AT&T Mobility CEO: 3G iPhone Coming in 'Months'

[jmadlena]

If you're trying to be sarcastic, you don't have to be just because I'm younger than you, and it makes you feel powerful to think that my brains not devoloped enough to remember something that my cousin (who writes the friggin iphone patents) clearly.

if you weren't being sarcastic, never mind.

While I have no reason to believe or disbelieve you, the fact that you signed up today and posted this insider tip is kind of a red flag around here. Lots of people have signed up, posted some info claiming that they are involved, or knows someone involved with Apple secrets. They mostly do this maliciously.

Nickspohn is just suspicious, as everyone should be. I'm not saying you're lying though...

 

[0098386]

Get it in Europe, Mr. Jobs, and I'll be the first in queue.

In Oldham...

 

[Sijmen]

Get it in Europe, Mr. Jobs, and I'll be the first in queue.

In Oldham...

I'll take position 0 then, in front of you

 

[jmadlena]

...we know we will see the FCC report about this months before it's released, thanks to our good ol' FOIA...

That isn't necessarily true. Apple can request that the FCC not disclose the application for a while. I'm not sure how long, but I think the FCC can wait until about a month before the date of public consumption to announce the plans.

If anyone knows the specifics on this, please correct me.

 

[mike12806]

That isn't necessarily true. Apple can request that the FCC not disclose the application for a while. I'm not sure how long, but I think the FCC can wait until about a month before the date of public consumption to announce the plans.

If anyone knows the specifics on this, please correct me.

I know iPhone 1.0 was introduced before the FCC report, but how long before the actual first iphone 1.0 was sold did the report become public? I'm guessing it'd be a similar timeframe.

 

[TLewis]

Well, "months" is consistent with the other rumors:

• If you believe the "production in May" rumor: I think the rumor said that this is a production test run. They'll need time to work out production issues, and build up stock (you can't just press some magic button and instantly fill up the hundreds/thousands of Apple and AT&T stores with next-gen iPhones). For this scenario, I'd guess that "months" is probably in the 4-6 month range (from now, not May) -- say, around the "back-to-school" sales season. If miracles happen, you might see customer shipments at the end of July, but I'd be surprised if that happened.
  
  
• If you believe the "Apple is looking for bids for iPhone production" rumor: that's probably an even longer timeframe. You don't just get a contract and instantly start production -- you have to tool up/build production lines, and then go through the issues of the previous item. Now, it's possible that bidders are tooling up in anticipation of getting the contract, but that's a pretty risky move (but, who knows?). In this scenario, I'd guess that you're looking at the Thanksgiving/Christmas holiday season as the earliest release date.

Now, it's possible that the rumors are wrong, that Apple's already in production, and that the recent iPhone shortages are an indication of a new iPhone, real-soon-now. However, given the visibility of the iPhone, and the "watchfulness" of the iPhone-interested parties (analysts, zealots, etc.), I'd be surprised if Apple could pull this off without anyone noticing.

(And, on a side note: no, Apple's not going to announce anything until the new iPhones are about to go on sale. Otherwise, they'd risk killing themselves via the Osbourne effect.)

 

[t0mat0]

AT&T's Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega said he expected all of their smart integrated devices to be 3G in the next couple months.

Anyone care to list the phones apart from the iPhone that aren't already 3G?

Edit: It seems AT&T probably carry a fair few non-3G crappy versions for the US market, which they can dump soon I imagine and get the shiny 3G versions.
I count >= 32 out of the 195 phones AT&T currently offer have 3G.

PS What's the definition by Ralph of a smart integrated device?

 

[mike12806]

(And, on a side note: no, Apple's not going to announce anything until the new iPhones are about to go on sale. Otherwise, they'd risk killing themselves via the Osbourne effect.)

This isn't possible, there will be an FCC report released on the 3G iPhone's technical/wireless performance probably months, maybe weeks, before it begins going on sale. An FCC approval will be necessary because the 3G radio will operate differently, obviously, then the EDGE transmitter the current iPhone uses.

 

[SiliconAddict]

Don't care. Its still ATT and iPhone still has virtually no 3rd party software. When both in that order change...wake me.

 

[TLewis]

This isn't possible, there will be an FCC report released on the 3G iPhone's technical/wireless performance probably months, maybe weeks, before it begins going on sale.

Right, I overlooked that.

