldn't know how urgent the call was unless you took the time to check your voice mail if they left one).

Likewise, I use the humble web features on my Sony Ericsson phone a *lot*, to look up restaurant/bar addresses, movie times, etc. when I am out and about. Again, normally I would have no other recourse other than calling 411 or MovieFone, or finding a newsstand/bookstore where I could possibly look the information up. It would just be a time-saver to have faster, easier access to information from my phone.

Embrace technology, dude. It's only there to help you. You can always *choose* not to check your email even if you have an uber-phone. Heck, you can even turn the phone off while you "eat lunch in the park and listen to the birds".

Off topic kinda.. but you can look up that kind of stuff (addresses/numbers) using a text message sent to to the number 46645(google without the E) Ive been told it uses Googles stuff to find address and numbers..
All you have to do is type the name of the place and city and state and send.. Saves the call cost to 411 or pricey Data fees

[lOUDsCREAMEr]

Shaw Wu Is Super Lame

[iMacZealot]

Okay, this one I doubt....why would you want to tie a phone into iChat? Instant messaging is on almost or available to every phone sold within the last 2 years or so. I don't see why that would bee something Apple would want to advertise when a lot of run-of-the-mill phones can do it.

[Some_Big_Spoon]

Thanks. that saved me from having to answer him back :-) *Low 5*

Geez, dude, it's all about saving time so you *do* have more time on your own. For example, texting is now used in situations where you would have called/answered a phone call before. Texting is more efficient because you can just put off answering the text until later (you could also not take a call and just call the person back later, but you wouldn't know how urgent the call was unless you took the time to check your voice mail if they left one).

Likewise, I use the humble web features on my Sony Ericsson phone a *lot*, to look up restaurant/bar addresses, movie times, etc. when I am out and about. Again, normally I would have no other recourse other than calling 411 or MovieFone, or finding a newsstand/bookstore where I could possibly look the information up. It would just be a time-saver to have faster, easier access to information from my phone.

Embrace technology, dude. It's only there to help you. You can always *choose* not to check your email even if you have an uber-phone. Heck, you can even turn the phone off while you "eat lunch in the park and listen to the birds".

[Grakkle]

To be honest, it's only another iPhone rumor to add to the mix. The idea that Apple is ploughing ahead with new models is nice, but let's wait for v1.0 first before we start speculating about 'new' features.

All this iPhone hype is a bit ridiculous. Remember that the iPhone, when and if it comes out, will be essentially identical to some current SonyEriccson phones, or even the LG Chocolate.:rolleyes: Yes, it may have an apple logo on it, but it's almost certainly not going to be significantly new technology.

[SeaFox]

If Apple releases a phone in the next few months that has OS X on it, I will personally eat one and post it on YouTube. ;)

So I guess you'd be off the hook this this case since as you can see from that phone's screen, it's running Mac OS M. ;)

Email needs to be a a focus, really. The thing about IM is the person has to be available to chat unless they leave themselves logged on all the time. I might as well just call them in that case. :rolleyes: With email, you can deliver a long message to a person even if their phone is turned off.

[Felldownthewell]

I wonder, assuming this device ever does come out, could/would apple release two versions (CDMA and quad GSM) and then let you select which carrier's software to download to the phone (either at home, on the online order page, or in the store)? This would be far simpler than having either a just-gsm or just-CDMA phone and more cost effective than a dual radio version on which you choose which carrier/radio to use (which I believe was suggested earlier in the thread)...

That way, Apple could continue to sell the product through their own their rather huge network of stores and online. They could also have two versions, a "pro" (treo/HTC/Blackberry-esque QWERTY device w/ MS office integration and Mail/Outlook e-mail push) and a "consumer" (music-centric, smaller, no QWERTY), in keeping witht he rest of their lineup of products. Just a thought.

[Ha ze]

i don't see why so many people think iChat on a phone is so crazy or why it would need to be wifi.

i have a button on my Razr that is a direct connection to AIM so instant messaging from a phone isn't crazy, two of the people on my buddy list are on mobile phones.

iChat would be faster then texting and just cause this "second phone" would be very iChat based doesn't mean it wont be a phone. It sounds very sidekick like and the sidekick of course has AIM on it.

