Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

News for nerds, stuff that matters

Apple iPhone - To Be, or Not to Be?

Posted by Zonk on Fri Aug 04, 2006 09:58 AM
from the that-is-the-question dept.
An anonymous reader writes "With the Apple WWDC looming on Monday, the internet once again beats itself silly over what Steve Jobs has in store. At the most fanciful end of the scale, there's talk of the Apple iPhone, to which CNET says, 'keep on dreaming', and Gizmodo says, 'no visible evidence'. The only solid evidence of an iPhone, beyond the endless mocked-up images, is the discovery of hidden phone-related code in a recent iPod updater. Macrumors has some info on what the keynote may contain -- and there's no mention of an iPhone. So, as the rumor mill continues to grind over the weekend, let the predictions begin. Is there an Apple iPhone, or is there not?"

Related Stories

[+] Inside View on Apple WWDC Rumors 231 comments
AppleLurker writes "In a recent interview with DVD newsroom an Apple employee talks WWDC rumors including the iPhone, Blu-ray, MacPro and the Apple Tablet. More realistic about what not to expect next week when Steve Jobs hits the stage." Apple's next move is always a hotbed of debate leading up to a product release and with all the rumors flying this year all bets are off until we see the checkered flag, so take with the requisite grain of salt.
[+] What If Apple Made A Cell Phone And No One Cared? 352 comments
PreacherTom writes "Prudential Equity Group analyst Jesse Tortora penned a note saying that Apple is readying a music phone — and a separate, combination video and music phone. He expects Apple to introduce the devices in January at Macworld, a conference for Mac enthusiasts where the company typically debuts new products. At least one of the phones will offer Wi-Fi connectivity and both will become available in the March quarter of 2007 ... but will anyone care?"
[+] iPhone Rumour Round-up 37 comments
Coffin Black writes "Apple only has to look askance at a piece of hardware and people are falling over themselves to slap an 'i' all over it and slavering about how cool the theoretical gadgetry is gonna be. So the iPhone may not even exist — beyond a 'just once more thing' gleam in Jobs' eye — but already the column inches are stacking up. Think the iPod is dying? Never fear, says this columnist, it's merely evolving from one form into another (clue: from portable to mobile). This writer, meanwhile, is sticking the boot in early — she says she won't be buying an iPhone, when it of course finally makes it onto the shelves... Though she does add: "If Microsoft created a Phune (a phone and a Zune in one, geddit?), I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole either but that's a different story."" We also covered this story a couple months back.
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold:
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • Rumors (Score:4, Insightful)

    by distilledprodigy (946341) on Friday August 04 2006, @10:01AM (#15846504)
    I think apple knows it would lose tons of money in this saturated market.
    • Re:Rumors (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Crash Culligan (227354) on Friday August 04 2006, @10:43AM (#15846798)
      (Last Journal: Monday May 31 2004, @07:30AM)
      I think apple knows it would lose tons of money in this saturated market.

      <sarcasm>Hey, yeah. And remember that time when they opened up a chain of retail outlets despite the fact that many other such outlets were tanking and analysts were sure they were smoking something? Boy, did they screw the pooch in that deal!</sarcasm>

      The thing you must never lose sight of is that Apple finds its own way of succeeding sometimes by doing things the way no other "sane" (read: "hidebound") person would do.

      Will the iPhone become a reality? I'd say no, for completely different reasons than "everybody's doing it already."

      [ Parent ]
      • Re:Rumors by distilledprodigy (Score:1) Friday August 04 2006, @10:51AM
        • Re:Rumors by pboulang (Score:3) Friday August 04 2006, @12:30PM
        • Re:Rumors (Score:4, Insightful)

          by Overly Critical Guy (663429) on Friday August 04 2006, @12:39PM (#15847601)
          iPod succeeded because it was easier to use and was seamlessly integrated with iTunes. I'd love to see Apple make a cell phone that finally doesn't suck. Not to mention one that will sync contacts with OS X.
          [ Parent ]
          • Re:Rumors by MouseR (Score:2) Friday August 04 2006, @01:29PM
            • 1 reply beneath your current threshold.
          • Re:Rumors by geekoid (Score:2) Friday August 04 2006, @03:11PM
          • Re:Rumors by Zephyr14z (Score:1) Friday August 04 2006, @03:31PM
          • 2 replies beneath your current threshold.
        • 1 reply beneath your current threshold.
      • Re:Rumors (Score:4, Interesting)

        by morgan_greywolf (835522) on Friday August 04 2006, @11:22AM (#15847084)
        (http://stylus-toolbox.sf.net/ | Last Journal: Tuesday May 15 2007, @11:50AM)
        The thing you must never lose sight of is that Apple finds its own way of succeeding sometimes by doing things the way no other "sane" (read: "hidebound") person would do.


        s/Apple/Steve Jobs/ and you're right on the money. The original Mac was going to be a failure because nobody wanted locked-up proprietary boxes with no CLI or expansion capabilities (and besides that, the Lisa was an abysmal failure), Mac OS X was going to be a failure because who would want to run NeXT Step on a Mac? The iTunes was expected to be failure because 'everyone' downloads illegal music, why would they pay even 99 cents/song?

        Everywhere along the way, Jobs saw ways of adding twists to make it work.

        What I envision: an iPhone that not only has a built-in PDA based on either Palm OS or some slimmed-down Mac OS X, and not only has an iPod built into it, but one with a video iPod integrated as well. Oh, and you can add this optional GPS package for $X. Throw in built-in wifi and bluetooth connectivity, and you've got one hot device that people won't be able to keep their hands off of.

