More Confirmation of Apple iPod Phone?

MacRumors · Mar 22, 2006

Smarthouse.com.au reports that according to insiders at a Taiwanese phone maker (BenQ), Apple has been talking to a number of Taiwanese phone makers in an effort to cut a manufacturing deal on an iPod Phone.

They say that Apple will launch an iPod with phone functions within the next few months. "An iPod phone is definitely coming. BenQ will not be making it as we are in competition with Apple however several of our suppliers have been approached to manufacture parts. Among manufacturers in Taiwan it is common knowledge.

Rumors of a new Apple-branded phone have recently been flooding analyst reports.

Historically, in 2003 Smarthouse previously claimed that Apple would be moving to Intel-based Macs by January of 2004. The report was one of many Apple-moving-to-Intel rumors that appeared over the years, so its unclear if it was accurate (but premature) or simply coincidental. Apple, of course, did eventually announce that they would be transitioning to Intel based processors, but not until June of 2005.

emaja · Mar 22, 2006

Meh.

For all the time this rumor has been floating around, this had better be one heck of a phone.

rockthecasbah · Mar 22, 2006

BORING! I've heard enough about this stupid iPhone already. PEOPLE IT'S JUST A CELL PHONE! My God, all these rumors about a stupid cell phone that probably will be a disapointment. Integratation is great, but too much leaves just ugly PDA phones that do nothing else but take up space. Just cool your jets with the iPhone and see what happens with it, ok people

camomac · Mar 22, 2006

i agree, i am not really all that excited about an "iphone"

but i'll just wait and see...

deanbo · Mar 22, 2006

Apple iPhone

I'm actually quite excited about the possibility of an Apple iPhone, especially if Apple is full control of the aesthetics let alone the feature set.

yankeefan24 · Mar 22, 2006

another day, another iphone rumor.

GET OVER IT. A PHONE IS A PHONE. IF YOU CARE SO MUCH, WAIT. BUT UNLIKE WITH COMPUTERS, I AM NOT GOING TO WAIT MONTHS BECAUSE OF SPECULATION. some people may disagree, but that's how i feel.

it won't work with verizon so i really don't care that much anymore.

d.perel · Mar 22, 2006

BenQ, eh? I didn't know they made phones, I thought they made bad MP3 players- but then again, who knows?

rye9 · Mar 22, 2006

yankeefan24 said:
another day, another iphone rumor.

lol..ain't it the truth

kerbawya · Mar 22, 2006

yankeefan24 said:
GET OVER IT. A PHONE IS A PHONE.

Really?

alms · Mar 22, 2006

Wireless Switchers

What kind of phone will it be? I assume GSM, as that as the most public standard. Verizon, though, does not use GSM phones. They have their own technology.

Well, whatever kind of phone Apple comes out with, it could have a huge market pull. Now that phone numbers are portable and can be taken by a customer over to a new provider, an Apple iPhone could that was only available for certain networks could be hugely valuable as a switching catalyst. Customer acquisition cost in the cell phone market is a couple of hundred dollars. There's lots of potential in this.

I'm currently a very happy customer of Verizon wireless, but this would be enough to get me to switch.

gilleszeimet · Mar 22, 2006

iPod Phone

Imagine the possible quality of this phone. We all saw what happens if another company than Apple itself tries to impliment parts of Apple technologies. I want this mobile because of its perfect integration with OS X and it might be the final reason why I want to get a .mac account, as I am sure that a future Apple phone will integrate perfectly with .mac. No phone on the market at the moment integrates well enough into OS X that I could say I change from my old phone to a new one. I think that Apple has the potential to take mobile phone a step further by advancing their usability. Apple will only enter this overcrowded market of its product is perfect and a new experience. Their are valid reasons why the iPod is the number one mp3 player and there will possibly be reasons why the new Apple phone will be highly successful. Apple will have to face a very tough competition. Only a revolutionary product, simple to use and perfectly integrated with a wide range of services will be a success. The phone will have to be a perfect mobile extension of the user's desktop or notebook. I could even see that it will have WiFi integration and all that. If Apple will only create a better designed Rockr, i will be deeply disappointed.