If they make a phone that will beat the Sidekick (shouldn't be too hard) then i'm in, i'd prefer that then just a a regular candy bar phone

[rtdunham]

This second version would incoporate Apple's iChat software and may be dubbed "iChat mobile". According to Wu, Instant Messaging (rather than email) would be the focus of the device.

i think i'm missing something. my cheapo sprint phone text messages. my daughters' phones do. the person sitting next to me at the football game yesterday was IM'g. is the ability to IM something that belongs in the second version of an apple phone? how many new phones lack that ability, as the first version iPhone presumably would? i need a perspective. thanks.

[iMacZealot]

i don't see why so many people think iChat on a phone is so crazy or why it would need to be wifi.

i have a button on my Razr that is a direct connection to AIM so instant messaging from a phone isn't crazy, two of the people on my buddy list are on mobile phones.

iChat would be faster then texting and just cause this "second phone" would be very iChat based doesn't mean it wont be a phone. It sounds very sidekick like and the sidekick of course has AIM on it.

If they make a phone that will beat the Sidekick (shouldn't be too hard) then i'm in, i'd prefer that then just a a regular candy bar phone

But that is the problem. Instant messaging has been on phones for over two years. Why would they want to sell a phone on instant messaging if everybody pretty much already has a phone with IM already? There's no reason to buy it if they're going to advertise a feature people already have it on their phones.

And how exactly is IM faster than texting?

[Grakkle]

But that is the problem. Instant messaging has been on phones for over two years. Why would they want to sell a phone on instant messaging if everybody pretty much already has a phone with IM already? There's no reason to buy it if they're going to advertise a feature people already have it on their phones.

And how exactly is IM faster than texting?

Yes, especially on the tiny keypad on a phone? At best, the iPhone might have a slid-out keypad, which won't make IM-ing any faster than texting.

[Ha ze]

But that is the problem. Instant messaging has been on phones for over two years. Why would they want to sell a phone on instant messaging if everybody pretty much already has a phone with IM already? There's no reason to buy it if they're going to advertise a feature people already have it on their phones.

And how exactly is IM faster than texting?

just seems to me that people are acting like its a feature that shouldn't be on a phone rather then one that is almost standard. it also just seems that IM's are quicker conversations then texts, but maybe i'm wrong about that cause on phones it's pretty much the same thing.

Yes, especially on the tiny keypad on a phone? At best, the iPhone might have a slid-out keypad, which won't make IM-ing any faster than texting.

yea, but i think that if they do a full tiny keyboard, they will be going for something similar to a sidekick. the sidekick 3 was a major let down.

[iMacZealot]

just seems to me that people are acting like its a feature that shouldn't be on a phone rather then one that is almost standard. it also just seems that IM's are quicker conversations then texts, but maybe i'm wrong about that cause on phones it's pretty much the same thing.

Well, that's the thing. Every iPod has featured something innovative. The original delivered a small music player capable of holding a (at the time) extensive amount of songs with seamless software. The 3G iPod opened the doors to all users. The mini added even more style and portability to it, making it very popular. The nano held even more songs in a smaller package with a color screen. The 5G iPod delivered all of the above with the ability to watch TV shows and movies on it. Each iPod has brought something to the table that's new and kept competitors guessing what they would do next. Advertising an iPhone, a major step for them, with instant messaging won't cut it. That's already out there. Up until the release of the 5G iPod, you couldn't buy TV shows legally on the internet. Instant messaging on your phone is offered by all of Apple's potential competitors should they decide to enter the mobile phone market.

yea, but i think that if they do a full tiny keyboard, they will be going for something similar to a sidekick. the sidekick 3 was a major let down.

I love the Sidekick. It's been a hugely successful phone. I think it was great that the SK3 added music, a 1.3 MP shooter, and EDGE, but I do agree they could have at least kept EDGE in there. I think Apple would be smart to make a device similar to the Sidekick. This doesn't mean that they need to make a swiveling screen, (even though it's been patented a million times by Danger) but I think people are starting to warm up to smartphones now. My generation (teen) and my sister's (early 20's) are especially. I have heard that Apple may be launching two devices: one simple phone and a smartphone, which is probably smart because not everyone is interested in a smartphone.

