Apple Phone In August?

Just thinking about "compelling applications", and pulling a couple of rumors together...

What happened to the rumour that Apple was making a groupware application? What would happen if you implemented a group scheduling and interaction application on a iPad /phone device. Something that allows for shared calendaring & room bookings, as well as a light development environment for a customised family and/or business mobile-intranet?
 
GregA said:
Very good questions.
ps. Apple might choose to make a phone with no music capability... just to delineate the product. That gives people something to understand... and then they can release the combo products.
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It's Apple Computer.
 
Raven VII said:
If they somehow include a full qwerty thumb keyboard, this sleek and sexy phone is mine.
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Hmm you just made me think. Cell phones are very subjective, and what one person thinks is a sleek sexy phone another person will hate. Personally I hate the concept of qwerty keyboards, I have one on my blackberry and I just wish it had a stylus instead.

Someone else mentioned a flippy phone, I prefer the slide phones. My current phone is a Nokia 8800, and my three phones before that were two 8910i's and an 8910. I don't really care for features on a phone, its all about the way it looks. And if its too cheap, I probaby won't buy it. That was the reason I never bothered with the Razr phone when it first came out in the UK.

I hope Apple's new phone is as revolutionary as the nano was wen it was introduced, and I hope its pricey too!

Jay
 
liketom said:
so what CPU would power the phone ?
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Something based off of the ARM architecture. Maybe a TI OMAP processor (a 150MHz TI OMAP 1510 powers my Motorola phone, that has an integrated ARM9 CPU, I could see an Apple phone using the newer 1710 for example). There's dozens of other mobile phone chipset providers of course, with their own ARM based solutions integrating varying types of functionality.
 
GregA said:
- The obvious untapped area is integration of VoIP, 3G, & video - but all the big companies are looking at that. The other thing that most mobile companies are having trouble with is the killer app - so many phones have data connectivity, and people just don't know what to do with it. If Apple can make a compelling product there the phone companies will want to sell it.

ps. Apple might choose to make a phone with no music capability... just to delineate the product. That gives people something to understand... and then they can release the combo products.
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Exactly. How could a non-player break open the market without the big companies support and infrastructure? It's not a computer that people want to carry around. It is an extremely simple to use, not bulky, communication device.

Using VoIP and 3G technology would be great but what service is ready to provide it in the U.S.? Apple is not going to sell cell phones to a few hundred people in three or four U.S. metropolitan markets and make money on it unless there is a way to open up the VoIP market BUT VoIP is going to get smothered in Washington politics soon enough so don't plan on that being free or useful (especially if NET NEUTRALITY is eliminated). A 3G phone would spark interest only from the standpoint that none of the networks could provide national (never mind international) service. It is a loosing proposition but I agree, they would have to differentiate it from other products (if it were real). Again the supposed photographer did not say it was an iPod phone. S/he would have made that observation.

Another thing about this mystery phone. Have there been any licenses pulled by Apple for telecommunications devices? There have been patents for all sorts of neat things but this would fall into a new category for them, would it not. Therefore there would be a rash of legal moves going on.

I'm skeptical of the whole cell phone idea. Would there be more use for a home phone or walkie talkie type radio, satellite, a computer phone accessory, or something else? I just don't see Apple providing hardware that gets limited distribution, where you would have to sign up for a two or three year service plan with yet another unreliable service provider that within a year or two will be merged into yet another, and a .Mac account if you do not have it yet, and the possibility that you have to cancel an existing contract with penalty. It just doesn't add up. It would be the most expensive cell phone/package on the market.
 
If not in August, then soon...

An iPod with phone capabilities is a both natural and necessary step for Apple. Seeing how e.g. SonyEricsson already provides cellphones with 4 Gb stored music, Apple needs to act fast.
The interface of the iPod is brilliant, but I still believe that most people prefer one device instead of lugging around on both a cellphone and a Nano. The simple fact is that most of us have too many gadgets today; cellphone/iPod/digCam/PDA/GPS... You shouldn't need a dolly just to be able to bring all your "necessary" mobile electronic gadgets with you. Hence, including phone capabilities in the iPod is vital if Apple wants to stay in the mp3 market long term.
 
DTphonehome said:
They wouldn't have to do that. You know ESPN Mobile, Boost Mobile, and AMP'd mobile? They are all "virtual" networks that lease bandwidth from other providers who actually have a physical network. These "virtual" wireless companies are called MVNOs. Apple could become an MVNO (and it has been rumored in the past that would do so), so that they could offer all the features they want, and ensure a consistent experience across the entire user base.
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How successful are MVNOs? Last I heard ESPN and Disney mobile are rumored to be shutting down due to low subscriber numbers.
 
Not happening. Never in a million years. (Trying to reverse-jinx it.) :D

I've got a Nextel plan that I hate and a phone I can't stand (Motorola i830), so if this phone is reasonably priced and works on the Verizon network, it's mine for sure. :)
 
netdog said:
Why on earth should Apple "go with" a company like Verizon or anybody else?

Just sell the phone unlocked and let anybody with GSM service pop their sim into their iPhone. Perhaps make an unlocked CDMA phone as well.

If they have it right with this phone and there is then therefor the sort of demand for it that we have seen for the iPod, the providers will be forced to offer it according to how Apple dictates (can put music on using computer, etc.), rather than disabling the phone to suit the company's marketing schemes, and the providers will offer it at a discount to attain/retain customers.

