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cvaldes

macrumors 68040
Dec 14, 2006
3,237
0
somewhere else
Sounds like B.S.

The timing is wrong. Generally speaking, Apple doesn't announce new product on Mondays. Also, it's way too close to Christmas and uncomfortably close to Macworld SF. Their normal M.O. would be to save something of this caliber for MWSF.

Plus the fact that there is no indication that the FCC has approved the iPhone(s). This fact by itself is more than sufficient to cast a huge shadow of doubt on Gizmodo's claim.

Perhaps it was DigiTimes who started this rumor?
 

AppliedVisual

macrumors 6502a
Sep 28, 2006
813
315
I think the above-quoted post captures the significance of the Gizmodo story. People have been using "iPhone" for Apple's cell phone as a convenience, but there's not solid evidence that it'll actually be called that, and I was under the impression that someone else holds the rights to the name.

I just had a dreadful thought... What if iPhone is an Apple product, but it's not a "phone"? What if it's something more of an extension to the iTunes store and iTunes software that would allow users of various networks/providers to download iTunes' iPhone applet for their mobile devices and use it to load, manage and buy from the iTunes store? Suddenly Verizon users like me could download an iTunes applet for our LG Chocolate and use our iTunes account and existing iTunes library to fill our phone with content instead of being stuck with VCast... Hmmmm...

OK, maybe I'm way off base, but really... What if....? :confused:

Edit: ...And even though I said it's a dreadful thought, I would probably welcome such a thing. VCast sucks and I hate having to use a PC at the office just to load a new ring tone since Verizon / LG doesn't support OSX -- lest I use BitPim and twiddle with my phones data files manually.
 

maverick18x

macrumors member
May 31, 2005
40
0
Not a chance. First and foremost, this is Jobs' pet project. He's not going to release it or even announce that it exists without some major fanfare. There's not enough time to get people together. And then there's the whole monday thing. What's the most significant thing Apple has ever done on a monday? Bump some specs? I don't see them changing anything in their lineup until after the first of the year.

I'm calling bull on this one. The iPhone will be landing at Macworld, no sooner, no later.
 

DTphonehome

macrumors 68000
Apr 4, 2003
1,914
3,377
NYC
southpark S10E13 .. where's my cookie ??

Bravo!

cookie.jpg
 

DTphonehome

macrumors 68000
Apr 4, 2003
1,914
3,377
NYC
...What if it's something more of an extension to the iTunes store and iTunes software that would allow users of various networks/providers to download iTunes' iPhone applet for their mobile devices and use it to load, manage and buy from the iTunes store? Suddenly Verizon users like me could download an iTunes applet for our LG Chocolate and use our iTunes account and existing iTunes library to fill our phone with content instead of being stuck with VCast...

Riiiiiight....as if Verizon would want to give you a way to avoid using their money-making service.
 

kalisphoenix

macrumors 65816
Jul 26, 2005
1,231
1
I just had a dreadful thought... What if iPhone is an Apple product, but it's not a "phone"? What if it's something more of an extension to the iTunes store and iTunes software that would allow users of various networks/providers to download iTunes' iPhone applet for their mobile devices and use it to load, manage and buy from the iTunes store? Suddenly Verizon users like me could download an iTunes applet for our LG Chocolate and use our iTunes account and existing iTunes library to fill our phone with content instead of being stuck with VCast... Hmmmm...

OK, maybe I'm way off base, but really... What if....? :confused:

Edit: ...And even though I said it's a dreadful thought, I would probably welcome such a thing. VCast sucks and I hate having to use a PC at the office just to load a new ring tone since Verizon / LG doesn't support OSX -- lest I use BitPim and twiddle with my phones data files manually.

For a second, I was like "What an idiot..." and then I started thinking about it with an open mind.

Yeah -- that would be really neat. And it might even be really smart of Apple to do it. And it's damn smart of you, thinking laterally like that.

But... I don't think there's any DRM sufficient to allow that sort of thing, especially since most phones (I think) only play mp3s. Not to mention the fun of trying to buy a song with a cell phone (*taps out his credit card number and address on that stupid little keypad*).

So in a different universe, where phones played AACs and subscribed to Apple's DRM, sure -- that would actually be pretty incredible, even, since it'd be cheaper to download a whole song than download the ringtone from any other service -- but I don't think it'd work in reality.
 

kalisphoenix

macrumors 65816
Jul 26, 2005
1,231
1
Riiiiiight....as if Verizon would want to give you a way to avoid using their money-making service.

