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Will There Ever Be More Than One?

Will there ever be more than one type of iPhone?

  • Yes, Apple will expand the iPhone line up, like it does with the Macs and iPods

    Votes: 22 50.0%

  • No, Apple will have only one iPhone, always

    Votes: 22 50.0%
  • Total voters
    44
M

Mr. Incredible

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Sep 16, 2010
541
0
Southern California
I've been thinking about this for sometime now, not sure if anyone has ever brought it up in here though.

There are:

6 Types of Macs
MacBook
MacBook Pros [13', 15', & 17']
MacBook Airs [11' & 13']
iMacs [21.5' and 27']
Mac Pro
Mac Mini

&

4 Types of iPods
iPod Shuffle
iPod Nanos
iPod Touches
iPod Classic

But there is only 1 type of iPhone.

When it comes to Android, there are the Droid Xs, Incredibles, Droid, Droid 2, Bionic, and Thunderbolt. I know that these phones are made by different manufacturers, but I think it will be very interesting to see Apple make more than 1 type of iPhone.

Like...

iPhone Glide: An iPhone with a slide out keyboard.
iPhone Bar: An iPhone with physical keyboard (ie, BlackBerry)
iPhone Flip: An iPhone that flips.

Yeah, the names will be much better, but I think it will be a cool concept. I know if Apple did this, there would be a Touch Screen for each type of these phones. All of them ranging at Different starting prices (iPhone Flip: $99, iPhone Bar: $149, iPhone 4: $199, iPhone Glide: $249) with double the storage for an extra $100.

I think it if Apple did this, it would dominate the market, and could even monopolize the cellphone industry, since it would fit into every niche out there.
 
Last edited:
I read somewhere and I dont know if it was Cnet or Engadget but there is something in the works this fall for an Nano version of the iPhone.

I think they really need to sell the same phone one style but in multiple colors, however they had a lot of problems with the White one, so not sure what will happen.
 
Is there more than one type of iPod touch on the market at any given time? Like a 3.5 inch and a 4 inch?

Never say never but I really wouldn't count on it personally...
 
ap3604 said:
Is there more than one type of iPod touch on the market at any given time? Like a 3.5 inch and a 4 inch?

Never say never but I really wouldn't count on it personally...
Click to expand...

Agreed. I think that it is highly unlikely that Apple would sell 2 different sizes of iPhones at the same time.
 
Mr. Incredible said:
I've been thinking about this for sometime now, not sure if anyone has ever brought it up in here though.

There are:

4 Types of Macs
MacBook
MacBook Pros [13', 15', & 17']
MacBook Airs [11' & 13']
iMacs [21.5' and 27']

&

4 Types of iPods
iPod Shuffle
iPod Nanos
iPod Touches
iPod Classic

But there is only 1 type of iPhone.

When it comes to Android, there are the Droid Xs, Incredibles, Droid, Droid 2, Bionic, and Thunderbolt. I know that these phones are made by different manufacturers, but I think it will be very interesting to see Apple make more than 1 type of iPhone.

Like...

iPhone Glide: An iPhone with a slide out keyboard.
iPhone Bar: An iPhone with physical keyboard (ie, BlackBerry)
iPhone Flip: An iPhone that flips.

Yeah, the names will be much better, but I think it will be a cool concept. I know if Apple did this, there would be a Touch Screen for each type of these phones. All of them ranging at Different starting prices (iPhone Flip: $99, iPhone Bar: $149, iPhone 4: $199, iPhone Glide: $249) with double the storage for an extra $100.

I think it if Apple did this, it would dominate the market, and could even monopolize the cellphone industry, since it would fit into every niche out there.
Click to expand...


A) You forgot the Mac Pro & Mini
B) The iPhone should have a keyboard and the one they have.
C) A flip-phone is a bad idea in so many ways.
D) The iPhone 4 Bar is a bad idea in so many more ways than the flip one.
E) If the iPhone becomes affordable, then no teenagers would want it since it won't be "hip" anymore.
 
Recent rumor has it that Apple is making a smaller iPhone to help compete with Android but i wonder why they would go smaller? Unless the iP5 is going to be bigger. Thats what i read recently on Pulse.
 
I think for iOS to contend with the barrage of Android devices they need to ether offer the iPhone on all carriers or offer a additional model.
 
I think an iPhone nano could exist if it kept existing 3GS's resolution, with a much smaller screen that surpasses the 300 dpi minimum for Retina.

Edit: Wait, would it have to be 1/4th the size of a 3GS screen to do it?
 
So there will be more fragmentation and difficulty managing the OS across multiple devices. Hey, maybe they'll end up like ever other cell manufacturer and make 20 crappy phones instead of 1 that's great. Can't wait for that day myself.
 
Apple's slogan on apple.com is "Two is better than one." who says that two can't become three, four, etc... i think it'll happen eventually.
 
I think you guys are forgetting the iPad. I don't see Apple releasing a smaller iPhone despite the rumors. It would be retarded.
 
I would say 'yes' if I could imagine what a 2nd iPhone might be.

I can't imagine anything, though, so I've gotta say 'no.'