You guys seem to think that the service providers dictate what phones we use. Beyond having to be compatible with the network that we choose to use (GSM or CDMA), they don't. I haven't gotten a phone from a service provider for years as I need a phone that I can pop a sim into that is appropriate for whatever country I am in.
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I'm with you I think this is the most likely scenario for a release of an Apple branded phone. That way you will get all of the cool features available to you and YOU can pick the carrier you want or the one that works best in your state, city, area.
 
mfacey said:
Even so, the USA is in dire need of a decent cell phone. The fact that the Razr is so popular says it all. The Razr is a terrible phone (along with most other Motorolas for that matter). And the rest of the selection available is pretty sad too!
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It's true...but I don't see it changing anytime soon. Americans are used to getting free or cheap phones when they sign up for a carrier contract. The carriers subsidize the cost so that expensive phones can be had for <$200. They RARELY pay full retail price ($300-$700) on a phone...mainly only when they break theirs and still have time on their contract. The way I understand it, the rest of the world pays full retail everytime they want a new phone. Is this right?
 
voip

what are the odds that apple, in order to reinvent the mobile experience, has teamed with a voip chip maker etc. to provide mobile voice and video (ichat mobile) over IP?

this somehow makes more sense than co-branding a unit or "piggy backing" onto current carriers... then again, failure on this scale would be the biggest "jump the shark" moment in their history.
 
RndmAxess said:
Also, I have a hard time believing that there is a " tech-unsavvy" photographer doing any work for Apple. Sounds a bit bogus to me.
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I used to work as a photo studio manager back in the early/mid 90s. We shot a ton of new products for Motorola back then including one of the first ever small flip phones - the StarTac. The photographer was asked to sign an NDA but the stylist, caterer and me were not. First thing I did when I got out of the shoot that day was tell all my teck-savvy friends about this cool new phone from Moto - but at least I snagged a polaroid to prove it.

That said, this "leak" feels bogus to me as well. I guess we'll see soon enough.
 
iMacZealot said:
Verizon was reliable, although their network has been terrible. As I've said, I never get 3 bars or above, and I live in Denver! The service will constantly go out whenever I'm in NYC.
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Dude, you need to hit *228 when you travel to update your roam list. And I live in Midtown Manhattan and with my Treo650, I've never had a dropped call and the only time I don't have service is in the basement of a massive building. I've lived in NYC all my life and have had a phone with literally every provider here, and VZV trumps them ALL in terms of network reliability. The phones are crap, the data is overpriced, and they cripple bluetooth, but the service is the most important feature for me, so I stay with them.

iMacZealot said:
Amp'd is actually owned by Verizon, adnd Boost is owned by SprintNextel, using the same chirping technology as Nextel. Forgot the deal about Virgin.
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None of those companies are "owned" by the major carriers...they are MVNOs who buy bandwidth from the majors to set up their own virtual network. They are independent from the majors.
 
personally, I would love to see the newton make a return in phone shape.

A phone, with great pda abilities to sync to all my mac applications. Plus, the iChat someone mentioned earlier.

All of that, in a nice sleek package. I would switch phone carriers for that.

I could care less about cameras and iTunes on the phone.
 
spo said:
what are the odds that apple, in order to reinvent the mobile experience, has teamed with a voip chip maker etc. to provide mobile voice and video (ichat mobile) over IP?

this somehow makes more sense than co-branding a unit or "piggy backing" onto current carriers... then again, failure on this scale would be the biggest "jump the shark" moment in their history.
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You'd have to have an open WiFi network anywhere you wanted to make a phone call. WiFi is not NEAR the coverage level of cell service. In my opinion, VOIP cell phones are way overhyped. When WiBro is widespred and ubiquitous, then maybe.
 
hyperpasta said:
Really, guys. How many times have we been through this?
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As many times as "Apple is switching to Intel", I'd guess.

DTphonehome said:
[...] Americans are used to getting free or cheap phones when they sign up for a carrier contract. [...] The way I understand it, the rest of the world pays full retail everytime they want a new phone. Is this right?
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It's true in Canada, too. I went with a 3-years contract with Bell Mobility and my phone (a LG something) was free.
 
Hattig said:
Someone above mentioned the software that would be required on the Windows side for syncing.

Well, in the supposed leaked 10.5 screenshots a month or two ago, people noticed that iCal and Address Book appeared to be merged into a single application.
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Hey dude, with all due consideration, bad fake screenshots don't even rank along side a rumour of a rumour as far as a useful source of information.

David:cool:
 
AtHomeBoy_2000 said:
How successful are MVNOs? Last I heard ESPN and Disney mobile are rumored to be shutting down due to low subscriber numbers.
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Disney -> Steve Jobs -> Apple ;)

Who'd get a mobile phone on an ESPN or Disney network anyway? Free sport clips or Mickey Mouse backgrounds?

Super Dave said:
Hey dude, with all due consideration, bad fake screenshots don't even rank along side a rumour of a rumour as far as a useful source of information.

David:cool:
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I don't usually have the time to find out if something's fake or not, but the /point/ of my post remains.
 
iChat for Windows with address book integration?

iChat + Address Book for Windows (one app). Firstly I think the phone itself will be called "iPod Phone" as the trademark for iPhone is already taken, Apple would want to make it clear that it has iPod functionality, it's the next obvious choice for its name, and it's a very Apple thing to do. Right that's settled.

Now how will it integrate with Mac's and PC's? Simple, iChat 4.0 will have the Address Book built-in, maybe a calander/scheduler apps functionality too and it will go Windows, as iTunes did. Mac users will get their photos from iPhoto, and Windows user from the Windows *equivalent. Contacts from iChat4, schedules form iChat4, music from iTunes, photos from photo apps. Job done that's iChat and the iPod Phone covered.

Please note: the above is wild speculation ;)
*may not be equivalent:D
 
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