[Ha ze]

well, i'm 20 so i know the age group

the camera in the SK3 got worse then the 2

and the mp3 player market was a lot smaller or less mature then the phone market is now. maybe i'm looking at this with a closed mind, but what else can they add to a phone that isn't out there already? i mean, e-mail, browser, talking, texting, IMing, music, camera, calendar, note pad, games, voice recording it's all already out there. i guess if you can sync your iTunes having video playback that'd be kind of new... but i have video on my razr it just holds like a 4 second video.

So.. i guess i just dont see much room for "innovation" as far as features go. i dont really count things like increased storage as a new feature in this case.

so what should it have?

[blueflame]

Apple releases iPhone bundled with iLife '07!! Now for both Mac and PC.
Slowly gain market share? After iLife, its getting pretty close to a mac experiance, everything they own will start to integrate, why not switch?
Andreas

[bboyredcel]

a conversation i just had with a mac specialist.

You are chatting with Scott C, an Apple Expert
scott- Hi, my name is Scott C. How may I help you today?
me- im just checking out this new applestore online feature
me- its pretty cool
scott- Good morning
me- can i pre-order my iPhone here when it comes out in january?
me- how much is that going to run, i want to order that now.
scott- I am not familiar with the iPhone.
me- oh
me- you are not familiar with it?
me- well i was going to wait for it to come out so i could buy it and use it as my phone
scott- I am unaware of any future or unreleased products.
me- but since you are unfamiliar with it, im going to go buy a microsoft windows phone and lock myself into a 2 year contract in which i will be unable to purchase any other phone
i wont be buying the iPhone. :(
i thought it was coming out soon
but since you are unaware, im going to have to get myself an HP iPaq
scott- There are rumors posted online about it, but I am unaware of any factual information about it.
me- oh
me- i heard about it on TV though
me- im one of those people who believes everything they see on TV, not really... but i was quite taken by the iphone they showed on TV and i was going to wait because i know Apple releases the highest quality products i know of. buying the phone they made was going to be my next tech purchase
but now i am going to go get a $400 HP iPaq and lock myself into it for 2 years
scott- Well, it might be worth it to wait and see if Apple does release one then.
me- oooookkkk
me- thank you
scott- Thank you for visiting the Apple Store. We appreciate your business.
me- thank you for chatting

[Grakkle]

I think Scott C. was a chatbot! Or maybe not... but his replies certainly don't sound like a real person.

[lmalave]

maybe i'm looking at this with a closed mind, but what else can they add to a phone that isn't out there already? i mean, e-mail, browser, talking, texting, IMing, music, camera, calendar, note pad, games, voice recording it's all already out there. i guess if you can sync your iTunes having video playback that'd be kind of new... but i have video on my razr it just holds like a 4 second video.

iPod scrollwheel and interface, end of story. There are music playing phones out there, but their interfaces are all clunky compared to the iPod. I think the idea with the iPhone will be that when you are not using the phone features, you can use it just like the iPod. Which probably means that it will be a slider phone (like the LG Chocolate except with a real scrollwheel instead of a face one), but we'll see.

[lmalave]

All this iPhone hype is a bit ridiculous. Remember that the iPhone, when and if it comes out, will be essentially identical to some current SonyEriccson phones, or even the LG Chocolate.:rolleyes: Yes, it may have an apple logo on it, but it's almost certainly not going to be significantly new technology.

I have a SonyEricsson d750i candybar phone, and I've seen a friends slider w850i phone. I've also checked out the LG Chocolate. The big difference here is obviously that Apple can integrate a *real* iPod scrollwheel since they patented it. Probably the Apple will borrow a lot from the SE phones though: a "music" button or switch to quickly bring up the iPod-like interface, and hopefully a camera button/slider as well.

