Confession: I haven’t listened to FM radio since… well, since I got my iPhone, but it seems FM isn’t just for Top 40 any more. 9 to 5 Mac, which found more details on the previously mentioned Broadcom BCM4329 wireless chip, which could include:
the ability to receive and send (the previous model could only receive) information through FM radio signals which theoretically could be used to broadcast sound into car stereos..without external adapters. It could also be used to pick up FM radio music, news and sports broadcasts on their iPhones and even, in August, on iPods. Currently the FM reciever is only used to pick up communications from the Nike+ peripheral.
Of course, just because the chip supports it, doesn’t mean Apple will surface that support, or use it for anything other than what it already does (like Nike+).
But here’s the thing: are the rumors flying just a little too fast and too far now? Are we really going to get everything and a bag of quad-core chips in the next iPhone hardware release, or are we — as per standard internet protocols — just hyping ourselves up for massive disappointment come June?
[via MacRumors]
When iPhone 3.0 Beta 1 was released, we saw what looked to be an errant video upload screen. Next it was the apparent ability to receive video MMS. Now more deep diving into the 3.0 beta has turned up resource files that show not only may the next generation iPhone allow not only video recording, but perhaps video editing, including trimming as well. This might be similar to the already surfaced Voice Memo app’s ability to trim audio recordings on device.
Would make a nice addition to that rumored 3.5 or 5 megapixel camera, enhanced CPU and GPU, and fast cell and WiFi networking, wouldn’t it?
[BenM.at via TUAW]
We’d heard rumors about this back when mobile 802.11n WiFi chipsets began to announced, and when the next gen iPhone was said to be “faster“. Now Apple Insider is reporting that:
Wireless radio component specifications contained within the iPhone 3.0 firmware indicate support for a new chip enabling low power 802.11n, which is likely to be exposed in the new iPhone and iPod touch set for release later this year.
Along with faster CPUs, faster GPUs, and faster cellular networking, 802.11n Wifi, anyone think speed isn’t the name of the game Apple’s playing with the next gen iPhone?
Apple Insider reports that AT&T is trying to increase the coverage, reliability, and speed of it’s 3G network in anticipation of Apple’s next gen iPhone hardware coming this summer (perhaps to be introduced, like last year, at WWDC in June?).
AT&T’s current 3G supports up to 3.6Mb/s, though AT&T has said they have the infrastructure to go to 7.2Mb/s, with 14.4 and 20Mb/s feasible within a couple of years. As for the iPhone specifically:
Apple has been evaluating a portion of the network upgrade already accessible to its engineers for testing purposes and is genuinely impressed with its speed. A person familiar with the situation commented that Apple iPhone engineers have “never gotten pages to load as fast as they were loading on the new routers.”
This would follow on AT&T’s EDGE “plus” upgrade before the original iPhone 2G launched, and their acceleration of HSPA last year before the iPhone 3G debuted.
So, stronger, better, faster, longer… Sounds good, but can they deliver?
Digitimes is reporting… what many others have been rumoring about the next gen iPhone and it’s camera. 3.5 megapixels, according to their “market sources” are bound to get bundled in if/when Apple shows off new iPhone 2,1 hardware at WWDC this year.
What’s even more fantastical is that a 5 megapixel camera is also rumored to be on its way to another Apple product this year. New iSight for the built-ins? Heh. That’s no fun. Gotta be for the next next gen iPhone 3,1, right? Or the iTablet? iNetbook? iYaiyai?!
Rumor season has only just begun folks!
[Via iPhonebuzz/Engadget Mobile]
Welcome to iPhone Analysts vs. the Magic 8-Ball, where we take the often outlandish, sometime surreal predictions of iPhone analysts and pundits, blogeratti and the ‘net elite, and compare them to the potentially equally precise prognostications of a… magic 8-ball (running on an iPhone, of course!)