They'll continue to sell last year's model as a cheaper option and other than "cheaper," what other feature could a 2nd iPhone have? Since they've already covered that angle I just don't see it.
 
Small White Car said:
I would say 'yes' if I could imagine what a 2nd iPhone might be.

I can't imagine anything, though, so I've gotta say 'no.'

They'll continue to sell last year's model as a cheaper option and other than "cheaper," what other feature could a 2nd iPhone have? Since they've already covered that angle I just don't see it.
Click to expand...

I may see a situation where they retain additional models for sale (Like release the 5, still sell the 4 and 3Gs) but I can only imagine people will complain more that they're selling retail models of the phone than may not to be able to take advantage of all the features in a new OS.
 
Interstella5555 said:
So there will be more fragmentation and difficulty managing the OS across multiple devices. Hey, maybe they'll end up like ever other cell manufacturer and make 20 crappy phones instead of 1 that's great. Can't wait for that day myself.
Click to expand...

I completely agree. I think improving one phone over multiple carriers is smart on Apple's part (because they can focus on one great phone) as well as the customer's part (because we can have a great phone).

If there were more than one type of iPhone, I would predict that resolution, attention to iOS, and faster processors (among other things) would be put aside to worry about mass production.
 
Terrible idea IMO. Apple has exclusivity with Verizon and AT&T. Keep it that way.

Yes, expanding is obviously going to make them more money, but this happens with every phone. Once released with tons of carriers, EVERYONE HAS THEM and people get bored of them. Keeping it tied down to two carriers, just might be a good thing.

Think about it, people hated the iPhone because of AT&T's network. Imagine it going to T-Mobile? There would be SOOO many complaints. And making smaller versions, etc. is stupid IMO.

I have a Droid X, and a new droid i coming out every 4 months. It's ridiculous and people can't keep up because everything is becoming so outdated so fast.
Apple's Mac lineup is not cheap - which is why it has about 10% of the PC market. Creating cheap, plastic-like phones would give the company a bad rep, and Apple has been known to create fantastic, high quality products.
 
Given that it was Apple that really made the touchscreen popular, at a time when there were only Windows Mobile devices using them, and now that tablets are taking all the interest from netbooks, i'd think it extremely unlikely that Apple will now bring out an iPhone with a keyboard / keypad of any sort.

So, what else does that leave you to differentiate multiple products with? Screen size is the only obvious one, but Apple seem very keen on standardising the UI and will be wary about introducing another size. Also remember than Apple's focus on the UI is huge, and they'll never just allow the existing one to be shrunk to fit a new, smaller screen.

The only other way to differentiate models may be processing power, but that's probably also very unlikely as they'll then have to worry about how apps will work across the rangeof products - developers would programme for the lowest common demominator, and if they didn't those with the slower version would complain that the apps didn't perform well. So that also seems extremely unlikely.

Which leaves... colour and storage, the two things (accepting that other colours aren't actually available, but were supposed to be) they already provide an option on.

David
 
Scuby said:
Given that it was Apple that really made the touchscreen popular, at a time when there were only Windows Mobile devices using them, and now that tablets are taking all the interest from netbooks, i'd think it extremely unlikely that Apple will now bring out an iPhone with a keyboard / keypad of any sort.

So, what else does that leave you to differentiate multiple products with? Screen size is the only obvious one, but Apple seem very keen on standardising the UI and will be wary about introducing another size. Also remember than Apple's focus on the UI is huge, and they'll never just allow the existing one to be shrunk to fit a new, smaller screen.

The only other way to differentiate models may be processing power, but that's probably also very unlikely as they'll then have to worry about how apps will work across the rangeof products - developers would programme for the lowest common demominator, and if they didn't those with the slower version would complain that the apps didn't perform well. So that also seems extremely unlikely.

Which leaves... colour and storage, the two things (accepting that other colours aren't actually available, but were supposed to be) they already provide an option on.

David
Click to expand...

This, too. There are wayyy to many reasons for Apple not to do this. They just shouldn't, sorry T-Mobile.
 
flipster said:
Terrible idea IMO. Apple has exclusivity with Verizon and AT&T. Keep it that way.

Yes, expanding is obviously going to make them more money, but this happens with every phone. Once released with tons of carriers, EVERYONE HAS THEM and people get bored of them. Keeping it tied down to two carriers, just might be a good thing.
Click to expand...


This is horrible advice. The iPhone is on more than two carriers worldwide. In other countries the iPhone is on three carriers and iPhone sales haven't slowed. If Sprint or T-Mobile were to get the iPhone that would be even better for us the user, look at Att and Verizon battling it out to get iPhone users. If Sprint or T- Mobile were to get the iPhone we would get lower prices from Att and Verizon.

I'm guessing you're talking about the Razr, what could you do with that phone call text. thats why people got board of it


flipster said:
Think about it, people hated the iPhone because of AT&T's network. Imagine it going to T-Mobile? There would be SOOO many complaints. And making smaller versions, etc. is stupid IMO.
Click to expand...


People bitch to bitch, your also going to have complainers and agree about the smaller iPhone being stupid, if anything Apple needs to make the iPhone bigger
 
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