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Wall St. Journal reports Apple/Cingular cellphone launch

M

macidiot

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 13, 2002
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WSJ is reporting that Apple and Cingular are launching a cellphone, as soon as tomorrow.

From Engadget:

... "People familiar with the situation" have apparently informed the WSJ that Apple is launching the Applephone (or whatever it's called) as early as tomorrow. (See, even the kings of MSM aren't omitted from the Apple rumor mill.) They don't really give any more than that, but it's the WSJ, and conventional wisdom kind of states that when the business journal of record goes on the record, you should perk your ears up and listen (at least). Maybe we're interested just because we want to be done printing rumors and rumors about rumors from blogs and papers alike.

Link:

http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/08/wsj-reports-apple-and-cingular-launching-cellphone/
 
So I guess we can finally say that it's true....IT'S TRUE!!

Apple branded phone is hereeee!!...well actually tomorrow ..but you know..;)
 
I heard a rumor on "TWIT" that there will not be a phone announced.
 
I'm still trying to figure out how just a phone can be something more exciting than the Mac to Jobs or why I'd want to ditch a 6 month old RAZR for one. It will need something revolutionary, like built in voice to text conversion, for me to make the move.
 
chicagdan said:
I'm still trying to figure out how just a phone can be something more exciting than the Mac to Jobs or why I'd want to ditch a 6 month old RAZR for one. It will need something revolutionary, like built in voice to text conversion, for me to make the move.
Click to expand...

Releasing something that's just a phone with an iPod built-in will achieve very little for Apple. It'll kill their chances of dominating the post-standalone MP3 player world, as they'll never sell the majority of cellphones in the same way they did MP3 players, and so would be beholden to other interests, from those making DRM schemes, those chosing pricing of music, and those running the networks.

So you can pretty much be sure that whatever is announced in a few hours will not be a plain old mobile phone. You might be looking at a pocket computer that uses EDGE or UMTS to have "always on" capabilities, that happens to have phone functionality, or even an iPod that can accept a SIM card and use GSM to connect directly to the iTunes store, but that is otherwise not a phone in any traditional sense, but something that competes with the existing phone in your pocket is highly improbable.

If Apple does do that, and does release something that amounts to an iTunes RAZR with a better UI and more memory, expect it, and Apple, to fail dramatically. Either they'll radically change their strategy in a matter of months, or they'll end up exiting the music and the phone business, with a lot of egg on their face.

My bet is on them not doing that, and releasing something that is either not a product anyone's ever done before, or is one but in a market that nobody's made a massive success of yet, such as the smartphone arena.
 
Nutter said:
It won't be compatible with Verizon. It will be a GSM phone so that Apple can, you know, sell it outside the US.
Click to expand...

Given that most of the world runs off GSM for their digital cellphone service, I believe the Apple cellphone will be a GSM-only device. This is especially important for European and Asian sales. Watch for the cellphone to be available at any place that sells Cingular and T-Mobile service very soon. :)
 
Smart iPhone

I would love to see a smartphone from apple. with a nice stripped down version of OS x, and a mobile itunes, ical, addressbook built in, that syncs seamlessly with their corresponding apps on the mac. I guess only another hour until I find out!

Cheers!
 
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