Given how kick-in-the-crotch fake the last supposed leaked memo from Rogers (the Canadian GSM monopoly and exclusive iPhone 3G carrier) was, I’m taking this with a Rockies-sized grain of salt. If even remotely accurate, however, it looks like:
In order to unbrick the iPhone in store (which is a requirement of the iPhone Sales Process), you must have iTunes version 7.6.3b4. Installed on your computer. This version has a special ‘Activation Only Mode’ that must be enabled and used in store.
For complete details, including the unbelievable but very Rogers-like ban on all forms of publicity, posters, and promotion (no advertising until 13 weeks post-launch?!), and more telco-related acronyms and contractions than you can shake your head at, check out the read link.
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Confession: Yes, when one of these crazy AT&T or Intel rumors come up, I draft a rumor-smasher just as soon as I finish the post. Chalk it up to experience.
Case in point: yesterday we (and everyone else in the blogsphere) reported that Intel Germany Geschäftsführer Hannes Schwaderer done let slip word of an Atom-powered iTablet. Or done did he?
“No Intel exec has said anything about any future Apple product, Atom processor or otherwise,” an Intel spokesperson told AppleInsider. “I think that’s important to note as everyone speculates on future products from Apple.”
And more awkwardly:
“Intel knows nothing over future products of other manufacturers and can therefore over it also nothing say,” press spokesman Mike Cato told ZDNet
Of course, just like AT&T leaking and un-leaking the iPhone Black, this could just be Intel desperately spinning damage control following a “phone call” from Apple CEO Steve Jobs.
So, basically, either the interwebs have gone slappy-happy bonkers with pent-up pre-WWDC mania, or a large-screen, Atom-powered, iChat’ing iPhone Tablet 3G Black is coming our way very, very shortly?
MacRumors, source of the original hubbub, is standing firm on the latter, and offers up further corroboration-by-way-of-translation:
“PCGH-Editor Daniel Waadt was there as well an can attest, that Schwaderer referred to the iPhone as an example for the use of the atom-processor from Intel. The Intel CEO mentioned furthermore, that the display on iPhone 2 would be bigger than on iPhone 1 (although it is already quite big). iPhone 2 is also thinner than iPhone 1.”
My bet? iPhone 3G sans-Intel takes stage at WWDC, ships sometime soonish thereafter, and while an iTablet certainly exists, and certainly furthers Apple’s mobile WiFi platform and App Store program, we won’t hear about it until sometime between Thanksgiving 2008 and Macworld 2009. Only way it makes sense anytime soon is if Steve Jobs smells blood in the water and is willing to sacrifice short-term roadmaps for the ultra-mobile kill.
What do you think?
ReadVia
True story: before the iPhone, Apple’s multi-touch screen mobile efforts were focused on a tablet-like device known internally as Safari Pad. But when El Jobso unleashed his awesome powers of prediction, he saw cell phones coming on so strongly, he shifted Apple’s gears — and mobile OS X Touch development efforts — to what became the iPhone.
Since then — heck, since way before then, probably back since Jobs first axed the original Apple ultra-mobile, the Newton — rumors have persisted that Apple was still working on the iTablet/Safari Pad/Mac Touch. And since the iPhone back in January 2007, every time a Jobsnote is scheduled, the interwebs explode with rumor that this time, at last, the dream machine will finally be released.
Well, this time we may have more than just rumor and hope to go on, as Intel Germany Geschäftsführer Hannes Schwaderer let slip that:
There is an iPhone with Intel’s new Atom chip. The device is slightly larger than the current version, Schwaderer said. That is not, however, because of the Intel chip, but because of the larger display used in the new iPhone.
Okay, so possible Non-Disclosure violations aside, does “slightly larger” mean tablet sized to anyone the Apple rumorati? And how does this factor in to previous rumors of the next-gen iPhone being Infineon powered, never mind Apple’s recent purchase of PA Semi and its mobile PowerPC architecture?
More and more questions, with less and less time remaining before WWDC…
What do you think? Could this be this year’s One More Thing…?
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I see a 3G iPhone and it will be painted black
No more aluminum just plastic on the back
How do I know and why will El Jobso certainly freak?
Cause AT&T has once again gone and sprung a leak
Cat’s out of the bag and there’s no going back
Published on their website something called the iPhone Black
So 2.0 is coming and it’ll be on one of them
While others struggle to iClone Apple’s gone to the next gen
3G, business, gaming, and App Store fully packed
I look to June and I want my iPhone Black!
[To the tune of, and with profound apologies to, the Rolling Stones: Painted Black]
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We’ve seen accessory makers spill the beans on upcoming products before. In the Treo space, an accessory maker went so far as to put their demo unit on a convention show floor. There was also the “fatty nano” rumor that seems ludicrous right up until the moment that Apple released precisely what the accessory maker had leaked. Things on the iPhone side are, of course, quite a bit more hush-hush, so apparently what these accessory makers have is just some rough dimensions, according to iLounge:
Companies overseas have already started working on products for this one, which is basically the same size as the current iPhone, but has slightly different curves, coloration, and materials.
We also get confirmation of the tip-top “Black and basically the same” rumor. The glossy black plastic is apparently quite a bit fancier than what you’re imagining, and toss in a very slight taper across the back as well. A few slight adjustments to the location of the various sensors on the iPhone and the story looks pretty complete and pretty legit.
Oh, yeah, looks like color options besides black might be thrown into this heady mix of iPhone 3G stew as well. MMmmmmm ….HSDPA.
Tiny Code (more on that mysterious link in a moment) pulled their apps off of installer.app, saying the following:
Tiny Code no longer produces fixes or applications for firmware 1.1.3.
We can’t say much, but we are working with Apple and with their SDK for the next firmware release and SDK applications and we shouldn’t be missed for long. We will no longer update our Installer.app repo for legality reasons and you should see us soon on iTunes.
They said this at http://tiny-code.com, which if you visit you’ll note is now redirected at the iPhone Dev Center. This, it turns out, was something developer “Kelly” did in order to, well, stop the tsunami of questions that followed his statement. It also turns out Apple was none too pleased about the leaks in the above statement.
Leaks? Yep:
- “shouldn’t be missed for long” sounds a lot like “that event that’s coming on February 26th“
- “you should see us soon on iTunes” sounds a lot like “iTunes is definitely going to be the way that these apps get distributed, sold, and installed.”
- Next to the statement above was “Now targeting fw 1.1.4 Alpha 2.” Oops.
Each of the three above “leaks” is a surprise to exactly nobody who’s been watching the iPhone news with any degree of attention lately, but nevertheless Apple did some hand-slapping, as Kelly explains in this MacRumors forum post
One: Yes, I have a copy of the Apple SDK for the iPhone targeting firmware 1.1.4. Two: Yes, Tiny-Code.com was ordered to be removed from operation by Apple, Inc because by releasing firmware versions and stating I had possession of the firmware and SDK was apparently a violation of the Non-Disclosure Agreement I agreed to when I accepted a copy of the SDK and firmware. Three: Yes I was wrist-slapped by Apple and won’t be included in any further firmware beta’s or testing/coding.
Yeouch.
Tiny Code
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