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Dubious Claim of 3G in Next-Generation iPod Touch

At first, I didn't buy into this "rumor", but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Especially when you consider the emphasis Apple is putting on Cloud services with iCloud.

I believe that iCloud is just the version 1.0 of Apple's cloud based ecosystem. If the cloud really is going to become our lifestyle (and business) "hub", you need to be able to reach it at all times.

Having a 3G iPod that works exactly like the 3G iPad, with the same Carrier Plans as they rolled out for iPad makes perfect sense. The iPod with 3G might be a tiny bit thicker, but who cares?

And the earlier poster that commented that Apple should add 3G to the MacBook Air -- that is exactly what Apple needs to do. That would be the tipping point for a lot of people from the PC centered world to a Cloud centered world.

Look, the iPhone is -always- going to be a better phone. It will be getting LTE and other 4G tech. It's the high end mobile device.

For any other iOS based entertainment or productivity, there's an iPod or iPad.

If this rumor is true, Apple just gave me another reason to line up in front of their store.

Bring it on.
 
No. This rumor is too far out there and makes no sense. Apple is more likely to just bring out a no contract cheaper iPhone than redesign the Touch. The lower cost iPhone tier is going to be more lucrative for Apple than the Touch market in the future.
I don't believe it at all.
 
Tyre said:
This doesn't make sense for the carriers. Then they will have people clamoring for iPhone data-only plans. I would much rather pay per minute since I rarely make phone calls. Also, with iOS 5 and iMessage, people wouldn't have to pay for text messages and could just use an iPod Touch or would do a data-only iPhone.
Click to expand...


True, it doesn't make sense for the carriers, but neither did the original iPhone. It was pretty much the first device to not have any carrier branding on it, and wasn't loaded up with carrier specific crapware.

When the app store came out, that shifted the landscape again, with the carriers not being in control of what was on the and what it could do. As you can see, it has led to them making a ton of money from people who want a device with this kind of freedom.

The carriers will hold out as long as possible, but in the end, they will all become glorified wireless Internet providers with all services provided over IP. Ey will make their money from tiered data plans which users can use for voice, video, and traditional data uses.
 
orfeas0 said:
The ipod has less ram, can't make phone calls, crappy camera, and doesn't look as cool :p.
Maybe with the 3g ipod they're trying to create 2 different versions of the iphone, a cheap one that lacks some features and the expensive one with the full potential.
Click to expand...

If that was the case then they'd make it a phone rather than just adding 3G.
 
Last edited:
If not Apple...

If not Apple then I hope Google or someone does this. I guess we need an android equivalent to the ipod touch in any case... when is that happening already?
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5)

I already mentioned this in another thread. There won't be another 'iPod Touch.' The next 'iPod Touch' is an iPhone with no 3G radio, 'iPhone Wi-Fi' or whatever Apple ends up calling it. The next iPhone will be dual CDMA and GSM 3G. They are going to lower the overall cost of an iPhone (not too much) but enough to bring it closer to the more entry level pricing of the iPod Touch for the 'Wi-Fi' model. iPad will be 'refreshed' with new higher storage models and a dual CDMA/GSM 3G version.

Their upcoming model lineup will look something like this,

iPhone 16 64 Wi-Fi, 16 64 Wi-Fi + 3G
iPad 32 128 Wi-Fi, 32 128 Wi-Fi + 3G

iPod 256GB, iPod Shuffle 4GB

Of course there will still be previous gen iPhone 4 8GB for their lowest priced phone offering.

Nano and Classic will be merged into a new iPod '10th Anniversay' which will look like the previous generation Nano that had a camera but slightly larger with flash storage and a touch-enabled screen.

No idea if carriers will play along with data only, no contract plans for iPhone like they do with iPad, but since the next iPhone will be avalable on more networks, it's possible one or more carriers will offer it - they don't have a lot to lose since most users will still opt for a contract-subsidized phone with a voice plan. Keep in mind that along with Apple's idea of PC-free iOS devices, you will be able to sign up for service right from your iPhone (unlocked model).

One last thing, the next iPhone will have an optional LED status indicator for when you receive a message (similar to blackberry).
 
Consider that the iPod Touch has to grow in some respect, a 3G data option might be the next step other than an IPS screen and a better camera and possibly a larger screen. It will happen, however no one knows for sure when.

I always liked the iPhone, but I really want it without the voice and/or text plan. Only data and that option does not exist in Canada.
 
carebear said:
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5)

I already mentioned this in another thread. There won't be another 'iPod Touch.' The next 'iPod Touch' is an iPhone with no 3G radio, 'iPhone Wi-Fi' or whatever Apple ends up calling it. The next iPhone will be dual CDMA and GSM 3G. They are going to lower the overall cost of an iPhone (not too much) but enough to bring it closer to the more entry level pricing of the iPod Touch for the 'Wi-Fi' model. iPad will be 'refreshed' with new higher storage models and a dual CDMA/GSM 3G version.