        If Apple introduces it Monday, remember, you heard it here first!
        [ Parent ]
        • Re:Rumors (Score:5, Insightful)

          by Onan (25162) on Friday August 04 2006, @01:24PM (#15847902)
          What I envision: an iPhone that not only has a built-in PDA based on either Palm OS or some slimmed-down Mac OS X, and not only has an iPod built into it, but one with a video iPod integrated as well. Oh, and you can add this optional GPS package for $X. Throw in built-in wifi and bluetooth connectivity

          Gah! No! Stop throwing things in!

          The primary problem with cellphones these days is that they're all maniacally throwing in additional crap like cameras and music players. The last thing the world needs is one more "feature"-laden monstrosity that's five times the size it should be.

          If Apple were to enter this market, I think they would have the sense to see that what's really lacking is a simple, elegant telephone. That does its job with grace and speed, and doesn't try to be everything else in the world.

          This is certainly one of the great strengths of the ipod, that most of the "ipod killers" don't get. They all try to conquer the ipod by telling people, "But you can listen to the radio, and record audio, and use it as a pda, and a cellphone, and a wireless access point, and a floor wax!" And while Apple has caved a little bit on photos and video, they for the most part have kept sight of the fact that people don't want to do those things. More features is not automatically better.

          Sadly, I don't see any reason to believe that Apple actually is entering this market. Not so much for technical reasons as for the bureaucratic morass of dealing with cellular service providers, competing international standards, regulatory bodies, manufacturer subsidies, and the whole rest of the convoluted mess that is the cellphone industry. Apple is currently doing a pretty good job navigating a similar mess in the music industry, and starting to tackle the ones in the television and movie industries. I don't think they'd want to overextend themselves by taking on the telco industry at the same time.

          A shame, though. I'd switch in a heartbeat to whatever provider offered an Apple phone.

          [ Parent ]
          • Re:Rumors by thatguywhoiam (Score:2) Friday August 04 2006, @02:31PM
            • Re:Rumors by Onan (Score:2) Friday August 04 2006, @02:47PM
              • Re:Rumors by thatguywhoiam (Score:2) Friday August 04 2006, @03:11PM
          • I'd like a phone/PDA combo by Quantum Fizz (Score:2) Friday August 04 2006, @09:53PM
        • Re:Rumors by HTH NE1 (Score:2) Friday August 04 2006, @02:15PM
          • Re:Rumors by morgan_greywolf (Score:2) Saturday August 05 2006, @11:54AM
        • Re:Rumors by Bing Tsher E (Score:1) Friday August 04 2006, @05:38PM
        • Re:Rumors by mooncaine (Score:1) Friday August 18 2006, @12:40AM
      • Cell phones need Apple's touch (Score:5, Interesting)

        by tentimestwenty (693290) on Friday August 04 2006, @11:36AM (#15847179)
        (http://www.recordstorereview.com/)
        Cell phones are one of the worst designed consumer electronics out there. Of anything, I wish Apple would choose to do a phone next, providing they can make a little money on it.
        [ Parent ]
      • Re:Rumors by persnowfall.se (Score:3) Friday August 04 2006, @01:03PM
    • Re:Rumors by anjin-san 3 (Score:1) Friday August 04 2006, @10:50AM
    • Re:Rumors (Score:4, Interesting)

      Saturated market? Please. There's lots of cell phones out there, sure. And they all pretty much suck ass. Choose one, several, or all of: Poor build quality. Poor integration with the other information sources/sinks in your life. Poor user interface. Poor performance (battery life, RF reception, sound reproduction). Apple can't do much about RF reception and has limited freedom with respect to battery life, but every other thing is either a software issue or an industrial design issue. Guess what two things Apple kicks ass at?

      Cell phones are a saturated market much like digital audio players were a saturated market.

      All they'd have to do is roll out a GSM-based phone and they'd have access to most of the world's market. Combine that with something like iCal and Addressbook for windows much like they've already ported iTunes to support iPod use on non-Apple platforms and they'd be printing money.

      [ Parent ]
      • Re:Rumors by lymond01 (Score:1) Friday August 04 2006, @01:27PM
      • Re:Rumors by HTH NE1 (Score:2) Friday August 04 2006, @02:27PM
        • Re:Rumors by Bing Tsher E (Score:2) Friday August 04 2006, @05:52PM
      • Re:Rumors by nuggetman (Score:2) Friday August 04 2006, @09:55PM
        • Re:Rumors by nuggetman (Score:2) Friday August 04 2006, @09:59PM
          • Re:Rumors by Bing Tsher E (Score:1) Saturday August 05 2006, @08:24AM
            • Re:Rumors by byolinux (Score:2) Saturday August 05 2006, @08:32AM
      • 1 reply beneath your current threshold.
    • Re:Rumors by not already in use (Score:2) Friday August 04 2006, @11:10AM
    • Saturated with Crap by copponex (Score:3) Friday August 04 2006, @11:15AM
    • ichat phone by metamorpho (Score:2) Friday August 04 2006, @11:58AM
      • Re:ichat phone by Zelbinian (Score:2) Friday August 04 2006, @12:28PM
      • Re:ichat phone by DarkJC (Score:1) Friday August 04 2006, @02:07PM
      • Re:ichat phone by Ab0rtRetryFail (Score:1) Saturday August 05 2006, @04:32AM
    • Re:Rumors by dookiesan (Score:1) Friday August 04 2006, @12:07PM
    • Re:Rumors by JasonBee (Score:2) Friday August 04 2006, @12:13PM
      • Re:Rumors by Yer Mom (Score:2) Monday August 07 2006, @06:01AM
    • Think services, not devices by surrealestate (Score:1) Friday August 04 2006, @03:06PM
  • Not to be (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Foobar of Borg (690622) on Friday August 04 2006, @10:02AM (#15846513)
    If this iPhone is real, it seems pretty silly just looking at the pictures. It's just another in a series of cell "phones" that are only marginally telephones.