Mike Abramsky, seasoned veteran of of RBC weighs in on an iPhone 3G “Pro” with the following specs, and the Magic 8-Ball chimes in with its pedictions in italics:
- iPhone 3G “Pro” nickname. As I see it, yes
- Retail price to stay the same $199/$299. My reply is no
- Wireless UMTS/HSUPA, Wifi, Bluetooth. My reply is no
(Note: our understanding is that HSUPA is to uplink what HSPDA is to downlink, and someone’s mixing up their UMTS technologies there and really means a 3.5G system)
- 3.2MP camera with flash and video recording. Don’t count on it.
- 16GB/32GB storage. Most likely
- 0.1″ thinner. Yes
- AT&T to get it before the rest of the world. Most likely.
- Growth will not accelerate. Don’t count on it.
Okay, so both of their predictions seem a little hinkey to us, but what do we know? Bring on WWDC 2009, and until then, thanks everyone for playing Analyst vs. Magic 8-Ball and be sure to leave your predictions, and your thoughts on their predictions, in the comments!
[Via Apple Insider. Thanks to Jimmie for the tip!]
Speculation on the 3rd Generation iPhone, plus: Just can’t get enough of that tasty iPhone 3.0 Beta! Listen in!
Read the rest of this entry »
Hot on the heels of yesterday’s possible AT&T leak on the next gen iPhone, MacRumors is laying out more specific, if still un-confirmed, details:
Another interesting possibility is that Apple may have settled on the Marvell PXA168 ARM chip as the heart of a future device. Some unconfirmed claims point to Apple buying up supplies of this chip which is reportedly also due in the July timeframe. The Marvell PXA168 CPU was announced in January of this year and aims to provide “entry-level laptop” capabilities to consumer electronic devices.
We’re noticing the theme of speed and power is staying pretty consistent across these rumors. And if Apple is packing the boom! of a baby-laptop in the iPhone, where does that leave iNetbook rumors?
But what’s with all the leaks? Steve Jobs is still on leave of absence, so are folks inside Apple a little less afraid of the flame thrower than they were last year? Or is this a calculated way to keep people’s interest (and the internet’s attention) away from the upcoming release of competitive products like the Palm Pre and BlackBerry Niagra?
BGR is claiming some inside info from AT&T on the next hardware revision of the iPhone. The announcement is apparently slated for June (actual release unknown) and the new features line up with some of what we’ve been hearing. Top of the list is speed, with likely support for the higher-speed abilities of HSDPA on AT&T — up to 7.2MBps — which may also play into those multi-core rumors too. There’s also apparently going to be some sort of “U-Verse” app that will work with your home entertainment system (If there’s an IR port on this thing, I’ll eat my hat). The word “unified” gets tossed around a bit, but beyond it having something to do with Apple playing nice with AT&T’s services, it’s a little unclear.
Oh, and since it’s the hip thing to do, there’s a bit of netbook chatter tossed in at the end, but we’re not getting an Apple vibe off that. We’ll leave the netbook bits aside and ask: what feature do you most want? Video and Megapixels with a side of video publishing? OLED Display? iPhone HD? Free puppy with every purchase?
Thanks to Jeff for the tip!
As Dieter would say, “cats and dogs living together!”. That’s how it feels these last few days, what with all the leaks/rumors hitting about next generation iPhone stuff. Are they legit, or part of some mass internet meme-teria? Dunno. But I’m running out of puzzle metaphors!
This time, Apple Insider is reporting that the next generation iPhone hardware will not only provide video recording, but through a higher quality camera to boot! Want more? They’re further rumoring that Apple will build in a Movie Recorder app, the video equivalent to the Memo Recorder for audio that already part of the iPhone OS 3.0 beta.
So this brings our list of leaks for the week to: code references for iPhone 2,1 and 3,1, multi-core GPUs, video publishing, OLED screen, faster internet speeds, and now higher def video recording…
Curiouser and curiouser…