Hmm, I wonder if the recent shortages are caused by Apple cutting back production in anticipation of the FCC report. Apple might just have cut back a wee bit too much, causing early shortages.

 

[mike12806]

Right, I overlooked that.

Hmm, I wonder if the recent shortages are caused by Apple cutting back production in anticipation of the FCC report. Apple might just have cut back a wee bit too much, causing early shortages.

The interesting thing is, which didn't apply to the first iPhone, is who would buy an obsolete product, KNOWING FOR SURE, that a faster version is going to be available that imminently? For any other phone release, Im sure the FCC report isn't newsworthy, but you know this will be plastered all over the news outlets, so it will become common knowledge when a 3G phone is ready to go on sale. Can you imagine the backlash when the 3G phone comes out, at the same price point as the EDGE phone, I SMELL IPHONE-APPLE STORE CREDITS!!!!

 

[winterspan]

Sweeeeeet! Come onnnnn CDMA iPhone announcement as well haha a guy can dream cant he?

Yep! I'm on a Verizon business account for the foreseeable future...
If Verizon has bitten the Apple, You and I would be writing our posts from a CDMA EV-DO Rev. A (3G) iPhone right now! And that 3G network would have been available since the day the iPhone came out in hundreds of more cities than AT&T.

It's easy to tell the difference in 3G coverage: AT&T's service map doesn't even show you their 3G/HSDPA coverage until you zoom way in to the city level! LOL

 

[dongmin]

Here is the thing though...WWDC is a Software Developers Conference. Apple doesn't do hardware that this conference. I think the announcement will be a separate event in the weeks or month before the conference.

Urm, no.

Ever since Apple ditched the summer MacWorld, they've used the Developer's Conference to introduce new hardware. Now, the hardware tend to be more Pro-oriented, like the Mac Pro (released at WWDC 2006), but given that 1) Apple is promoting the SDK, it makes sense to introduce both simultaneously and make WWDC 2008 an iphone-centric conference.

Plus, the new iPhone will have new features (like 3G, ichat camera, GPS possibly) that developer will want to write apps for. Why not introduce these features for the first time to developers?

 

[mike12806]

Yep! I'm on a Verizon business account for the foreseeable future...
If Verizon has bitten the Apple, You and I would be writing our posts from a CDMA EV-DO Rev. A (3G) iPhone right now! And that 3G network would have been available since the day the iPhone came out in hundreds of more cities than AT&T.
It's easy to tell the difference in 3G coverage: AT&T's service map doesn't even show you their 3G/HSDPA coverage until you zoom way in to the city level! LOL

and you'd also be stuck with all the other proprietary crap that comes with CDMA/Verizon/Sprint! Verizon is so stuck in the need to BRAND everything, VZ Navigator, VZ Music, etc etc. At least ATT realized that Apple can do those things better, so there's no need to force ATT branded crap onto the iPhone.

 

[TLewis]

The interesting thing is, which didn't apply to the first iPhone, is who would buy an obsolete product, KNOWING FOR SURE, that a faster version is going to be available that imminently?

Well, "imminently" is relative. I think someone (you?) said that the FCC can only delay the release of the report by a month or so. Apple would only have to endure, oh, maybe 1.5-2 months of decreased iPhone sales -- not great, but not a horrible situation, either. I'm (wildly) guessing that Apple would need around 3 months of time to produce sufficient quantities of the new iPhone, after getting FCC approval (~1 month of which would be "hidden" from the public via the delaying of the FCC report release).

I don't think credits would be offered. After all, people would likely have 1-2 months of warning. If they're crazy enough to buy the old iPhone when they know a new one is around the corner, they really shouldn't expect any credits. However, Apple being Apple, you might see credit for people who bought the old iPhone within, oh, the last 2-4 weeks or so, but I really wouldn't expect that.

Besides, I think 3G is overrated (and coverage is still spotty, IMHO) -- while I'd love to have 3G, even wifi speeds are too slow for me. The iPhone really needs a faster processor (and, who knows, maybe we'll get that, too?). When the new iPhone is announced, the real deciding factors for me are memory capacity and the existence of a real GPS. Give me 32GB or more, and a real GPS, and I'm sold (but I'm wondering if AT&T will raise the rates for 3G access, or something else).

 

[mike12806]

I feel that the iPhone processor does pretty well for what it's intended to do...and I'm sure the SDK relies on some sort of processor specific language-coding, so I doubt we will see too much of a processor upgrade. Unless, we see a drastic new feature requiring it.....