    "To be, or not to be. Not to be." [sets of iExplosives]

    • Re:Not to be by StandardDeviant (Score:1) Friday August 04 2006, @11:06AM
  • The only.... (Score:2, Funny)

    by ThePopeLayton (868042) on Friday August 04 2006, @10:02AM (#15846514)
    The only kind of i-Phone that I would like, would have the user use the click wheel like one of those turn dials phones that proceeded touch tone. That would be cool!
  • I really doubt it (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Moby Cock (771358) on Friday August 04 2006, @10:04AM (#15846532)
    (http://slashdot.org/~Moby%20Cock)
    I have serious doubts that the iPhone will ever come to be. Apple is focusing on media as its second core competency. The move to Intel chips and the looming possibilities opened up by virtualization will keep Apple moving in interesting and exciting directions for the next couple of years.

    Combining and iPod, Newton and cell phone is an interesting idea, but we have seen that there is some consumer resistance to combining gadgets. Unless Apple can really come up with a new and exciting way to 'do' the cell phone, I don't expect Jobs will entertain the notion.

    I know that there have been patents for mobile devices filed by Apple, but I expect many of those are part of their Mutually Assured Destruction stockpile of patents.

    My 2 cents, for what its worth.
    • Re:I really doubt it by moracity (Score:2) Friday August 04 2006, @10:11AM
    • Newton vs Cellphone by drewzhrodague (Score:3) Friday August 04 2006, @10:21AM
    • Re:I really doubt it (Score:5, Interesting)

      "Apple is focusing on media as its second core competency."

      And that is exactly why a lot of folks are predicting the phone as the next area of Apple's influence.

      Look at the Moto phones with iTunes -- they suck and were purposely kept down because Apple was afraid of folks competing with them. Even then, I heard the iTunes was running on some java stack and not integrated directly into the electronics (well...integrated more so).

      I know with a simply free phone I picked up from Cingular last year, I've now replaced my Palm...not that I've had much use for it anyways. The phones do almost everything except for stylus entry that my old device did -- and the only place you see items like this are in phones (i.e., the Treo phones...which I really considered until I realized they were HUGE and I like my pocket space...I'll take entering everything from my computer except for the few times I need to enter a quick phone number or appointment with a cryptic title until I can edit and resync).

      And now music is getting in these things. Do I want to carry both an iPod AND a phone? The whole thing with the Palm was that I WAS carrying both. My iPod is now relegated to my car or occasionally an airplane these days because I really hate having the batman belt. Even the shitty phones have music on them and even though a good deal are locked and require a purchase from the cellular companys site -- people seem to be willing to pay the $2 - $4 for a song that is a quarter the quality of the similar iTunes download (and as I've found out, generally expire after a few months -- I just wanted to test out the interface because I had been helping a friend convert his tunes to ringtones -- he has a sizable audience and wanted to get 'optimized' files out with 'customized' content before his label did so he had a negotiating block as RTs weren't even considered when he signed on 10 years ago -- they count them as 'club sales' like Columbia House where the artist makes practically nothing).

      Back to the point, Apple introduces a phone that replaces my current one AND my iPod -- I'm picking it up. There are only so many gadgets I'm carrying and if I have to make a choice, its my phone...and the more I talk to others, they feel the same way. Luckily Apple seems to be the kind of company that knows how to focus on the essentials which for me would be, Phone, Music, Phone Book, Calendar and a Java Interface to load up Salling Clicker so that I can use my remote to connect to my Mac across the room -- and leave the Java unrestricted so that we can add what we need WHEN we need it and nothing more. Most phones have this stuff, but navigating the interface to use them sucks...

      We will see convergence, so does Apple want to be ahead of the curve like the iPod(but not way too ahead like the Newton -- which pretty much introduced us to what we have today) or does it want to be behind the curve like it has on too many other items...

      Ok -- in the time I've been called away from my desk a few times now, this is probably redundant and should be modded accordingly :-)
      [ Parent ]
    • Re:I really doubt it by bunions (Score:3) Friday August 04 2006, @11:36AM
    • Re:I really doubt it by Metex (Score:3) Friday August 04 2006, @11:41AM
    • Re:I really doubt it by nine-times (Score:2) Friday August 04 2006, @11:44AM
    • Re:I really doubt it by ZenKen (Score:1) Friday August 04 2006, @07:32PM
  • Apple iPhone Nano (Score:3, Funny)

    by neonprimetime (528653) on Friday August 04 2006, @10:05AM (#15846539)
    (http://twoturtlelovers.blogspot.com/ | Last Journal: Friday May 25, @03:01PM)
    I'll lay odds that the first iPhone will be kinda clunky anyways. I'll wait for the iPhone Nano (maybe even the alumninum iPhone Nano).
  • by pandrijeczko (588093) on Friday August 04 2006, @10:05AM (#15846540)
    Not on *MY* Laura Ashley designer coffee table in my swank penthouse Thames-side London apartment there isn't!!!

    Well, maybe if they make it the same shade of off-white as my David Hockney sculpture and make the little Apple logo a bit more silver, I might think about it...