Verizon wouldn't be able to say a damn thing about it -- that's the point. Any schmoe with a phone capable of connecting to their PC or Mac could use it.
 

scu

macrumors regular
Apr 9, 2005
182
0
If this actually takes place, it would mean that Apple was left behind the 8 ball by the manufacture once again. They wanted to release it well before christmas now they are left with one week left. Or it could be that they wanted all the iPods sold first before adding one last competitor.

MacWorld will be about video and Leopard. iPhone would distract too much attention. Releasing it now will take away the distraction.

I hope it is announced and released, because I will finally get what I wanted for Christmas.:D
 

pyramid6

macrumors regular
Aug 8, 2006
187
0
It's probably VOIP to telephone as part of iChat as part of the new Mac OS X.

Secrete features, and all that.
 

Thataboy

macrumors regular
Dec 31, 2004
219
0
New York, NY
They don't claim it is an Apple product. Doesn't someone other company release under the iPhone name?

Between that and the questionable Monday scenario, I get the feeling that this is an intentional misdirection to get web traffic, but then hide behind the literal words of the article.
 

AppleIntelRock

macrumors 65816
Aug 14, 2006
1,361
0
Hopefully it means "a monday" and not "next monday." Otherwise, I'm thinking this guy way overly confident for nothing.
 

AppliedVisual

macrumors 6502a
Sep 28, 2006
813
315
Riiiiiight....as if Verizon would want to give you a way to avoid using their money-making service.

Actually, Verizon has really opened up over the past 6 months or so with newer phone releases. I can already fill my phone with all the MP3 and WMA files I want, even video clips too... Simply by copying them to the memory card and then popping the card into the phone. Verizon no longer requires you to pay $0.25 to retreive the pictures to you take by emailing to yourself (or someone else) as they can be dumped to the memory cards. ...A few of their phones now support USB and Bluetooth file transfer too for both pics and music... The catch is that OSX users are still left out of the latter two methods (without annoying work-arounds) because the software is all Windows-only.

...And it's not like it would be cheating Verizon (or other carriers) out of their money making service. The iTunes/store interface would still require mobile web service to operate, which still generates air time charges in many situations and other fees. Why would they care if you're getting music and/or videos from another source since they probably already up-sold you a data/web plan and may even be charging you minutes to use it???

But the biggest stumbling block to something like this would be the DRM, as kalisphoenix pointed out. And I think I know how it could work -- actually, I can think of a few possibilities. One of the most logical approaches I could see is the applet itself acting as an encrypted file container. All DRM-protected media (or even just all media brought in through the iPhone interface) must be played through the iPhone applet. When acquiring new media via iTunes/iPhone that you wish to use for a ringtone, you can obtain a non-drm snippet of 20, 30 or 40 seconds for that use. Perhaps the applet could export a non-drm ringtone snippet from content right on the phone... That last one might be asking too much for a lot of phones to handle...

Anyway, I think that's enough fantasizing for one evening. Let's see what happens on monday. And the smart money is betting on nothing.
 

AppleIntelRock

macrumors 65816
Aug 14, 2006
1,361
0
Actually, Verizon has really opened up over the past 6 months or so with newer phone releases. I can already fill my phone with all the MP3 and WMA files I want, even video clips too... Simply by copying them to the memory card and then popping the card into the phone. Verizon no longer requires you to pay $0.25 to retreive the pictures to you take by emailing to yourself (or someone else) as they can be dumped to the memory cards. ...A few of their phones now support USB and Bluetooth file transfer too for both pics and music... The catch is that OSX users are still left out of the latter two methods (without annoying work-arounds) because the software is all Windows-only.

...And it's not like it would be cheating Verizon (or other carriers) out of their money making service. The iTunes/store interface would still require mobile web service to operate, which still generates air time charges in many situations and other fees. Why would they care if you're getting music and/or videos from another source since they probably already up-sold you a data/web plan and may even be charging you minutes to use it???

But the biggest stumbling block to something like this would be the DRM, as kalisphoenix pointed out. And I think I know how it could work -- actually, I can think of a few possibilities. One of the most logical approaches I could see is the applet itself acting as an encrypted file container. All DRM-protected media (or even just all media brought in through the iPhone interface) must be played through the iPhone applet. When acquiring new media via iTunes/iPhone that you wish to use for a ringtone, you can obtain a non-drm snippet of 20, 30 or 40 seconds for that use. Perhaps the applet could export a non-drm ringtone snippet from content right on the phone... That last one might be asking too much for a lot of phones to handle...

