The big problem with a smaller iPhone is the App Store issues. Sure, I suppose they could increase the number of pixels per inch. But that doesn't help at all, when your finger isn't shrinking by the same amount. As a developer, we're advised to have a minimum hit area for all buttons and interface items. Making the device smaller would shrink those areas as well, making it hard to use. Now, I can believe these rumors if the Nano came with a pointing device, so you could activate the new tiny controls...
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iPhone (Nano?), Smaller Shuffle and Cheaper MacBook in 2009?
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The only way I can see them reducing the price and creating a cheaper product is if they lose the SuperDrive. I could really see them doing this, although I don't know how successful it was with the MBA. With the Blu-ray drives sounding like they're fairly power consumptious, I could see Apple moving to external Blu-ray drives, at least for the mobile line, and it wouldn't bother me one bit.
The iPod Shuffle could see an update, but all its going to be is a slim down, maybe a slight bump in specs, and thats about it, nothing really special.
As for the iPhone Nano, I could really see this one happening. I don't know how it would work with all the old apps an all that, but either Apple will make it work, or it just won't work with the other apps.
2009 is going to be a big year. We're going to see Apple (hopefully) try and reduce profit margins to be more successful. Snow Leopard's going to be released. A netbook or tablet is more then likely to be released. It's going to be great.
The iPod Shuffle could see an update, but all its going to be is a slim down, maybe a slight bump in specs, and thats about it, nothing really special.
As for the iPhone Nano, I could really see this one happening. I don't know how it would work with all the old apps an all that, but either Apple will make it work, or it just won't work with the other apps.
2009 is going to be a big year. We're going to see Apple (hopefully) try and reduce profit margins to be more successful. Snow Leopard's going to be released. A netbook or tablet is more then likely to be released. It's going to be great.
honestly... what i think would make an excellent iPhone nano, would to make it a non-smart phone.
Take iPhone 3G
strip out GPS
strip out App store (otherwise the screen size/resolution HAS to be the same, making decresing the size impossible)
Basically... it wouldnt have any more functionality then your regular cell phone. So it would pretty much be your new "krazr" or "*insert other popular cell phone teens are crazy for*"
Since it'd be made by apple it would still most likely be a ton better then all the cell phones in its class.
The beautiful part is they could sell this for like 100 maybe 150 dollars without a contract. I can honestly see it happening.
#1 reason i dont own an iPhone is I dont need a smart phone, and i dont want to spend tons of money each month. All i use my current cell phone for is texting, and calling. I dont need/want any more then that. But if this iPhone nano came out I would buy it because it wouldnt cost me bundle and i'd love to own an iPhone.
ATM i simply just bought an iPod touch, its kinda like owning an iPhone
Take iPhone 3G
strip out GPS
strip out App store (otherwise the screen size/resolution HAS to be the same, making decresing the size impossible)
Basically... it wouldnt have any more functionality then your regular cell phone. So it would pretty much be your new "krazr" or "*insert other popular cell phone teens are crazy for*"
Since it'd be made by apple it would still most likely be a ton better then all the cell phones in its class.
The beautiful part is they could sell this for like 100 maybe 150 dollars without a contract. I can honestly see it happening.
#1 reason i dont own an iPhone is I dont need a smart phone, and i dont want to spend tons of money each month. All i use my current cell phone for is texting, and calling. I dont need/want any more then that. But if this iPhone nano came out I would buy it because it wouldnt cost me bundle and i'd love to own an iPhone.
ATM i simply just bought an iPod touch, its kinda like owning an iPhone
The iPod Shuffle will simply be integrated into the headphones themselves. Music will be loaded wirelessly via bluetooth and you'll have to tap your earbuds to control the unit.
Price drops like crazy? Hmm, this is good... and bad.
We've seen subsidized iPhone 3Gs, cheaper MacBooks, and now smaller, cheaper products. Sound amazing, but this seems to lead into the economy's bad strait. What if Apple is planning for a big economic crash everyone predicts?
We've seen subsidized iPhone 3Gs, cheaper MacBooks, and now smaller, cheaper products. Sound amazing, but this seems to lead into the economy's bad strait. What if Apple is planning for a big economic crash everyone predicts?
I think an iPhone Nano is on the way, with its lower price point it will attract a lot of the folks who can't afford an iPhone 3G which means even more of the market share for Apple.