  • by Imbolc (949706) on Friday August 04 2006, @10:06AM (#15846544)
    Who'd turn off their iPod full of Rammstein just to answer a phone call from your Dümass friend? Seriously, though, if I buy a device for the purpose of listening to music, I don't want anything to stop it to answer a phone. If I'm listening to my music on my iPod on the way home from work on the subway or bus, I don't really want to be bothered in general; I can always check my phone to see if it's anyone important. If it's someone who may have critical news, then I'll probably answer it, but otherwise- well, the Music > the Conversation. What's with this whole "one piece stop shop" MP3 phone obsession anyway? Throwing all of your eggs into one basket will only leave you eggless and unhappy if that one basket asplodes, or gets stolen. I'd rather keep my devices separate, for both backup reasons and convenience reasons. I can also go camping with my MP3 player without having to be tethered to a cellphone...
  • Is it a good unit? (Score:4, Insightful)

    If it is a good phone, I'll get in line. I have been extremely disappointed with modern cell phones. It seems like phone manufacturers (and the seriously evil Verizon) are on crack, don't understand what mobile phones are for, what they should do, and how sensemaking such a device can be.

    • What I want to know is:
    • Does it work as a phone (without an annoying interface)?
    • Can I run programs on it (without having to buy them only from Apple)?
    • Can I develop for it (without having to pony up for a dev license)?

      Nevermind syncing features, like Bluetooth or ir. I would expect Apple to want to give that to their users.

      So far, I have found few phones as functional as my (old) Nokia 3650, and it's broken. Is an iPhone a phone for me?
  • iPhone (Score:3, Informative)

    by Jhan (542783) on Friday August 04 2006, @10:07AM (#15846558)
    (http://www.forsberg.pp.se/)

    Well, the current iPod is not a video iPod according to Stephen, so maybe the next one will not be a phone?

    Makes sense.

  • by krell (896769) on Friday August 04 2006, @10:08AM (#15846564)
    (Last Journal: Monday October 02 2006, @08:42AM)
    Any idea which one is real? Any of them that do not have the numbers in a 3 x 4 grid with right angles should not fly. There's no reason for those odd angles which make you have to look to find every button.
  • If I worked at Apple ... (Score:5, Funny)

    by n-carro2 (670495) on Friday August 04 2006, @10:09AM (#15846579)
    ... I would randomy put in things like 'phone related code'. Imagine the fun of sitting back and seeing what rumors would start.
  • It seems that Apple has something clever up their sleeve according to Robert Scoble: "Speaking of Apple," Mr. Scoble concluded, "they are readying a dizzying amount of new products. I wish I could camp out at an Apple store during the World Wide Developer Conference on August 7th. I wish I could say more, but that'd get me sued by Steve Jobs and I don't need that kind of heck right now." http://www.macobserver.com/article/2006/08/03.8.sh tml [macobserver.com] and http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/2006/07/31/mclaws- is-right-on-windows-vista-ship-date [wordpress.com] Ok, ok ... so this isn't really news, but it is still fun to work oneself up into a lather about the latest and greatest from His Steveness. Now that I live in London I can't really attend these fab Apple confabs. I was there in NYC back in whenever it was when Steve said, "now reach under your seats" and found a lovely new Apple Pro Mouse. Those were heady days, indeed. As a wannabe photographer (http://homepage.mac.com/nevermore/), I keep hoping for speed boosts to Aperture ... though I'm sure it'll scream on the new MacPro's ... or is that Mac Pro sans article (as in, don't eat iPod, say hello to iMac)? And I'd really love to trade in my trusty olde iPod (10GB 2nd Gen - battered from falling into the cross-trainer at the gym, but still very much functional) for something with a wide screen that plays movies.
  • Yes- but... (Score:2, Interesting)

    by manonthemoon (537690) on Friday August 04 2006, @10:17AM (#15846637)
    (http://www.markstewart.net/)
    I'm doubting its ready for debut yet. I also think its a big enough deal that when the *do* show it, they won't mix it in with a bunch of other announcements at WWDC. It will get its own, big time show.

    This is a market they will address. During their last earnings telephone conference they basically let everyone know that they are aware that the phone and iPod markets are converging and that they are not sitting still. So its a matter of when, not whether.
  • Not gonna happen (Score:2)

    by Ryan Amos (16972) on Friday August 04 2006, @10:21AM (#15846670)
    An iPhone makes no sense for Apple as a company. They are traditionally a high-cost, high-margin vendor who adds value to their products by marketing. There is no room for that in the cell phone market, which is oversaturated with low-margin Asian manufacturers/vendors whose phones are often given away for free.

    I think Apple is content to license iTunes to phone manufacturers themselves; indeed, the only reason Apple has to enter the cell phone market is to push iTunes. Mobile phone vendors are also notorious about locking out certain functionality within their products (i.e. Verizon disables Bluetooth file transfer on all their phones so you have to pay $3.95 a pop for ringtones) and Apple has never been one to go for crap like that.

    Add to this the fact that cell phone based music download services haven't exactly caught on like wildfire, and it starts to become clear why even if Apple had a prototype iPhone, they wouldn't release it. The market doesn't make sense for them; they would be better to position themselves as a phone applications developer. Passing regulatory concerns worldwide has already proven a thorn in Apple's side with iTMS, and I don't think they want to go through it again for a low-margin consumer device where they would be playing underdog to one-time best friend Motorola.

    An iPhone would be a huge waste of money; there is an abundance of stylish phones and I don't think Apple would be able to charge $300 for a phone like they would probably want to.
  • This absolutely WILL NOT HAPPEN (Score:5, Interesting)

    by squiggleslash (241428) on Friday August 04 2006, @10:22AM (#15846677)
    (Last Journal: Friday November 09, @04:36PM)

    The time for Apple to release a cellphone was five years ago. Not because it would have been a roaring success - its success would probably have been identical then to a release today, moderate sales, sitting as an overpriced niche product next to the phone enabled Treos and the Nokia 9000 series. Maybe higher - the RAZR proved people still value aesthetics and will pay a premium for it. But what was then is not now. Today Apple has the iPod. The iPod is of critical importance to Apple's medium term future.

