Apple has yet to announce an iTablet, which is good because the supposed universe dent’er is supposedly suffering a supposed “delay” — getting pushed back from early to late 2010 so that Apple can supposedly add a supposedly expensive, LG-crafted OLED (organic light emitting diode) screen to the mythical mix.
At 9.7 inches, it would cost $500 for the panel, and bump the entire kit up to a $1500 or $1700 price point. So much for the imaginary device filling a slot between the sub-$500 iPod touch/iPhone and the $1000 MacBook, right?
A cheaper 10.6 inch device is also rumored to be in the imaginary pipeline for that, somewhere over $800. Both could get “cheaper” (front facing consumer price-wise) if they run 3G and are subsidized by a telco, like the iPhone is by AT&T.
There were OLED rumors for the iPhone 3GS earlier this year (with iTablet chatter attached), which of course didn’t pan out (though they did for the Zune HD). Would Apple go big on OLED for an iTablet before they go small, and presumably more affordable, with the iPhone? Especially if it delays something that’s had no public mention and certainly no release date attached to it? (Insert Microsoft Pink references here).
Either way, you want OLED?
[DigiTimes via Gizmodo]
MacRumors has heard from multiple sources that Apple is planning to release a (presumably free) Concierge app for the iPhone and iPod touch that would:
…provide many of the same functions available through the company’s retail store online reservations system, allowing customers to schedule Genius Bar and One to One appointments from their mobile devices. Sources have also indicated that the application will allow users to keep tabs on their premium membership subscriptions offered by the company.
Since the current option is via the web (screen shot above), it sounds good to us. If wanted to schedule service or training for your iPhone, Mac, or other Apple gear, would you use it?
Did Apple meet with mobile advertising company, AdMob before Google acquired them last week for $750 million? That’s what “people familiar with the matter” told Bloomberg:
Buying AdMob would have allowed Apple to expand into online advertising, a strategy that Nokia Oyj is pursuing, [IDC analyst Karsten Weide] said. “If a lot of traffic goes through my devices, why can’t I become the middleman that serves ads against that inventory? AdMob would have allowed them to do that quickly.”
Clearly advertising isn’t a core Apple business the way it is for Google, but then again with Google getting into so many of Apple’s core businesses (smartphone OS with Android and now desktop OS with ChromeOS), Apple could be looking to give them a dose of their own expansion. Given that Apple recently filed a patent for an ad-supported version of Mac OS X (something Microsoft explored years ago for Windows), they could also be looking for alternate ways to subsidize the cost of their platforms going forward. Right now carriers like AT&T foot the advance for the iPhone (and theoretically might do the same for an iTablet or 3G-connected MacBook) but the more options to reduce up-front consumer costs, the better — especially in the increasingly competitive landscape.
We’ve said before Apple should have snapped up Grand Central before it became Google Voice, is Cupertino growing slow to react, or is Google just hitting warp speed?
Is Apple making a smaller, CDMA-compatible “world phone” for Verizon, and readying it for Q3, 2010? Maybe. And TiPb’s sure this “report” coming out on Droid Day is purely coincidental, given Google and Verizon’s moment in the sun. AppleInsider, however, claims a new report, with the prerequisite “sources in Taiwan” (SiT) say it’s so:
Qualcomm’s new hybrid CDMA/WCDMA chip offers the potential for a single, global iPhone that users can take to any major carrier, solving the network fractionalization problem. It also solves other issues that had served as roadblocks, including the issue of user confusion that would result from Apple selling separate CDMA and GSM/UMTS versions of the iPhone.
And that it will have a smaller 2.8 inch screen to go with it. (We make fun in the concept picture above, because we had such lingering hopes for a 480p iPhone HD…) With the Android Droid, Windows Mobile HD2, and even the BlackBerry Storm2 going for bigger screens and pixels, however, we’re hoping Apple doesn’t trend completely the other way…
Since it’s only a rumor, however, and a suspiciously timed one at that, we recommend you take it with a full iPhone-sized grain of salt… but let us know what you think!
