We’re coming up on MacWorld awfully quick now (TiPb will be there, natch) and so the rumors are flying. Expectations have been decidedly lower than in years past due to the absence of his Steveness, but there’s one persistent rumor that just won’t go away: the iPhone Nano.
The universal response to these rumors has pretty much been “Meh.” Engadget wants to know what the deal is. Macrumors thinks that it’s just case makers riding Apple rumor coattails. Gizmodo doesn’t believe either.
The rumor won’t die, though, so: what if it were true? What would an iPhone Nano look like?
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Not to be outdone by the Apple media server rumors, the iPhone Nano rears its tiny mutant form again, this time on the website of case-maker Vaja. Does this add weight to the rumor, or simply volume? MacRumors rightly points out:
While it may be that Vaja is simply taking advantage of the hype surrounding the iPhone Nano, the rumors have been persistent over the past few weeks. While Apple does not give case manufacturers information about unreleased products, Apple must contract out to factories to manufacture their hardware. It is believed that it is through these contracts that case design specs are often leaked ahead of time. As we’ve said before, case manufacturers have a huge financial incentive to have cases ready in time for new product launches.
Macworld is only a week away (though even if the rumor is true (and we’re still not holding our breath) we may have to wait until Apple — and Steve Jobs — hold another special media event to know for sure.
Are you getting convinced yet? Or just tiring of the rumors?
Blurry off-angle photo? Check. Recycled tag line? Check. Recycled hero artwork? Check. Photoshop? Check.
Yes, folks, Jon4Lakers appears to have iPhone Nano fakes just in time for Macworld? And could it be from the same fine folks who brought us the fake Mac Mini poster?
Sure, case makers have made iPhone Nano rumors all the rage again, but just shrinking down the screen’s physical size making capacitive targets difficult for beefy fingers to hit doesn’t make much sense, does it?
With Apple, anything can happen, so the only question is, what’s more likely? Phil Schiller whipping out an iPhone nano at Macworld, or tons more fakes before he ultimately doesn’t?
(Thanks to Kurt Lyon for the tip!)
A week ago we linked to a story that brought fresh iPhone Nano rumors to the foreground. Today those rumors are picking up a tiny bit of speed. Seems the folks who brought us leaked iPhone 3G and 4th gen iPod Nano cases are listing an iPhone Nano case.
Of course, an iPhone Nano presents certain problems. Would Apple just stuff a standard 320×480 iPhone screen into a tighter package, like the iPod Nano? (Or BlackBerry Bold for that matter). They’d need to do something to avoid fracturing the mobile WiFi platform they’ve taken so much trouble to establish. And capacitive touch screens, for all their responsiveness, require beefy enough targets to hit with a finger. Would certain features be cut that just couldn’t scale down effectively? Or would this truly be phone-and-iPod only (see mock up, above), leaving the “breakthrough internet device” space for the full featured, full sized model?
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Could just be the lack of Macworld hype making the intertubes all crazy. Macrumors, for their part, says:
To add more uncertainty into the mix, we’ve heard that some of Apple’s initial plans for Macworld may have been delayed. So, even if an iPhone Nano was originally in the works, we’re not sure when we’d actually see one.
At a special event, on Apple’s schedule, on Apple’s terms, with Steve Jobs on a stage maybe?
With Macworld fast approaching, the rumor rate should begin increasing exponential. iTablets will be hot once again, of course, as will the iPhone Nano. Says MacRumors:
[iDealsChina] claims the product will be announced at Macworld San Francisco 2009. iDealsChina, however, has a very mixed track record. In August, it passed off renderings of knock-off iPod clones as the real thing and also claimed that the new iPod Touch would have GPS (it did not). The site, however, did previously have access to Griffin case moldings that appeared to be real. The sizes could correlate with smaller touch screen photographs that iLounge published in June.
MacRumors thinks such an iPhone Nano may break App compatibility with the existing iPhone and iPod Touch due to screen size and resolution. Shrinking the screen down using a higher DPI, like the iPod Nano would lessen part of the problem (though hitting tinier capacitive touch targets would no doubt be an interesting exercise in frustration).
What do you think? iPhone Nano for Macworld? And is it a Good Thing?
…Just multiply! So says MacRumors, gossiping this time about a UK report that has Apple launching an iPhone Nano just in time for the holidays. But is anyone buying what the DailyMail is cooking?
Nope. Not even on coupon night. Though MacRumors does state the more sensical:
More reliable sources have indicated that Apple has been working on a smaller iPhone, but there is no expected time-frame for that product’s release.
Of course, at any time the uber-secret Apple labs are doubtlessly working on countless projects, many of which Steve Jobs is proud have never seen the light of day. iPhone Nano could be one of those too, just like it’s much bigger, equally mythical iTablet brother…
(Now watch both drop this Tuesday…)
First came the iPod, then came the iPod Nano. Well, okay, there was the intermediary Mini, but that’s neither here nor there. Eventually — and currently — there was — and is — the Nano. So it should come as no surprise that ever since Steve Jobs dropped the iPhone bomb back at Macworld 2007, people (and analysts, who may still technically be people?) have been predicting an iPhone Nano.
And now some Apple patents have been revealed which may just bring it a few technical hurdles closer to being!
In a nutshell, it covers a method for making an iPhone-style touchscreen out of “sensor panel substrate called polyethylene terephthalate (PET)”. It’s directed towards an iPod Classic style device, although an example phone is also detailed, but in our iPhone world, we’re imagining it might also one day find its way into an iPhone Nano as well…
Check the read link for a much more in depth rundown…
Read
Dual-sided, transparent, flip-capable iPhone Nano?
El Jobso and Co. might just be exploring the possibility according to a recent patent filing unearthed, as usual, by the folks at Apple Insider.
Some of the juicy details include:
“capacitive array element [that] may be a dual-sided panel that is capable of sensing touch from either side and sending signals indicative of the touches to a host device (e.g., a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a digital music player or a mobile telephone unit).”
Of course, many Apple patent filing simply disappear into the dim, dank vaults of 1 Infinite Loop while others show up in ways or products we never could have guessed — but that certainly doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try!
I’ll admit, the idea doesn’t hold much appeal to me, or to those still waiting for their big-apps iTablet Safari Pad, but I’ve learned never to underestimate Johnny Ive and Cupertino’s finest. If anyone could make this little miracle as functional as it is “lick-able”, it’s them.
What do you think? Does this give us any hard insight into a next-gen iPhone? How does the idea of a translucent touch screen grab you? Is a flip phone a great idea or just another point of failure in the waiting?