    And the iPod is facing a competitor, the MP3 playing mobile phone. They're not that good right now, but capacities are going through the roof, so they will be soon. Indeed, get something like a Motorola V635 (which has a transflash port) and you can get a gigabyte card for it today and store a significant amount of music with you, listening to it on bluetooth headphones. iPods in this environment become a way of playing iTMS tracks, and pretty much nothing else. As long as the interfaces in these phones are "good enough", and they have enough capacity, there's no compelling reason for someone to buy a separate MP3 player.

    Now, here's the problem. If Apple enters that market with a phone, they're fucked, because whether it's 2001 or 2006, their phone will be the niche - or at most "significant player amongst ten others" - product I mentioned. RAZRs are doing well, but they're not 3/4 of the market. So Apple's percentage of the MP3 player market will plummet. This has direct consequences for the long term viability of their multimedia business.

    Apple's one chance at continuing to control the market the way it does today is to license the technology. If they act as a neutral party (rather than a competitor), they can continue to profit from the lion's share of the MP3 players out there, and can continue to grow and control their multimedia business.

    If they sell a phone, they become a competitor. They will have problems licensing the technology, and they will become an also-ran.

    Everything you're seeing that "points" towards Apple involvement in cellphones points equally at licensing schemes, and often points away from standalone phones. Nobody's (Apple or anyone else) going to make the iPod nano firmware the basis of a mobile phone operating system, but they may be willing to incorporate an iPod nano's core into a mobile phone.

    Apple's one try out in this area was the ROKR. The ROKR was a stop-gap, and by all accounts Apple, not Motorola, deliberately crippled it (the 100 song limit, for example.) This should not be judged as "what Apple will do if they take licensing seriously", instead it should be seen as Apple trying to delay mass consumer acceptance of MP3 playing cellphones until the technology is good enough the things just can't be resisted any more.

    No Apple cellphone will come from Apple. You'll see cellphones "with iPod(tm) technology" from a variety of manufacturers, but Apple is not in a position to make cellphones and almost certainly doesn't want to enter that particular snake pit of a market. If Apple releases a cellphone over the next few months, an Apple designed and branded unit not mostly owned by Nokia, Motorola, or some other manufacturer, I'd advise selling whatever AAPL stock you have, because it'll be their XBox: a product they'll be subsidizing for years trying to get into a market they have little experience of.

  • iphone h4cks (Score:2, Interesting)

    by ajgeek (892406) on Friday August 04 2006, @10:35AM (#15846760)
    I think iphone is out of the scope of Apple, personally. But not to go too off topic, here's something I don't think phone companies, MPAA, RIAA, and god knows how many other acronyms would like to see at all. Think of it this way. You have the latest release from . You really like it. In comes a hacker who finds a cool method to phone a friend, let them listen to the latest tune, and the friend, who also happens to have this new program, record the data streaming to them, which btw wouldn't have interference etc, because the mic on the senders end would be disabled for the duration of the call. Welcome to yet another level in software piracy. Oh and for the standard users, the towers are all loaded up with data from people doing this. In Europe or South Korea something like this wouldn't be a problem, but in the U.S., with such a crappy infrastructure in all but the most urban of areas, this would cause a lot of issues and probably a ban on iphones from cellular providers.
  • The Motorola SLVR L7, the ROKR, the V3i w/ iTunes. Apple doesn't need to make an "iPhone".
    • 1 reply beneath your current threshold.
  • No, but fun to imagine (Score:3, Interesting)

    by dougman (908) on Friday August 04 2006, @10:43AM (#15846804)
    If you haven't seen the iTalk spec commercial [devilducky.com] for by award winning filmmaker Christopher DeSantis (design by Gregory DeSantis) you should check it out. In past speculative posts on /., it seems that the biggest reason "Apple will never do this" is that "the people" don't want a device like this. With the success of the iPod, I don't see how people *wouldn't* want a device like this. Millions of people want an iPod... I'd guess that most of those people are also cell phone users. Why wouldn't I want one device that does both assuming that Apple does it right?

    I think it would be a huge success should Apple decide to build an iTalk that is a high quality phone, maintains everything we expect in an iPod, has decent battery life, and has the popular Apple style. I haven't had a decent cell phone in years. I find most of today's phones too small, lots of plastic and very lightweight. Count me in the camp that hopes they build one at some point.
  • What's the big deal? (Score:4, Funny)

    by DaveM753 (844913) on Friday August 04 2006, @10:48AM (#15846832)
    (http://www.yeahblah.com/)
    My phone plays music, and it's not even DRM protected:

    Dial:

    6,5,4,5,6,6,6
    5,5,5...6,6,6
    6,5,4,5,6,6,6,6,5,5,6,5,4

    :P

    (By the way, I am not responsible for any long distance or airtime charges you may incur)

  • iPhorOne... (Score:2, Funny)

    by TechDogg (802999) <techdogg.gmail@com> on Friday August 04 2006, @10:54AM (#15846874)
    (http://www.raykeyz.com/)
    welcome our speculation overlords!!
  • iPhone pfft. (Score:2)

    by Enrique1218 (603187) on Friday August 04 2006, @10:56AM (#15846890)
    (Last Journal: Tuesday August 08 2006, @03:45PM)
    What is this obsession with Apple branded phones? I am sorry but I have a RAZR and a nano and they are suffice to what I need. Both are small enough to carry together (I usually have 2 or more pockets) or I can leave iPod if I don't need it. Moreover, both invidually are great at what they do! When Moto try to converge the cell phone and the ipod (ROKR), it looked awful, had limitations, and was expensive. Personally, with WWDC around the corner, I am more interested in Leopard (Vista killer?) and the new Mac Pros.
  • quotes (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 04 2006, @10:59AM (#15846922)
    "I felt a great disturbance in this pointless discussion, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced."