[Ha ze]

iPod scrollwheel and interface, end of story. There are music playing phones out there, but their interfaces are all clunky compared to the iPod. I think the idea with the iPhone will be that when you are not using the phone features, you can use it just like the iPod. Which probably means that it will be a slider phone (like the LG Chocolate except with a real scrollwheel instead of a face one), but we'll see.

this conversation to me sounded more like we were talking about the iPhone2 or whatever needing NEW FEATURES to make it stand out from the crowd even more. i agree that the iPod interface would make the phone experience more familiar to a lot of people and the mp3 player portion much much better then all the mp3 phones out all ready, but its not something new that the other mp3 phones don't already do.

does that make sense?

[whatever]

a conversation i just had with a mac specialist.

You are chatting with Scott C, an Apple Expert
scott- Hi, my name is Scott C. How may I help you today?
me- im just checking out this new applestore online feature
me- its pretty cool
scott- Good morning
me- can i pre-order my iPhone here when it comes out in january?
me- how much is that going to run, i want to order that now.
scott- I am not familiar with the iPhone.
me- oh
me- you are not familiar with it?
me- well i was going to wait for it to come out so i could buy it and use it as my phone
scott- I am unaware of any future or unreleased products.
me- but since you are unfamiliar with it, im going to go buy a microsoft windows phone and lock myself into a 2 year contract in which i will be unable to purchase any other phone
i wont be buying the iPhone. :(
i thought it was coming out soon
but since you are unaware, im going to have to get myself an HP iPaq
scott- There are rumors posted online about it, but I am unaware of any factual information about it.
me- oh
me- i heard about it on TV though
me- im one of those people who believes everything they see on TV, not really... but i was quite taken by the iphone they showed on TV and i was going to wait because i know Apple releases the highest quality products i know of. buying the phone they made was going to be my next tech purchase
but now i am going to go get a $400 HP iPaq and lock myself into it for 2 years
scott- Well, it might be worth it to wait and see if Apple does release one then.
me- oooookkkk
me- thank you
scott- Thank you for visiting the Apple Store. We appreciate your business.
me- thank you for chatting
A convesation that bboyredcel had with himself.

bboyredcel- Hi, I'm a stupid moron and I want to show people that I think I'm really cute.

himself- Let's pretend you, bboyredcel, call Apple and ask them about the iPhone.

bboyredcel- Yeah and I, bboyredcel, can pretend that I know more than the Apple Expert.

himself- You could then threaten to purchase a competitor's product.

bboyredcel- Yeah, I bet that would really upset him.

himself- And while you're at it you can show the world or at least those who read this page, how stupid you really are.

bboyredcel- What.

himself- Well, everyone who reads MacRumors should know how Apple operates by now. You might as well be calling Apple about a rumored iPizzaMaker or something.

bboyredcel- Really Apple is working on an iPizzaMaker.

himself- God, I wish someone would just lobotomize me!

[justflie]

Wu's stock price target of $92 I think is another good indication of how crappy of an analyst he is. AAPL is currently trading at $88.24 (of course it's probably changed since then). I know it probably won't close at the price but there's only a $4 gap between that and the target. I would be very surprised if between now and MWSF, given all of the expected big announcements (and the crashing of the Zune), if the stock price does not rise higher. Then again, I'm not exactly a stock broker...

[lmalave]

this conversation to me sounded more like we were talking about the iPhone2 or whatever needing NEW FEATURES to make it stand out from the crowd even more. i agree that the iPod interface would make the phone experience more familiar to a lot of people and the mp3 player portion much much better then all the mp3 phones out all ready, but its not something new that the other mp3 phones don't already do.

does that make sense?

Let me ask you this: besides the scroll wheel, what has Apple ever done on the iPod that is new? It was not the first mp3 player. It was not the first hard-drive based player. It was not the first player to offer photo browsing. It was not the first player to offer video playing. It was not the first player to offer games. Well, you get the idea.

So the iPod has never been about offering different features. Rather, the iPod success story has been based on different things: 1) elegance/ease of use, 2) smaller/cooler design, 3) "hipness" factor.

I don't see why Apple couldnt leverage all 3 of the above for the iPhone.