yankeefan24 · Mar 22, 2006

kerbawya said:
Really?

but those to phones do the same thing. they allow you to talk to another person on another phone. sure, the new nokia cell phone has more features and allows you to talk anywhere, but they do the same basic function.

alms said:
I'm currently a very happy customer of Verizon wireless, but this would be enough to get me to switch.

i love verizon and would hold out as long as possible. even if verizon was about to go bankrupt i would stay with them. The best service where i have to be.

freeny · Mar 22, 2006

Doesnt it seem odd that this leak is from BenQ? a competitor of Apple....

Rumors rumors rumors......????

1macker1 · Mar 22, 2006

Umm, I'd get rid of my Motorola Smartphone Mpx220 if Apple can match it. This better be good.

gilleszeimet · Mar 22, 2006

BenQ - Siemens

d.perel said:
BenQ, eh? I didn't know they made phones, I thought they made bad MP3 players- but then again, who knows?

BanQ bought the mobile phone part of the German company Siemens. Siemens was never very successful on the mobile phone market, but BenQ recently showed some very intersting new phone under the 'BenQ-Siemens' label. The double name is comparable to SonyEricsson.

Ayre · Mar 22, 2006

I'm pretty tired about the iPhone rumors as well. It's not something Apple should be pursuing.

Seasought · Mar 22, 2006

I still can't believe how excited people get over being able to pay for a downloadable television show, or yet another iPod clone or accessory, but barely bat an eye over a possible Apple cell phone (something that has never been made by Apple before...right?).

Is it because most people are already happy with their cell phones?

1macker1 · Mar 22, 2006

I think that most people haven't used a smartphone. If they have, they'd know how impressive they are and would be doing backflips over the possibility of a Apple phone.

Seasought said:
I still can't believe how excited people get over being able to pay for a downloadable television show, or yet another iPod clone or accessory, but barely bat an eye over a possible Apple cell phone (something that has never been made by Apple before...right?).

Is it because most people are already happy with their cell phones?

Doctor Q · Mar 22, 2006

Intersting that smarthouse calls it "an iPod with phone functions" rather than "a phone with iTunes".

lonepilgrim · Mar 22, 2006

Ayre said:
I'm pretty tired about the iPhone rumors as well. It's not something Apple should be pursuing.

I think it should be written into the FAQ of this forum that before even considering writing a post like the one above, a potential contributor must read thread 500.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/apples-new-thing-ipod.500/

SeaFox · Mar 22, 2006

Maybe we'll finally have a phone that can sync with a .Mac account without a computer!

mtzmtz · Mar 22, 2006

Don't think of it as a phone

yankeefan24 said:
another day, another iphone rumor.

GET OVER IT. A PHONE IS A PHONE. IF YOU CARE SO MUCH, WAIT. BUT UNLIKE WITH COMPUTERS, I AM NOT GOING TO WAIT MONTHS BECAUSE OF SPECULATION. some people may disagree, but that's how i feel.

it won't work with verizon so i really don't care that much anymore.

The key is to NOT think of it as (yet another) cellphone, but as something like a portable .Mac account (which happens to also function as a cellphone).

iMeowbot · Mar 22, 2006

Doctor Q said:
Intersting that smarthouse calls it "an iPod with phone functions" rather than "a phone with iTunes".

Sorry, the song you have reached, 'Mandy' by Barry Manilow, is lame. Please check your sensibilities and try again. *click*

FaasNat · Mar 22, 2006

kerbawya said:
Really?

I think the first one is the phone and the second is a mobile communication device...

nicksoper · Mar 22, 2006

I thought a nano with a decent size screen, with phone capability would be pretty handy. Perhaps even a little camera like sony put in the k750i.

That would be something to get excited about.

More Confirmation of Apple iPod Phone?

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