    Hacker1: Something WAS in the iPod. The code leads off in this direction.
    Hacker2: [holding up a print-out of a code] "Look, sir: iPhone!

    Apple lawyer: Don't act so surprised, your highness. You weren't on any mercy mission this time. Several transmissions about iPhone were beamed to this site by Apple workers. I want to know what happened to the plans they sent you.
    Internet Journalist: I don't know what you're talking about. I am a member of the Journalist Union on a diplomatic mission to Alderaan...
    Apple lawyer: You are part of the Rebel Alliance and a traitor! Take her away!

    and last, but not least:

    Chief Engineer: It seems like you've managed to cut down our usage of thermal paste.
    Engineer: Maybe you would like it back in your cell, your highness?
  • by kinnell (607819) on Friday August 04 2006, @11:02AM (#15846933)
    I predict they will team up with Nike to produce an iShoePhone
  • by Tokin84 (919029) on Friday August 04 2006, @11:08AM (#15846982)
    In light of the additions to firmware, it might make sense to think of Apple as bringing together the markets. I think, and this is just my opinion, that Apple is laying the ground to make your Cell Phone and iPod work together, similar to how they worked with Nike to combine the nano with their shoes. Let me explain further. Lets imagine that Apple's new iPod, to be released at the Paris Expo, will have bluetooth capability. Now, with the new nano firmware, this feature lets you do some really cool stuff. Imagine that your nano can bluetooth to your phone, which is also bluetoothed to your earpiece. You can listen to your music through your phone's headpiece, change music using your iPod, and when you get a call, the music pauses to let you pick up. As soon as you hang up, your music resumes. To me, this seems like the most likely method of use for the new iPod firmware additions. The nice thing is that this firmware is completely and totally independent from the phone manufacturer's decisions. You can imagine more integration too, since your iPod can store contacts. Same thing as using your computer to call someone, but now you can navigate to your address book on your iPod, push the center button and it beams the number to your phone, which calls it. It could be far fetched, but it is more likely than an iPhone, even if I would want one of those :-P
  • IT Focus at WWDC (Score:5, Interesting)

    by xorowo (733585) on Friday August 04 2006, @11:10AM (#15846999)
    (http://www.evolvingword.com/ | Last Journal: Wednesday December 17 2003, @12:09PM)
    I work as a Director of Technology and I find it interesting that my Apple reps have been courting me so much these last few months. So much that they have not only given me a free pass to WWDC, but have invited me to sit in the VIP section at Jobs' keynote and to attend a special reception for IT professionals Monday evening.

    Now, it may be that Apple always does this sort of thing to convince people like me to buy Macs. And we surely know that the Mac Pro will debut (as well as 10.5). But the full court press that I am getting suggests that this year's WWDC is as much about people like me as it is developers. Does this indicate anything about the content of Jobs' keynote? Probably not. But the treatment that I am receiving when I have almost nothing to do with development suggests that they are trying to garner as much interest as possible, and as much buy-in as possible.
  • by sockonafish (228678) on Friday August 04 2006, @11:23AM (#15847095)
    It was announced months ago that Apple was partnering with Softbank, a Japanese phone company. I can't believe no one remembers this.

    http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2006/05/12/1648586.h tm [tmcnet.com]
  • by 7Prime (871679) on Friday August 04 2006, @11:26AM (#15847117)
    (http://www.ericbarker.com/ | Last Journal: Wednesday October 10, @08:43PM)

    I really never have stood behind the iPhone idea, I think it might be kind of interesting, but it seems very unlikely, since Apple tends to concentrate on simple, elligant, and effective devices that do one thing, and one thing well. I think any increase in Apple's involvement in phones will be through their continued partnership with Motorola.

    On the flip-side, it's hard for me to believe that the WWDC will go by without any iPod announcement. It's been nearly 9 months since any change in the iPod lineup, which they tend to stagger the releases of the line at about 6-9 month intervals. It's been about a year since the Nano's introduction, and it's doing so well, it's almost more appropriate to say that "hotcakes are selling like iPod Nanos". I think it's very unlikely that we'll get through the WWDC without at least some minor change in the iPod lineup. I predict an increase of memory to the Nanos, possibly some redesigning of the iPod Shuffle, something like that. I don't think we'll see any major changes, but we'll see some incremental increases in the product line.

    iTMS will probably be a large focus of WWDC as well. Apple's finally going to have competition, in the form of Microsoft no less. I think it would be very stupid for Apple to not have some fairly major announcements up its sleeve (black turtleneck, of course) regarding their iPod / iTMS / iTunes infostructure. I think we'll see the official announcement of the beginning of feature film distrobution, and some new distrobution methods. Disney's already on board (who didn't see that one coming), we're just waiting for the official announcement, and this seems like a good time to do it. Apple's going to have to pour a lot more into their iTMS division from now on, seeing that they're going to have some pretty stiff competition, which will probably be fairly rigged.

    I'm just surprised at these particular announcements, because they're all aimed at the mac elite crowd. This is the time where, more than ever, Apple must continue to appeal itself to the masses, this is not the time to clam up and preech to the choir, so-to-speak. We're likely to see a lot more concentration on mass marketting. XServe means nothing to most of their audience. I think all these announcements seem like reasonable assumptions, but I think we're more likely to see some more, all-encompassing announcements as well. Now, REALLY would be the time to release that iMini Media Center, start building some livingroom-based services.