Boy Genius has heard some rumblings that AT&T is ready to launch an 8GB iPhone 3GS in preparation of Verizon releasing the highly anticipated Motorola Droid. While this is not confirmed this would be a good way for Apple to pick up quite a bit more sales just in time for the holiday season, especially in the $99 price range. Black Friday anyone?
Back in August rumors were flying that Rogers was about to release their own iPhone 8GB 3GS but that has yet to take place. This will be interesting to see how this unfolds.
What are you thoughts on the release of an 8GB iPhone 3GS? Fact or fiction?
[Via BGR]
This, according to China Ontrade, is the 4th generation iPhone midboard. Having accurately leaked part of the iPhone 3GS assembly in May 2009, weeks before Phil Schiller showed the launch device off at WWDC in June, they’ve gained some measure of credibility. However, this isn’t May 2010 and its hard to see ever-prototyping, last-minute-camera-ditching Apple setting anything in stone (or aluminum or plastic) this early in the cycle.
iPhones get introduced in June/July, after all, according to the same Phil Schiller. That’s their product cycle, and that’s what Apple has done for the first three versions. Could they be planning an early surprise? Gizmodo thinks pressure from Android (technically Android hardware manufacturers like HTC and Motorola in this case, we suppose) might get them to ramp up faster. However, a great iPhone 3.2 (which we’ve still not seen beta nor screenshot of) could relieve pressure on the OS side.
So is it real? Perhaps, and could well represent the current state of the art of 4th generation iPhone prototyping. Is it what we’ll see when the actual iPhone (insert new brand name here) ships? Eh, it’s just a midboard so it’s hard to get terribly excited unless/until some hardware whizzes figure out the dimensions must mean a 16:9 display, or it’s 8 feet high or something…
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
MediaMemo is hearing that Apple Internet exec, Eddy Cue, has been tasked with exploring a $30/month iTunes TV Show subscription service:
A so-called “over the top” service could theoretically rival the ones most consumers already buy from cable TV operators — if Apple is able to get enough buy-in from broadcast and cable TV programmers.
Disney, with Steve Jobs its largest shareholder, pops up as among the first to potentially get on board.
Unlimited TV on your iPhone, Mac/PC, Apple TV, and maybe… iTablet with one monthly fee. You want?
(Re: iTablet, sure would make a nifty announcement to go along with the iTablet, like movie rentals did at Macworld 2008 for Apple TV Take 2….)
According to Business Insider, the mythical iTablet is imminent due to the unnamed, unverified, unspecified travel of someone at Apple who does… something:
a source tells us a system integration engineer friend of his at Apple has been ramping up his travels back and forth between China lately, broadcasting word of his travels over the Internet.
A friend of a friend — no names! — asked TiPb what will end up being more ridiculous, iPhone rumors or iTablet rumors. We answered — yes!
Anyone have an iTablet case (with or without camera hole!) they want to leak our way?
Could this be the first peek of the 2010 iPhone 4G… the SIM card tray?! If not, could it be for the iTablet? Engadget says:
procured from Foxconn (the rumored Apple tablet manufacturer) and available for $14.05 starting October 23rd for the 4th generation iPhone / iTablet… whatever the mythical host device might ultimately be named.
And here we thought we’d have to wait until next year for rumors like this! Cue the case-maker leaks in 5… 4… 3..
UPDATED: Looks like Google is partnering with MySpace’s iLike and with Lala for their iTunes music competitor. TechCrunch again has the details:
From information we’ve gathered from sources, the new service will be integrated into Google search. Users will be able to stream songs directly from Google via partners iLike and LaLa. Additional information around the music query will be provided to users as well (presumably any relevant results from YouTube as well as information already available in Google’s existing music search – example). One source said that Google will organize music searches in a way very similar to the way they do public company stock searches today. Users will also be offered the opportunity to purchase songs for download, we’ve confirmed.
Original post after the break!
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