iPhone 2 at MWSF 2008?

[MacRumors]

Smarkofficenews.com.au claims to have heard that Apple is talking to manufacturing partners in Asia about the next generation iPhone:

Among the new capabilities will be GPS and expanded WiFi capability as well as the ability to sync with email servers. Apple research and development executives are according to sources in Taiwan trying to overcome a lack of expanded media support for Flash memory.

The site has never been a source of rumors in the past, so their accuracy is unknown.

[Scarlet Fever]

Not going to happen. It's too soon. Maybe WWDC 2008, but not MWSF.

[ISMPlus]

Originally Posted by Scarlet Fever

Not going to happen. It's too soon. Maybe WWDC 2008, but not MWSF.

Yeah, I agree. I think it would be so toon. I rather not get too excited about it and then be disappointed later on.

[Ha ze]

I could easily see them announcing it there, then having to have the same amount of lead time that Friday's iPhone had, i mean that would be a year sense introduction

[nlivo]

interesting....i personally believe it would be about the time a refreshment came but seeing as these guys have never rumoured about apple i don't think its true......but i do reckon macworld would be a good time to update the iPhone, its getting a bit old already...oh and do they have to get FCC approval everytime and is FCC approval just on phones or do they get it on every product they do????

[Brandon Sharitt]

Dear god, are we going to see "iPhone G5 next Tuesday!" on a recurring basis now?

[twoodcc]

yeah, i say it's way too soon. i would hope this iPhone lasts at least a year before its out of date

[Chundles]

It needs to be 3G-enabled for Asia, hopefully HSDPA capable to take advantage of the 3.6Mbps+ speed of the NextG network and it's competitors here in Oz.

Maybe it won't officially be "iPhone 2" but there will be a different version released next year.

[Brian Hickman]

Originally Posted by twoodcc

yeah, i say it's way too soon. i would hope this iPhone lasts at least a year before its out of date

"Too soon" is all relative. You have to expect that Apple's competitors are quickly readying their responses to the iPhone. And I am sure that some of them are going to be very, very good. So, Apple will have to fight back to stay competitive. They still have to succumb to market pressures, especially when they are trying to build a significant business within Apple Inc.

In all honesty, I think that the lack of GPS integration into the Google maps application is a serious shortfall of the iPhone.

Hickman

[damacus]

At D5, Jobs made a comment about ships leaking from the top, so they're well aware about how early releases affect current performance. Jobs knows it and the rest of Apple knows it. They also know the importance of the iPhone to Apple's business.

I think it's safe to say:
- Apple won't risk alienating its early adopters by antiquating its first model after only 6 months!
- Apple will *not* just sit on their butts once the phone is released. I'm sure there are features and enhancements planned.

I suspect that we'd *maybe* see a hardware revision in a year at next year's WWDC.. Maybe.

I think it's a lot more likely that they'll stick to software updates, and update the hardware *every two years*, right in sync with people's phone plans! Imagine the possibilities of coordinated hardware releases and contracts! You could have a lot of people treating their iPhone as a hardware subscription.. especially as the price of flash memory continues to come down.

Imagine credits for trade-in of your 4GB or 8GB model toward a 16 with unlocked GPS, et al?

Apple could be on to something. But not until they've taken care of the first generation, and all the fiddling that comes with a first gen apple product.

[Padraig]

In order to be competitive Apple will need to refresh their line-up every six months. Both SE and Nokia do this across their entire range of phones.

[thejadedmonkey]

That sounds reasonable, as long as Apple is careful not to alienate early adopters. Adding G3, GPS, etc is all good, as long as the first gen iPhones can do the same things (just possibly slower).

think of it like the first iPods. the 2nd gen iPods were the same damn thing, just with better mechanical navigation and a larger hard drive. Better, but it didn't render the first ones obsolete, not by a long shot. It wasn't until the 3rd gen that the first iPod's really started to show their age. If Apple does the same sort of deal, I can see that.

[officerdick]

This is not to soon, actually in the cell phone buisness i see it as to late. They need to at least update it every 6 months to keep up, the cell phone buisness is tough!

[squirrellydw]

Originally Posted by damacus

maybe* see a hardware revision in a year at next year's WWDC.. Maybe.

I think it's a lot more likely that they'll stick to software updates, and update the hardware *every two years*, right in sync with people's phone plans! Imagine the possibilities of coordinated hardware releases and contracts! You could have a lot of people treating their iPhone as a hardware subscription.. especially as the price of flash memory continues to come down.

Imagine credits for trade-in of your 4GB or 8GB model toward a 16 with unlocked GPS, et al?

Apple could be on to something. But not until they've taken care of the first generation, and all the fiddling that comes with a first gen apple product.

This is impossible to do since everyones contracts expire at different times. Apple really doesn't care much about the older hardware, look at the iPod, when was the last time they added new features to the 3rd or 4th gen Ipod, the iPhone will be the same.