  • The iPhone is already here. (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Not Anonymous Coward (993086) on Friday August 04 2006, @11:36AM (#15847175)
    (http://damage.wordpress.com/)
    And it's manufactured by SonyEricsson of all companies... More on that later though.

    The iTunes phones will never gain critical mass acceptance as is because of the 100 song limit. That was Apple imposed as to not to interfere with iPod sales. One would have to believe that any iPhone that Apple (may) implement would have that in mind, that it would be not to interfere with its current Cash Cow, the iPod (and the Nano). So, if there would be an iPhone, I wouldn't see any Memory Card Interface and be limited to perhaps 512MB or 1GB of on-board memory, as a Shuffle replacement, with UI to match perhaps.

    The Walkman Phone that I have (w800i) is surprisingly iPod like in its interface and its choice of Codecs (MP3, WAV, and AAC/MP4). When you press the Walkman Button, the playback screen, the UI, the entire experience is surprisingly iPod like, though changed in certain aspects. That with decent (just decent) information management, fast JAVA engine for Opera Mini action, and very clean interface makes the Walkman line of phones very credible competition for the iPhone.

    Unfortunately, it has received zero marketing here in the US, and only one model's subsidized by any carrier (w600i by Cingular). So, it's very much an unknown quantity here in the US.

    Which brings me to my final point. Unless Apple starts their own MVNO (and integrates with iTMS), or is willing to let Verizon with its VCAST and what not play nicely with their phones, it would likely be not picked up by any carriers for subsidy. And without that "Free" or "$99" price tag, I'm not sure if it'll be picked up by the public. After all, what's better than a Free RAZR?

    My old and broken Nokia N-Gage for one. But then again...
  • No iPhone (Score:2)

    by qazwart (261667) on Friday August 04 2006, @11:41AM (#15847218)
    (http://www.weintraubworld.net/)
    I say no iPhone for one simple reason: Too many cellphone companies means too many deals with too many ones specifying restrictions. It took Apple 2 years negotiating with the music industry just to get the ITMS up and running. Imagine negotiating with all the various cell phone networks on what the iPhone can and won't do?

    You think Verizon will allow users to download songs directly from ITMS, and bypass their network?

    Of course, I was wrong about the Apple stores and Apple switching to the Intel processor. I don't have a very good track record
    • Re:No iPhone by bnenning (Score:2) Friday August 04 2006, @03:32PM
  • Even though I'm rather an apple fan, I think this would be a bad idea. Compare it to TVs with built-in DVD players. You can get 'em, but they don't sell well. Nobody wants to have to upgrade their phone everytime they upgrade their ipod, or vice versa. I think that's the source of the resistance to by 'combo' devices.

    Plus, one must face the old engineering saw: "As complexity approaches infinity, mean time between failures approaches zero."
  • my predictions (Score:2)

    by Dwindlehop (62388) on Friday August 04 2006, @11:48AM (#15847269)
    (http://www.jonathan.pearce.name/)
    If Apple ever does produce a phone, it will be a Wifi phone, not a cellular phone.
  • Blue Tooth (Score:1)

    by nsrbrake (233425) on Friday August 04 2006, @12:06PM (#15847389)
    (http://slashdot.org/)
    Alright, so in my mind at least, Apple is going to come out with bluetooth enabled ipods, the ones with screens, and ship them with mic built into the headphones and have it hook up to your phone or internet connected laptop. So you can dial and receive calls, but not much more than than from the ipod, remember Apple likes the simple functionality. The ipod won't care about how the call is being placed, TDMA, CDMA, Wifi, etc... It keeps Apple out of a really crappy market, the cell phone market, while letter them work with any carrier around the globe sans modifications or extra support.

    I almost never see someone with an ipod that doesn't have a purse or backpack, so there is a place to store the unsightly phone, while you only have to use your ipod, which you always keep in reach. I mean, Come on, very little extra hardware, usefull functionality, no carrier contracts, no new phone rat race, etc...
  • No goddamnit (Score:2)

    by Tweekster (949766) on Friday August 04 2006, @12:28PM (#15847521)
    Will you people ever give up on a stupid apple cell phone?
    for christs sake this has been going on for years, its not gonna happen get over it.
  • by jason210 (993276) on Friday August 04 2006, @12:46PM (#15847658)
    like how to make a screen that doesn't break, a surface area not so easily scratched, and a battery that can be replaced by the end user.
  • Another thought (Score:2)

    by UttBuggly (871776) on Friday August 04 2006, @12:55PM (#15847703)
    Read an editorial in the current issue of Sound & Vision magazine. (yes, actual print on dead trees!)

    The writer pointed out that the old Sprint telephone ads for their land lines suggested they were so clean, you could hear a pin drop. Now, Cingular is advertising they drop the fewest calls for cell users. (they don't say they don't drop ANY, just fewer than the competition)

    He states that most cell call voice quality is AWFUL and that he thinks the "culprit" is convenience. Typical consumer will choose convenience over quality appears to be the point.

    If that's true and Apple intros an iPhone that's excellent technology, but pricey and restricted in some fashion, then it will go the way of Newton, the TeleCompaq (Compaq built a really neat PBX console in the 80's...died an immediate death) and peace in the Middle East.

    For me, I prefer a phone, that's simply a phone, that works. Period. I have an iPod for music...I don't need or want it to be a telephone, garage door opener, or sex toy. (the shape is ALL wrong, etc.)

