Clearing Inventory for 'radically different' 3G iPhone?

[MacRumors]

Times Online claims the reason for the UK and German iPhone discounts are to clear room for the 3G iPhone. European mobile operators reportedly overestimated demand for the current iPhone and are said to be working to clear excess inventory ahead of the 3G iPhone release.

This claim appears to be somewhat speculative, but Times Online also claims to have heard that Apple has placed orders for the 3G iPhone:

Times Online understands that Apple has placed an order with its Asian suppliers to produce 200,000 of the new 3G iPhones by the end of May, rising to 2 million - 500,000 per week - in June.

Times Online goes on to say that the new version of the iPhone will have a "radically different" appearance.

Among the possibilities are flip version, which would enable the screen to be larger, and a sliding model with a regular qwerty keyboard - as opposed to a touchscreen one.

The reliability of Times Online's sources are unknown, but such a departure from the existing iPhone's design seems very unlikely. Jobs specifically criticized the inclusion of an built-in keyboards amongst existing smartphones when the iPhone was first introduced. Apple is also in the midst of launching a Software Development Kit (SDK) intended for their multi-touch OS X. Radically changing the form factor would splinter the audience for iPhone applications.

Article Link

[bbplayer5]

No way. They will not modify the phone THAT much. Why change a good thing? Make it thinner maybe, slightly bigger screen... thats about it.

[BRLawyer]

Originally Posted by bbplayer5

No way. They will not modify the phone THAT much. Why change a good thing? Make it thinner maybe, slightly bigger screen... thats about it.

Times Online has achieved quite a feat...to beat MacOS Rumors in the stupidity and lack of reliability of its predictions...AMAZING!

All that has been said is just waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay off reality...congrats, Times Online!

[cheekybobcat]

Originally Posted by bbplayer5

No way. They will not modify the phone THAT much. Why change a good thing? Make it thinner maybe, slightly bigger screen... thats about it.

Agreed. The whole "luster" of the iPhone is the touch capabilities. Take that away and I don't think it will be as popular. The iPhone now is just about perfect aesthetic-wise. I think that it's plenty thin...

A bigger screen would make typing SMS messages easier and with less mistakes but it's not really that big a deal to me.

I really hope that Apple doesn't make the iPhone a flip phone, and I don't think they will. What they have is convenient and awesome looking. Flip phones aren't as special anymore. The iPhone wouldn't seem so revolutionary to me as a flip. Maybe just because I don't like flip phones
Plus, I am planning on getting the rumored 3G iPhone come May or June or whenever, providing it is within the next 6-8 months. I love the iPhone now and if Apple keeps the appearance the way it is and just adds the 3G, then I will be one happy camper

[Syrus28]

Originally Posted by cheekybobcat

Agreed. The whole "luster" of the iPhone is the touch capabilities. Take that away and I don't think it will be as popular. The iPhone now is just about perfect aesthetic-wise. I think that it's plenty thin...

A bigger screen would make typing SMS messages easier and with less mistakes but it's not really that big a deal to me.

I really hope that Apple doesn't make the iPhone a flip phone, and I don't think they will. What they have is convenient and awesome looking. Flip phones aren't as special anymore. The iPhone wouldn't seem so revolutionary to me as a flip. Maybe just because I don't like flip phones
Plus, I am planning on getting the rumored 3G iPhone come May or June or whenever, providing it is within the next 6-8 months. I love the iPhone now and if Apple keeps the appearance the way it is and just adds the 3G, then I will be one happy camper

I agree. IMO, Apple would be a fool to change the iPhone into a flip phone. That would make the screen a lot smaller, and go against everything Apple praised as revolutionary. And really, who wants a flip phone? People have moved onto sliders/candy bar, which offer more screen space, and a sturdier build.

[sjo]

Originally Posted by cheekybobcat

Agreed. The whole "luster" of the iPhone is the touch capabilities. Take that away and I don't think it will be as popular.

the thing is, it's not that popular! even in the us now after the first hype, the sales haven't been that great, not to mention europe, where it just does not sell in any significant number. or asia, where apple haven't found any operator willing to take the phone in their catalog.