1) Apple could make the iPhone easier to use than other phones. Nokia and SonyEricsson already have pretty decent user interfaces, but Apple could still top them. Again, it's a matter of degree and Apple tends to get the little details "right". Plus Apple's solution for synching with the computer will probably more seamless than with any other phone

2) Apple has proven to be extremely adept at miniaturization. Ask yourself this: why hasn't someone made a 15.4" laptop that is 1" thin and weighs only 5.6 lbs like the MBP? Why is no other 30 GB or 80 GB MP3 player as thin and light as the iPods? With both its Macs and iPods, Apple has proven that one of its strenghts is putting consumer electronics in a tiny, appealing package. I expect the same from the iPhone.

3) The Apple brand is still quite potent. If Moto could sell so many of their craptacular RAZR phones based on "coolness factors" alone and very other redeeming features, can you imagine what Apple and its marketing machine could do with the iPhone? The mind staggers.

...and that's why the numbers we're hearing through the grapevine are 10-15 million iPhones sold by the end of 2007 alone. I think those kind of numbers are pretty spot-on.

[whatever]

As an Apple shareholder, my main concern over the iPhone is whether or not Apple can make money on such a product and also not damage the reputation for releasing quality products.

Alright I know a few are going to say that Apple products suck and have been on downward spiral for years, whatever, bottom line, their products and reputation are better than most.

I'm sure Apple could create a great iPhone, but I would never want them to be controled by the various carriers. I can hear it already, my iPhone drops 1/2 of it's calls, my old crappy phone was so much better (blah, blah, blah) and the whole time it's really the carrier which is terriable not Apple. This is something that Apple wants and must avoid. FYI, I've used Verizon, Sprint, AT&T and T-mobile and none of them seem to work with their top of the line phones in my area. Meanwhile my Sister-inlaw had managed to keep her simple stripped down Verizon phone for years and it works perfectly at my house. She needed to get a new battery and they tried to upsell her a new phone and she refused and then the sales person told her that the older phones just work better than the newer models.

I agree with you 100% about the RAZR, when I thought about getting one, everyone I knew who had one advised me against it, all of them claiming that it's the worst phone ever!

[rand()]

Hey guys.

I've been pushing my passion for the iPhone idea down for so long, that the ideas inspired by this rumor were simply too great to post in the forums. So, I'm shamelessly linking to my blog.

http://ofthelion.blogspot.com

Terrible. Shameless. So whatever you do, don't support my behavior by clicking the ads. You'll only encourage me.

-rand()

[Montserrat]

I'm not that concerned about what features the new phone has. My iPod is by far the easiest to use gadget I own. My phone on the other hand is a horrible design. Loads of features, so on paper it looks good, but in practice is a mess to use. If Apple design a phone that links up via iTunes, works seamlessly and reliably with a well thought out UI and OS, I'll buy it. I do think that they'll stick with iTunes as the sole software for the phone as it already supports contact and calendar synchronisation.
I will be truly shocked if there is something that this phone can do that no other phone can do. I would also be surprised if Apple didn't make a phone that made it easier to do at least one element of current phone usage. Hopefully the basics of phoning, contact organisation and searching, and texting will be better than any of the useless phones I've been lumbered with. It's also important to remember that the design should easily top anything else out there, as design-wise I don't think the competition's that hot.

[Ha ze]

perhaps as far as adding things to phones a cell phone has topped out?

now the solutions to "good ones" are just to organize and simplify what they already have and thats how Apple will be able to do the same as iPod with iPhone.

One item i wish i had would be the ability to organize people by where i know them or something like a "playlist" or folder set up. you know, work people, school people, restaurants etc... i think it would make browsing through the phone book a bit nicer

[wilburdl]

http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/bto/20061120/iPhone_270x409_270x409.jpg (Credit: Ministry of Tech)

That chill in the air means two things: the holidays are approaching, and the height of sports gambling season is upon us. The upcoming slate of college bowl games, the Super Bowl, and March Madness always warms the heart of even the casual gambler.

But this year, techies can get in on the fun. A sports betting site called Bodog.com is taking bets on the launch date for Apple's long-rumored iPhone. Bodog's using the money line system to gauge whether Apple will introduce the iPhone by the end of April 2007, or whether it will introduce the product at January's MacWorld conference.