    A friend at work just replaced an "old" 3G Pod with the new 60GB unit and I am impressed with the video on it. I actually watched a couple of ABC News podcasts and a few minutes of the movie 'Monsters, Inc.' and liked it.

    So if Steve wants my vote, I would buy an iVideo before an iPhone. Note, my phone does music and can play video, but I have a smaller screen than a Nano, so it's useless for watching anything, doesn't have the capacity for a movie, and the music sounds worse than a crystal radio set I built 40 years ago.

    An iPod I could carry on one of the zillion plane flights I take every year would be "convenient" for me as I could listen to high quality music or watch the 'Lost' episode I missed as I chose. And I could use it on a plane whereas the flight attendants always get twitchy about phones.

    2 cents...
  • The future is here (Score:1)

    by ax_1225 (955097) on Friday August 04 2006, @01:23PM (#15847883)
    Many are already using their cell phones to listen to music. I have a 1GB card in my phone and that's holding a lot of music. I can transfer mp3s to it or I can purchase tracks for $1 or less from tens of online stores (excluding iTunes). The phone also supports the music subscriptions from Yahoo Music, Napster and others. There are also services that allow direct download or streaming from the phone.

    Battery life is decent and the interface is simple to use (maybe not as simple as an iPod but very close). Some newer phones have WiFi making it even easier to get music on them.

    Why would I want to carry another mp3 player with me when my cell phone is small and I need it anyway? Soon people will realize that the mp3 player is dying a rapid death and Apple is too smart of a company to not understand this.

  • I declare! (Score:2)

    by beaverfever (584714) on Friday August 04 2006, @03:12PM (#15848616)
    (http://www.davidconnell.com/)
    Yes! ...I mean, No!

    uh... wait, wait... Yes, ummm, errr... or No

    well, uh... maybe.
  • by walter_f (889353) on Friday August 04 2006, @05:24PM (#15849310)
    Just don't forget to let me know when Steve Jobs presents the really ultimate "one more thing" to a baffled world... err... WWDC crowd, such as the iCan, a can opener not seen by mankind before. And boy, will he be "excited" as he is habitually on such an occasion...

    Walter
  • Here's a /. article about the lack of news about rumors about WWDC.

    One more layer of recursion here and maybe /. will vanish up its own fundamental orifice.
  • by jonwil (467024) on Friday August 04 2006, @10:26PM (#15850502)
    Option one is to produce a new iPod or addon for iPods that implement Bluetooth and other features and basicly allows the iPod to pair up with a cellphone.
    For example, when a call comes in over the cellphone, the iPod would stop playing music and route the cellphone audio through the iPod headphones like it was a bluetooth headset.
    Also, the iPod could hold a contact list synced with the apple contact list software (iCal or whatever it is) and then you select one from the iPod interface and it dials the number on your phone.
    Could include other features to allow phone & iPod linkup (for example, some way to use the Java and GPRS/internet features present on all phones to allow one to download a song from the iTunes store on your phone using the internet and then transfer it directly to the iPod).

    Option 2 is for apple to partner with a 3rd party (such as Motorola) and produce something that I forsee as being similar in base architecture to the Motorola EZX products. Basicly, it would have a dual CPU setup with all the radio stuff (SIM card access, talking to the cell tower, bluetooth etc etc) being handled on one CPU (with the hardware and software being provided by the phone maker) and the application layer (music player, phonebook/contact list, application stuff) being on the other CPU and being written by Apple. Apple would also be responsible for the design, look & feel etc of the phone.
  • Re:Hype hype hype (Score:1, Flamebait)

    by pandrijeczko (588093) on Friday August 04 2006, @10:15AM (#15846622)
    They're all the *same* people in desperate need of iPersonality iTransplants.

    What the hell - it's Friday and I've karma to burn...

    [ Parent ]
  • Re:WWDC? (Score:3, Informative)

    by rahrens (939941) on Friday August 04 2006, @10:47AM (#15846825)
    World Wide Developer's Conference

    It's where the Apple developers get together and talk development of Apple related products, and Apple gives them a sneak peak (a VERY LITTLE fuzzy peak) at their future plans.
    [ Parent ]
    • Re:WWDC? by soft_guy (Score:3) Friday August 04 2006, @11:21AM
      • Re:WWDC? by Guy Harris (Score:2) Friday August 04 2006, @12:30PM
      • Re:WWDC? by Guy Harris (Score:2) Friday August 04 2006, @12:38PM
  • The developers would need to know about development tools for the iPhone, so there is actually a possibility of it being previewed, or even released there. How much sense would it be to release a programmable phone, and then six months later mention it to all of the developers?
    [ Parent ]
  • by Shoeler (180797) * on Friday August 04 2006, @02:14PM (#15848235)
    You said it right - it's the DEFAULT config. It's a bit of a hack work around, but you can make it so that different "types" of contacts for the same person are accessible via the right or left arrow in the address book. First you have to save everything on the phone, NOT THE SIM (in my SLVR L7), and then have the name identical for each contact of the same person - ie "Bob" and "Bob" and not "Bob mobile" and "Bob home", then you set the type - ie home, mobile, pager, etc - for each different contact type for that person. Works great for me. I personally like the Motorola interface. It may be a bit like S&M to some, but I find it to be obvious where things are. The SLVR interface is even much improved over my RAZR that unfortunately decided to try swimming. ^_^
    [ Parent ]
  • Re:WWDC or WWSJD (Score:1)

    by The Great Pretender (975978) on Friday August 04 2006, @02:28PM (#15848316)
    I must be missing the definition of Troll and Flamebait here...
    [ Parent ]
  • 23 replies beneath your current threshold.