[NorCalLights]

I don't doubt that Apple is already talking to manufacturers about the next generation iPhone, but I do doubt that this rumor has any inside information. Saying that Apple is going to upgrade their products is kinda like shooting fish in a barrel.

[Stella]

iPhone 2 may well be the European version.

As it stands, the iPhone looks very dated compared to current highend phones being sold in Europe. Lack of 3G is a glaring omission, as is lack of GPS, somewhat too.

[hvfsl]

Originally Posted by Chundles

It needs to be 3G-enabled for Asia, hopefully HSDPA capable to take advantage of the 3.6Mbps+ speed of the NextG network and it's competitors here in Oz.

Maybe it won't officially be "iPhone 2" but there will be a different version released next year.

I agree, although the European version will need 3G as well.

Also if they do add GPS to the iPhone for Europe/Asia, Apple could always sell a bluetooth GPS adapter (like those you can get now) so 1G iPhone users can take advantage of GPS.

I wouldn't be surprised if we see an upgraded camera and more memory by the time the iPhone is launched in Asia.

[damacus]

Originally Posted by Padraig

In order to be competitive Apple will need to refresh their line-up every six months. Both SE and Nokia do this across their entire range of phones.

With most other phones, once you buy it, that's your phone. Take it or leave it, it's not going to change.. I think the unique thing here is that with the iPhone, you can receive software updates via iTunes.

I don't know if there'll be weird Sarbanes-Oxley stuff with regard to adding functionality, but even then they could do something like the airport extreme and add a $5 charge to 'unlock' internal features.

Phones are software running on a device. You don't have to change the device to evolve the sucker. Someone mentioned 3G, which I forgot. I could see them adding this in the near future, but the rest.. I think is all about the software, and incremental hardware updates like faster CPUs as they become available.

[mkrishnan]

Originally Posted by Scarlet Fever

Not going to happen. It's too soon. Maybe WWDC 2008, but not MWSF.

Well... it's a phone. Granted that Apple can get away with updating their products less frequently than everyone else, I'd suspect that a reasonable update cycle for the iPhone is going to be faster than the computers and perhaps slightly slower than the iPods, which get updated more frequently than once yearly. Announcing the second gen early next year and then selling it one year after the first gen goes on the market, as long as it isn't a totally re-tooled device, doesn't seem too outlandish.

Originally Posted by damacus

Phones are software running on a device. You don't have to change the device to evolve the sucker. Someone mentioned 3G, which I forgot. I could see them adding this in the near future, but the rest.. I think is all about the software, and incremental hardware updates like faster CPUs as they become available.

I do see much more likelihood of small, incremental updates. A totally new phone that is made at a new manufacturing facility with new tools seems unlikely to me.

[damacus]

Originally Posted by squirrellydw

This is impossible to do since everyones contracts expire at different times. Apple really doesn't care much about the older hardware, look at the iPod, when was the last time they added new features to the 3rd or 4th gen Ipod, the iPhone will be the same.

2 year contract required. If they do their releases right, early adopters can always adopt early... without breaking contract. Meanwhile everyone else... they'll have something to look forward to, when they're eligible for upgrade.

Although, really, the case here is that it probably won't matter, since the phone isn't subsidized and 'eligible for upgrade' doesn't have meaning.

At least right now. Who knows. But for most people (well, ok, me) I usually only consider upgrading my phone when I renew a contract.

[FlipMac]

I really don't think Apple is gonna make a new iPhone this early. I could see a new firmware update, or something along the lines of that, but i doubt a new iPhone.

Also, wouldn't MWSF 08 be a little early? I could see 09 or late 08.

[joeconvert]

Originally Posted by damacus

I don't know if there'll be weird Sarbanes-Oxley stuff with regard to adding functionality, but even then they could do something like the airport extreme and add a $5 charge to 'unlock' internal features.

No. Apple already said they plan to recognize revenue for the iphone and Apple TV on a 24 month basis.

[Flowbee]

This is similar to 'rumors' of big iPod updates every Macworld. I think it's just too soon after the holidays. The worst thing Apple could do to the millions of people who get new iPhones for Christmas would be to release a 'new and improved' version a couple of weeks later. Very bad PR, long lines of people trying to return their new 'old' iphones, etc. Don't expect a hardware refresh until next spring at the earliest.

That being said, it's reasonable to think that Apple will announce some new apps or widgets for the iPhone at Macworld 2008.

[Padraig]

Originally Posted by damacus

Phones are software running on a device. You don't have to change the device to evolve the sucker. Someone mentioned 3G, which I forgot. I could see them adding this in the near future, but the rest.. I think is all about the software, and incremental hardware updates like faster CPUs as they become available.

I disagree, look at how far that phone technology has advanced over the last 2 years, particularly in the premium market. Apple can't afford to let a device stagnate for that amount of time. Apple needs to be as aggressive as their competitors in this field, or else they might not as well bother.

[roland.g]

With the iPhone 2 in development already, I might as well wait for the iPhone 3. Better yet, the iPhone 3D, holographic Star Wars style. "Help me Obi Wan you're my only hope!"

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