For example, if you think Apple's going to launch the iPhone by April 30, 2007, you need to wager $150 to win $100. That means Bodog considers that likelihood as the favorite, while a launch after that date (or no launch) would win $110 on a $100 bet. Based on the odds quoted by Bodog, it's even more likely that Apple will annouce the "impending release" of the iPhone at January's MacWorld. A wager of $280 on that possibility is required to take home $100.

We think Bodog should consider additional wagers, such as: Will Steve Jobs come out at MacWorld wearing his traditional black mock turtleneck or something different, like the button-down shirt he sported at Apple's Showtime event earlier this year? But, as usual, nobody asked. Since nobody's asking for our sports picks either, Crave likes Ohio State over USC in the Fiesta Bowl, San Diego's high-powered offense exposing Rex Grossman and the Bears in the Super Bowl, and North Carolina to bring the hardware back to Chapel Hill.

source: http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9664161-1.html?tag=cnetfd.mt

[bboyredcel]

A convesation that bboyredcel had with himself.

bboyredcel- Hi, I'm a stupid moron and I want to show people that I think I'm really cute.

himself- Let's pretend you, bboyredcel, call Apple and ask them about the iPhone.

bboyredcel- Yeah and I, bboyredcel, can pretend that I know more than the Apple Expert.

himself- You could then threaten to purchase a competitor's product.

bboyredcel- Yeah, I bet that would really upset him.

himself- And while you're at it you can show the world or at least those who read this page, how stupid you really are.

bboyredcel- What.

himself- Well, everyone who reads MacRumors should know how Apple operates by now. You might as well be calling Apple about a rumored iPizzaMaker or something.

bboyredcel- Really Apple is working on an iPizzaMaker.

himself- God, I wish someone would just lobotomize me!


that was... ummm... not good at all. it wasnt even a good attempt. so umm no.

[Corpus_Callosum]

just to clear something up. This right now appears to be a text-based phone. I don't think Wu is talking about iChat AV functionality. Some other sites (of much, much less accuracy) have been claiming that the iPhone would be able to do videoconferencing and whatnot, but currently there isn't any good evidence to support this, and in my opinion it doesn't look like current 3G GSM cellular networks simply don't have the duplex bandwidth to deliver that kind of content. (and 4G is still a ways off)

Apple would not try to deliver iChatAV video conferencing services over 3G (or any other cellular network). It's a ridiculous idea. However, having iChatAV capability over WiFi is totally doable and completely within the realm of possibility. Apple would be retarded not to have a camera and WiFi on their new phone, mostly because it would represent a step backwards from current state of the art cellular phones.

So, what is the real issue? If they have WiFi capability and have a camera, all they need is the horsepower to encode and decode H.264 and iChatAV on the iPhone becomes a reality. While H.264 is a demanding codec, there already exists hardware encoders/decoders in the wild. This is the stopping point. If Apple includes silicon that can handle H.264, iPhone will do AV conferencing ala iChatAV. My own personal belief is that this one feature is the primary differentiator that Apple is going to leverage to gain traction in the mobile market. While everyone else is yakking and texting, iPhone users are holding their phones up to show their friends what they are seeing, watching iTunes movies and listening to iTunes music. A true lifestyle change as is the Apple way.

You can speculate all you want, but until you realize that Steve Jobs isn't going to enter a market that he can't shatter preconceived notions in, you aren't going to understand Apple's modus opperandi.

I also believe that this will be sold in Apple stores and not through carriers. There are two reasons for this:

(1) Apple will be selling a WiFi digital lifestyle device as the iPhone's primary role (e.g. if you are within range of usable WiFi, it will perform all functions through WiFi, including VOIP) and only use cellular networks as a fallback condition when WiFi is not available, crippling many features of the iPhone. Carriers are not going to be happy about this and would have no incentive to carry such a device as it represents a competitive threat. But don't let that alarm you, you should be able to slip any normal SIM card into the iPhone and make use of your existing carrier. Just don't expect to be subsidized - Apple doesn't tend to market to cheap consumers anyhow, they won't be worried about starting out with a non-subsidized and reasonably expensive phone. People will pay for this advancement and prices will go down over time.