[bbbensen]

Originally Posted by sjo

the thing is, it's not that popular! even in the us now after the first hype, the sales haven't been that great, not to mention europe, where it just does not sell in any significant number. or asia, where apple haven't found any operator willing to take the phone in their catalog.

What I have seen it is.

While in Mission Viejo, I noticed that 6 out of 10 (Im just guessing....) people had an iPhone.

I was jealous.

[Future Blues]

Originally Posted by sjo

the thing is, it's not that popular! even in the us now after the first hype, the sales haven't been that great, not to mention europe, where it just does not sell in any significant number. or asia, where apple haven't found any operator willing to take the phone in their catalog.

There are tons of grey inventory iPhones floating around China loaded with hacked software. Tons. To the tune of one million+.

The Japanese market is slow in accepting new products and doesn't necessarily want to give Apple any leeway in the market until they can ready their own competition.

[sjo]

Originally Posted by Future Blues

There are tons of grey inventory iPhones floating around China loaded with hacked software. Tons. To the tune of one million+.

the problem with this theory is that if you assume a significant # of iphones shipped away from the us, it makes the us sales #s look even worse. and even with that assumption the # of iphones outside the us is insignificant.

Originally Posted by Future Blues

The Japanese market is slow in accepting new products and doesn't necessarily want to give Apple any leeway in the market until they can ready their own competition.

what are you smoking? the japanese market remains the most advanced cell phone market on planet.

Originally Posted by bbbensen

What I have seen it is.

While in Mission Viejo, I noticed that 6 out of 10 (Im just guessing....) people had an iPhone.

I was jealous.

it's not a matter of seeing, the sales information is available.

[nanolover]

well, it's still a candy bar, but i'd call that radically different...
i guess that will solve the keys too small/fingers too big complaint for most...

http://www.kottke.org/08/04/the-iphone-mega

[gooddog]

Originally Posted by bbplayer5

No way. They will not modify the phone THAT much. Why change a good thing? Make it thinner maybe, slightly bigger screen... thats about it.

****************

I agree that the current form is very nice.

But, what if we had a magnetic, horizontal clamshell
with a high-def OLED video screen lid, and a
horizontal, lower-def screen that can be the multi-touch input device: sometime huge, full keyboard; sometime game controller of any type; sometime iCal menu; etc. ?

I just hope Apple loses the weak phone speaker and puts the louder bottom speaker
in its place to fire forward on video playback and speaker-phone use as well as to give us plenty of volume when held to the ear, in a noisy street environment.

---gooddog

[edwdcook]

I don't think the current iPhone design concept needs changing - and if it does change, I think it would be a shame.

[hollerz]

I'd put money on it NOT being a flip phone or having a built in keyboard!

[notnek]

i agree with posters so far. no way they would change the look that much. if anything, the thickness will be different.

[Phil A.]

OK, very quick and dirty photoshop job, but I think this would work for iPhone V2. I do agree, however, that there is not much chance of an iPhone featuring a keyboard after the way Jobs lambasted them in the launch keynote

[ruckus]

wrong. the design will not change.

[dp123]

I don't understand the resistance to a design change. I think a subtle, evolutionary design change is inevitable. (Form factor is another question, but aesthetic changes with more advanced hardware features in much the same form can equal "radical design change" as much as a form factor change.)

The flip version seems like a bad guess, but I wouldn't be surprised by a QWERTY keyboard slideout. (Many have been rumoring/hoping for a iPhone "nano", I think an iPhone "Pro" makes much more sense.) Add a keyboard slider at the top-end, and Apple eliminates the last complaint of many, particularly enterprise users. With the new enterprise features, it makes perfect sense, and if Apple makes a landscape touch keyboard a more pervasive element of the UI (another much requested feature), not only would a hardware keyboard be easy to add into the system, but you can imagine how it would elegantly and unobtrusively integrate with the iPhone OS (when the touch keyboard is onscreen, slide out the keyboard slider and the software version slides away, giving more screen real estate -- another plus).