Their upcoming model lineup will look something like this,

iPhone 16 64 Wi-Fi, 16 64 Wi-Fi + 3G
iPad 32 128 Wi-Fi, 32 128 Wi-Fi + 3G

[Blahblahblah]
Click to expand...

Got a direct line to some kind of drunk Steve Jobs have we? Thought not.
 
Skype calling

If this does happen, you can just use voip to make calls from the ipod touch. How reliable/what kind of quality can you get from calls using skype? Also, how much data would be used for a typical call? This would be a much more preferable option than a calling plan plus a data plan for an iphone.
 
I could visualize some internal Apple or carrier group brainstorming about this... but not for sale right now.

Five to ten years in the future, most users could be on LTE. This leaves the 3G infrastructure sitting around serving remote ATMs and other such devices.

At that time, using 3G for smaller handhelds seems a match made in heaven.

Counterargument: ATT might never cover their entire footprint with LTE, preferring to use enhanced 3G away from population centers. Thus 3G would not be a left-behind protocol in their case.
 
a lot of people are comparing the iPhone and ipod touch but are missing one key comparison:

contract free ipod touch 8GB $179
contract free ipod touch 32GB $299
contract free ipod touch 64GB $399

contract free iPhone 4 16GB $499
contract free iPhone 4 32GB $629
 
Its simple economics, the iPhone is Apple's trademark product, with 3G to the ipod touch, iphone sales will surely decrease.

It is highly, highly improbabl for 3G to appear on the ipod touch.
 
Makes perfect sense.

It would not stop people buying the iPhone as it's likely to have an 8mp camera anyway.

This would be better than a cheap iPhone because people could have a Blackberry or Samsung and enjoy all the Apple features. The iPad can already FaceTime and it has 3G.

I think this is a very good rumour. Makes perfect sense at the moment you cant get on Facebook on the go without Wi-fi? Add 3G perfect media device. No doing it would cost alot more than a standard iPod touch but it would be very popular.
 
ESPN said:
Its simple economics, the iPhone is Apple's trademark product, with 3G to the ipod touch, iphone sales will surely decrease.
Click to expand...

Not quite that simple. Otherwise they wouldn't have come out with the iPad because it would take away more profitable MacBook sales. The real economics question is would the increase in iPod Touch profits by having a higher margin 3G version offset the decrease in profits of the iPhone.

For people like myself, who would never own an iPhone because we don't want a phone and/or don't want to pay $1000/year for the privilege, but want to have Internet access on an iPod Touch anywhere, it's a sale that otherwise wouldn't be made.
 
L00king said:
Why not make MacBook air (and any other laptop for that matter) capable of being wifi and 3 g. They have the technology. Don't be surprised if new air has that when it is released this week.
Click to expand...

This would be great, but on the MBPs not the air. Apple wont put 3G in an air and probably never in any laptop and this is why:

1. Decreased demand for iPad which probably has a much larger margin than the margin for 3g cards, especially once people visit the app store.

2. Battery life. With 3G enabled, it would be pretty bad. Obviously that's a sacrifice many people would be wiling to make, but apple might not feel that that's the user experience that they would want from a laptop like the air.
 
Plutonius said:
Not everyone wants to pay for voice.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't it be far easier for AT&T and verizon to offer data only plans for the iPhone than for apple to make data only iphones? Oh wait, they don't want to do this, because people would just use skype.

Apple will not make a 3G ipod because pressure from AT&T and Verizon to not do so.

They will make more money from the few people who buy an iPhone plan just for the data than they would from all the people who would buy a data only plan and use it to make calls.
 
skier777 said:
Wouldn't it be far easier for AT&T and verizon to offer data only plans for the iPhone than for apple to make data only iphones? Oh wait, they don't want to do this, because people would just use skype.

Apple will not make a 3G ipod because pressure from AT&T and Verizon to not do so.

They will make more money from the few people who buy an iPhone plan just for the data than they would from all the people who would buy a data only plan and use it to make calls.
Click to expand...

You can use an iPad to also make calls via Skype or SIP. BlueTooth headset, though the size of the iPad is not ideal.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5)

Elijahg said:
carebear said:
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5)

I already mentioned this in another thread. There won't be another 'iPod Touch.' The next 'iPod Touch' is an iPhone with no 3G radio, 'iPhone Wi-Fi' or whatever Apple ends up calling it. The next iPhone will be dual CDMA and GSM 3G. They are going to lower the overall cost of an iPhone (not too much) but enough to bring it closer to the more entry level pricing of the iPod Touch for the 'Wi-Fi' model. iPad will be 'refreshed' with new higher storage models and a dual CDMA/GSM 3G version.

Their upcoming model lineup will look something like this,

iPhone 16 64 Wi-Fi, 16 64 Wi-Fi + 3G
iPad 32 128 Wi-Fi, 32 128 Wi-Fi + 3G

[Blahblahblah]
Click to expand...

Got a direct line to some kind of drunk Steve Jobs have we? Thought not.
Click to expand...

If you choose not to take me at my word, then there's nothing I could tell you now that would make any difference. Wait until September. Cheers!
 
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