(2) Apple will promote direct purchasing of video and audio content from iTunes using the device when on a WiFi network. This direct sales approach is also a threat to the carriers who want a piece of the action and demand much higher price/margins on digital content ($2 for a ringtone anyone?)

This all seems pretty obvious to me.

[Elrond39]

that was... ummm... not good at all. it wasnt even a good attempt. so umm no.

Pot, meet Kettle.

[OdduWon]

Looks like Apple has some new competition (http://www.jitterbug.com/promotions/101106_landing.asp) :D

lol TelePod clam shell

[bense27]

So, a second generation of a product that doesn't even exist.

hahahahaha

[MikeTheC]

My sources are actually talking about an advanced, radical design which also incorporates a radical new feature set.

It's called the iOmni, and it's really cool.

It comes in solid brass with a mirror polish finish.

Here's some descriptive photos that were smuggled out of a highly-classified location which, apparently for reasons of national security, are not at the 1 Infinite Loop campus location.

http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/3461/iomni01ei5.png

In this first image, you can see the iOmni in it's closed mode. Unfortunately due to the angles of the images, you cannot really see it, but there is a pair of standard 1/8th inch headphone jacks at the top of the device, one on either "bump". It would seem that some people have been taking the "stick it in her ear" comment a little bit too literally, and due to complaints, Apple has now built in a second headphone jack to allow both parties to listen to the music in full, clear stereo.


Moving on...

http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/4773/iomni02od0.png http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/4996/iomni03qe6.png

As you can see in this first image, Apple's famous electro-static click wheel remains a central part of the design. I'll come to the set of rings it's set into in just a moment, but one of the things I'd like to draw your attention to are the two colored lights, one red and one green, at the top of the device. Nobody my contact has spoken with seems to know exactly what they're for, but there has been some speculation about them being part of the power meter system.

However, it's the concentric rings which are of very great interest, since they seem to contain a sequence of date codes, from days to weeks, and then down through centuries. According to several unconfirmed reports, it seems the device rumored to be able to let you listen to any song, at any point in time in Earth's history. Now, if true, of course this would suggest a considerable scientific breakthrough in temporal physics and acoustic detection. Whether it transports the user, the performer, or just the music itself is as yet unknown.

There have been rumors around the Apple campus that Steve has gone missing once or twice when visiting the off-campus facility, but these have been largely discounted by most of the people my source has spoken with.

My source said there was no LCD mounted to the unit pictured above, but there did seem to be some extraneous connectors in between the two lights, though what their purpose is remains unknown.

Isn't this exciting news, folks? You've heard it here first.

[applekid]

I think Apple should sell the iPhone unlock, if they really plan on selling an iPhone. Try to innovate the cell phone market, if you will. Every gadget wearer knows about unlocking phones or buys unlocked phones and hops around services. It's a niche thing, but if Apple was to make some in-roads with this, I think Apple can dodge all the phone crippling, while still selling this phone directly to the masses. The partnerships with services can come later.

[caity13cait]

Wu's stock price target of $92 I think is another good indication of how crappy of an analyst he is. AAPL is currently trading at $88.24 (of course it's probably changed since then). I know it probably won't close at the price but there's only a $4 gap between that and the target. I would be very surprised if between now and MWSF, given all of the expected big announcements (and the crashing of the Zune), if the stock price does not rise higher. Then again, I'm not exactly a stock broker...


I think that this shows how close he is coming to his estimate. He predicted $92 a few months ago and look at how close the stock is to that price right now.

[LastZion]

I will be the first inline to grab one of these... I am a cell phone whore

[OdduWon]

with the iTv and nike+ as testing groungs for apples wirless products, perhaps this is why we have seen the delay in the release of the fabled "iphone"? Also contributing to the delay is the time spent in developing the new ear buds. Mr. Jobs said the studied 10,000 ears or someting right? so the could have been developing the iphone pod set. the head set that is a fasion statement and a music player. great sound quality built into a stereo wireless headset that hooks up to iphone. like the first itunes enabled phone commercial with the guy walking and his shadow is dancing, and then answers a call,and then keeps on going :) this pod set will be the next big thing;) :D :p