 

[TLewis]

Besides, I think 3G is overrated

Sorry for the parochial comment -- I was considering the US (and my particular situation) when I wrote this. Apple does need a 3G iPhone, to better compete in the rest of the world.

 

[shvartsies]

While I have no reason to believe or disbelieve you, the fact that you signed up today and posted this insider tip is kind of a red flag around here. Lots of people have signed up, posted some info claiming that they are involved, or knows someone involved with Apple secrets. They mostly do this maliciously.

Nickspohn is just suspicious, as everyone should be. I'm not saying you're lying though...

well, you're right by being suspicious. I actually had this information for a while and am a long time reader of these forums, but was always too lazy to sign up, being I had nothing contributing to say except for this. But then I saw a poster writing that he needed advice on which HDTV to buy, and I have the particular one that he talked about, and felt I could steer him into the right direction. I had no homework, so I signed up. I figured, since I'm already signed up why not tell these guys what im 90% sure what the release window will be, due to the fact I have a source, and my information could really help some people out (like the people debating whether or not to buy an iphone right now).

 

[TLewis]

I feel that the iPhone processor does pretty well for what it's intended to do...

True, but I want flash, as too many (arguably sucky) websites use it. I'm also tired of waiting for pages to load via wifi on the iPhone. My laptop loads these pages pretty quickly via wifi, but the iPhone is a bit slower/clunkier.

 

[Rot'nApple]

It's easy to tell the difference in 3G coverage: AT&T's service map doesn't even show you their 3G/HSDPA coverage until you zoom way in to the city level! LOL

While the above statement may be true, when I zoom into city level for my city, I see AT&T 3G coverage for my 'stomping grounds'. So, by my estimate, AT&T has more than enough 3G coverage for me!

 

[newyorksole]

3g coverage all across long island and nyc so that's good for me

 

[Rot'nApple]

I actually had this information for a while and am a long time reader of these forums, but was always too lazy to sign up, being I had nothing contributing to say except for this.

Have nothing to say on these forums?! Nonsense! Which is what a lot of us posters put down, be it sarcastic or not. Be it a "gripe" with a fellow poster or "defending" a fellow poster's comment. Be it "complaining" about Apple because their latest product release didn't have this or that. Be it a new Apple tv commercial (Mac/PC) about MS Vista. Be it... well, you get the point. If you have been viewing these forums for a while as you say, I bet you had plenty to comment, if only commenting to yourself. You would deprive us of your point of view where we could "add or detract" (a little Lincoln's Gettysburg Address lingo), thanks a lot (a little sarcaism there). Oh, and Welcome to the Forum! Look forward to more "nothing to say" posts, okay.

 

[TaylorDog]

Ok so dont believe me if u don't want to, just dont call me a liar, my cousin is a lawyer who writes patents, and lucky for me, one of his clients is apple (he actually helped write the multi-touch for more than two fingers patent, and told me about it before it was patented. he says it will be like the technology they show in "Minority Report.") He told me the next iPhone will be in October 08.
This was in october 07 that he told me, so I don't know how valid this is. But if June isn't the month, you heard it here first, October.

I'm sure your cousin, who must work at a Vault 100 firm, violated confidentiality to tell you this information. Right.

Just to avoid any confusion, I am calling you a liar.

 

[MacFly123]

If you're trying to be sarcastic, you don't have to be just because I'm younger than you, and it makes you feel powerful to think that my brains not devoloped enough to remember something that my cousin (who writes the friggin iphone patents) clearly.

if you weren't being sarcastic, never mind.

LOL so is he the one drawing all those crappy pictures haha??? But seriously, ok so he writes the patents, he does not work for Apple, so how does that mean he knows anything about their launching plans, or anything besides how that specific technology he is writing the patent for works???

As far as time frame goes I think it will for sure be at least by July but probably before then and I have had my money waiting since before the first iPhone even came out Now AT&T lower your rate plans, you are behind all the other cell networks!

 

[Apple Ink]

People I really dodnt like this thought but what if.....

Apple bumps the capacities on the current iPhone at same price and releases the new iPhones at a higher price point.

Say:
EDGE 16GB - $399
3G 8GB - $399
3G 16GB - $499

The capacity will only reach 16GB on EDGE because Apple has always increased the capacities in 1GB units...

The parity between 3G and EDGE will then be strikingly similar to the iTouch and the current gen iPhone!

This will also space out the iPhone from the iTouch!