Trashing keyboards wouldn't be a huge issue for jobs. It's not like he's obverse to reversals and feignts. The point was to get people to shift to and accept touchscreen keyboarding. To emphasive the ability to provide adaptive input methods and UIs through the large touchscreen instead of dedicated keys that limit and confuse software UIs. Adding a keyboard will just supplement these values and doesn't work against it.

I don't see it as hurting Apple's design goals and directions at all, would eliminate the biggest complaint while providing a high end option (which Apple always loves) that they could even add 32 GBs too if supplies are constrained (and a huge price tag), and it would be the smartest decision I could imagine for them. Not a "NO WAY!" scenario at all.

[Merkuryy]

Originally Posted by Phil A.

OK, very quick and dirty photoshop job, but I think this would work for iPhone V2. I do agree, however, that there is not much chance of an iPhone featuring a keyboard after the way Jobs lambasted them in the launch keynote

Depend on whether next generation iPhone would focus on entertainment or business. This one will be great for those "business guys", but not so good for us pure Apple fans

[MacPhilosopher]

Originally Posted by Phil A.

OK, very quick and dirty photoshop job, but I think this would work for iPhone V2. I do agree, however, that there is not much chance of an iPhone featuring a keyboard after the way Jobs lambasted them in the launch keynote

Nice job on the photoshop v2. I absolutely agree, there is no chance that Apple will introduce a hard keyboard model. That part of the story alone should have relegated it to page 2.

[digitalbiker]

Originally Posted by Phil A.

OK, very quick and dirty photoshop job, but I think this would work for iPhone V2. I do agree, however, that there is not much chance of an iPhone featuring a keyboard after the way Jobs lambasted them in the launch keynote

I think everyone takes SJ way too serious. He is a salesman people!

Of course, he will say a keyboard is crap because his phone doesn't have a keyboard. BUT if the next revision has a keyboard he will say "Well everyone else got the keyboard wrong, but Apple gets it right!"

Right now Apple is re-designing the concept of a smart phone. Many business users still don't want to use the iphone because they want a real keyboard. Maybe Apple is paying attention to the business user and IS designing a version with a Keyboard. This does not mean that Apple will discontinue the older model. It will just be an alternate version.

[MacFly123]

Originally Posted by Phil A.

OK, very quick and dirty photoshop job, but I think this would work for iPhone V2. I do agree, however, that there is not much chance of an iPhone featuring a keyboard after the way Jobs lambasted them in the launch keynote

I'm sorry, no offense intended but that has got to be the dumbest thing I have ever seen. It completely negates the entire concept and theory behind the iPhone and its complete foundation! Hell will freeze over before that would ever happen!

[i.maverick]

Originally Posted by Phil A.

OK, very quick and dirty photoshop job, but I think this would work for iPhone V2. I do agree, however, that there is not much chance of an iPhone featuring a keyboard after the way Jobs lambasted them in the launch keynote

sorry... but...
eeyuck!!

[jawporta]

Jobs craps on anything he's not selling. Intel sucks, now they are great. He also said using a keypad to dial numbers was old school. How they F#$% are you suppose to dial a new number without a keypad? Also, Apple didn't invent contact dialing, every phone has that. He's a master marketer, but he's full of it too. He's the Tech P.T. Barnum.

Originally Posted by Phil A.

OK, very quick and dirty photoshop job, but I think this would work for iPhone V2. I do agree, however, that there is not much chance of an iPhone featuring a keyboard after the way Jobs lambasted them in the launch keynote

[MikeELL]

Originally Posted by Phil A.

OK, very quick and dirty photoshop job, but I think this would work for iPhone V2. I do agree, however, that there is not much chance of an iPhone featuring a keyboard after the way Jobs lambasted them in the launch keynote

sorry mate... but EW!

[iHarry]

Originally Posted by hollerz

I'd put money on it NOT being a flip phone or having a built in keyboard!

Second That!