Anyway, I think that's enough fantasizing for one evening. Let's see what happens on monday. And the smart money is betting on nothing.

Verizon does has some nice phones, 10000000000000000000% crippled by there TERRIBLE UI. I switched from verizon *and ate the 175* because I couldn't handle there UI.
 

DTphonehome

macrumors 68000
Apr 4, 2003
1,914
3,377
NYC
Verizon wouldn't be able to say a damn thing about it -- that's the point. Any schmoe with a phone capable of connecting to their PC or Mac could use it.

Service providers (and Verizon specifically) have very tight control over what can and cannot be installed on their handsets. In fact, Verizon flashes the entire default OS to their own proprietary OS. So you can be sure that nothing will get installed on a user's handset without Verizon's blessing.
 

xsnightclub

Suspended
Jun 9, 2004
285
19
Green Bay, WI
If the iPhone is announced or released on Monday,

You can bet that MS is in a hurry to release the Zune Phone.

Features: weighs less than current Zune,
complete with a "Scroll Wheel" that is 300% larger than the iPod,
infinite battery life thanks to 12ft power cord,
power saving feature, turn off wi-fi and use 9600 baud internal modem,
scratch resistant case,
Zune tech support just Dial '0',
backwards compatible with every home 'networking / communications' system installed since 1940's,
uses non-proprietary industry standard connection jack,
Microsoft 'calls-for-sure' compatibile,
available in three shades of brown, (Soon to be releaesed Zune Princess Phone available in high-fashion beige)
Non-tangle headset cord,
hundreds of third-party accessories (extension cords, modular jacks, in-line couplers, answering machines),
Touch-Tone compatible,
Dual re-inforced Belt Clip (Not Included)
40db alarm bell notifies you when other ZunePhoners are 'Squirting' a call to you,
Long distance and inter-continental 'Squirts' are possible with optional trans-atlantic cable,

And just like the original Zune, it makes for a great paper weight!
 

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DTphonehome

macrumors 68000
Apr 4, 2003
1,914
3,377
NYC
...And it's not like it would be cheating Verizon (or other carriers) out of their money making service. The iTunes/store interface would still require mobile web service to operate, which still generates air time charges in many situations and other fees. Why would they care if you're getting music and/or videos from another source since they probably already up-sold you a data/web plan and may even be charging you minutes to use it???

Anyone who would use a music download service is guaranteed to have an unlimited-data plan anyway, so they won't make money off additional data traffic. And even if they would, Verizon charges over $2 per song on their own service (if I'm not mistaken; I may well be)...the big money is in selling songs (and other "additional features"), not airtime.
 

Chaszmyr

macrumors 601
Aug 9, 2002
4,267
86
I hope this isnt true... I can't imagine anything but unhappy new iPod nano owners who would have instead wanted a new phone for christmas if this is true.
 

Tork

macrumors regular
Oct 14, 2006
224
160
I still say the only way the iPhone announcement is true is if there's some impending FCC announcement that would steal Jobs' thunder.
 

OdduWon

macrumors 6502a
Jul 4, 2006
591
0
CaliVerse
no iphone till itunes 8

AHHHH hA! There will be no "iphone" until there is an update to itunes. And no update to itunes until leopard when we get cover fall,as demoed in the core animation presentation. There is no way the will ship it before leopard, but we may hear a confirmation as to it's existance. just to give the after christmas crowed something to look forward too. but seriously this rumor has to come true eventually even if it takes 538 years:p

aside: is it even worth a cookie to reference an episode of south park that is a month old???
 

peeInMyPantz

macrumors member
Mar 9, 2006
65
0
AHHHH hA! There will be no "iphone" until there is an update to itunes. And no update to itunes until leopard when we get cover fall,as demoed in the core animation presentation. There is no way the will ship it before leopard, but we may hear a confirmation as to it's existance. just to give the after christmas crowed something to look forward too. but seriously this rumor has to come true eventually even if it takes 538 years:p

aside: is it even worth a cookie to reference an episode of south park that is a month old???

for a virtual cookie.. yes it is!
 

Tork

macrumors regular
Oct 14, 2006
224
160
AHHHH hA! There will be no "iphone" until there is an update to itunes. And no update to itunes until leopard when we get cover fall,as demoed in the core animation presentation. There is no way the will ship it before leopard, but we may hear a confirmation as to it's existance. just to give the after christmas crowed something to look forward too. but seriously this rumor has to come true eventually even if it takes 538 years:p

Apple could just release iTunes 7.0.3 or 7.1 with iPhone support. And the release, according to giz, isn't Monday, just the announcement.
 
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