This is exactly what I was thinking. Clip, headphone jack, nothing else. I wonder if people will balk that they have to use Apple headphones. Maybe the new Shuffles will have Display Ports.
QFT. Apple, please bring back the USB-stick format Shuffle. That is what made it so great.
Hmm, maybe if they did this and only had it run Apple first party apps. That way, developers wouldn't have to worry about making apps for two different screen sizes and the "nano" could really be optimized to run a limited set of things (they could for example underclock the hardware to reduce heat/battery consumption).
You know what I'm starting to think now. Maybe the iPhone nano isn't any actually smaller in screen size, maybe it just wouldn't require a data plan and just use wifi. Then Apple would completely take over the phone market. Most definitely.
apple has a patent for resolution independent programming so you could design an app for one size screen and it would work for another. but all of the current apps would be obsolete and i would assume this tech is down the road.
x2 on the usb shuffle. the one thing i never understood about apple is that in their quest for "simplicity" you have to bring extra add-ons, drives, cables, etc.
i wonder how that would affect AT&T's exclusivity agreement (or maybe it ends in mid-'09). i would assume AT&T wouldn't like to sell a phone that they couldn't gouge their customers on data for. and what would an ipod touch be for? either way, i hope if they do introduce a nano that it is stripped of features so the 3g iphone is still the top of the line and keeps the same price point and everything so i don't have to return my phone haha.
Is it possible that they will continue making the older "plastic" macbooks and have them set at $949 for awhile? It would be a price drop anyway from $999...
Steve Jobs has said over and over again through the years we're not interested in ..... (fill in the gap) only to have the product appear.. I think they will introduce a netbook, it will be the most expensive one on the market probably with something special to offer, thus setting it apart from other offerings..
It's hard to think Apple would not include the App store in the Nano, there's too much money in it. Of course, if they can somehow keep the same screen size and resolution, but make the overall dimensions smaller, there wouldn't be a problem running current Apps.
That's true, but the netbook really is a problem. Their popularity is dependent on their price, which is really low generally, and the hardware is pretty underpowered. Netbooks have their place of course, but they would have to either 1. use poor hardware and live with the increased return rate or 2. get almost no margins on the hardware. Apple still has good margins on their hardware, while Dell goes for volume instead. Rather than sacrificing their reputation or producing something that brings no financial gain, they are better off doing further innovation in other areas.
If these iPhone nano rumors turn out to be true, which I'm seriously doubting, I think something around an iPod touch with phone and SMS included. And the big selling point that there is no DATA plan required.
I mean that's the only thing that has held me from getting an iPhone. Spending a thousand dollars a year on a phone is just ridiculous to me. I know its necessary for others. I have an iPod touch and that just fine. And being on a college campus there is free wifi everywhere, so it works. But if they had an iPhone WITH the same size screen and no data plan. Sign my ass up please.
Yes, a thousand times yes. I have held on to my original 1G shuffle precisely because I can charge it anywhere on any computer (work, home, etc) with no extra dock or wires.
I would love a new Shuffle the size of the 2G that integrated a USB connector for charge/sync and 86'ed the dock. All the better if it was low-enough power to charge/sync off the keyboard ports.
that's fine and dandy, if simplicity of charging were the main function of an ipod shuffle.
but it's not. the main funciton of an ipod shuffle is to play music. having it smaller with the clip makes it WAY better than the original, which needed to have some kind of additional case or clip device to hold it in place.
i'll take the more complicated charging any day.
I have asked on this forum if the whitebooks are still being produced or if they were just opening the old ones and cramming superdrives in them. Apparently they are just swapping the drives.
So something will have to fill the slot once they run out of whitebooks
and the class action lawsuits over either the batteries dying or people losing the buds in their ears, noses, or other orifi somehow
Are we all forgetting that any new versions of iphones have to go through the FTC for at least 30days before they can be released. So even if they were to announce it at macworld, they wouldn't need to tell case manufacturers prior since it would be at least 30days still such a device shipped.
My guess is Apple will replace the white MacBook with a cheaper aluminum one. As for the iPhone nano, I could see why people would want one. It would be cheaper than the iPhone 3G, and smaller. I know a few people who would sell their iPhone 3G's if an iPhone nano comes out.