MacWorld 07: The first 30 years were just the beginning... (iPhone)

Status
Not open for further replies.
Juice said:
Just checking in.

I expect most of the following:

- No Mac hardware upgrades beyond bumps
- Lots of Leopard
- Typical iLife/iWork tweaks (plus Charts)
- iTV name/date details
- iPhone unveiling with a quarter estimate for launch (which will probably so greatly cannabalize high end phone sales between here and now that all the carriers will be begging apple to carry it by the time it's out).
- no-touch video iPod (with wireless song transfer).

Two things I expect to see that I haven't seen mentioned anywhere else:
- location-aware kernel hooks and GPS devices built into all new portable macs and phones (with tons of application possibilities)
- An Airport Existential branding for 802.11n (already in new MacBooks and iMacs), with a new base station announed. Will be reminiscent of when Apple broke into the wireless industry so early with their (was it pre-draft?) 802.11a/b airports in the 90s.
Click to expand...

Looks like I nailed one prediction! http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2007/01/20070108160514.shtml

Wireless networking is about to undergo major changes, with 802.11n, or Airport Extreme X2 and X4.
Click to expand...
 
http://mobilitytoday.com/news/cingular_apple_phone_2007.html

Seems like it's still just a rumor.

BREAKING: Cingular to partner with Apple
Cingular Wireless is expected to provide wireless service for a new Apple Computer Inc. cellphone, people familiar with the situation say.

The launch of the new phone and service is expected to be announced as early as Tuesday, these people say.
The new product could give Apple access to the huge wireless business, in which nearly a billion handsets are shipped every year, dwarfing the nearly 70 million iPods Apple has sold over the past five years.
Click to expand...
 
From ThinkSecret.com

January 8, 2007 - With some 24 hours until Apple CEO Steve Jobs takes the stage at the Moscone Center in San Francisco to kick off Macworld Expo, Think Secret presents a compilation of information we have received and reported over the last number of months concerning Apple's anticipated announcements.



"iPhone" (90% chance) - Presented in quotes, because that is not the device's name nor sole functionality, Apple is poised to rock the consumer electronics world tomorrow, the majority of which is gathered in Las Vegas this week for the Consumer Electronics Shows (CES). Recent word suggests Apple's new device will deliver capabilities far beyond melding phone and music capabilities with a slick Apple interface and external case.

The New York Times reported Monday that the "iPhone" may be more capable than most have expected.

"Industry executives and competitors believe that Apple has developed the first of a new generation of devices that are closer to personal computers in pocket form, meaning that they will easily handle music, entertainment, productivity tasks and communications on cellular and other wireless networks," the TImes wrote.

Think Secret sources have since suggested that the Times story accurately represents the direction Apple is seeking with the device. In addition, unconfirmed reports suggest the device is expected to be powered by a more capable operating system than one would expect in a fusion phone/media device, adding that Apple is working hard to make the new system a viable player in the system-on-a-chip segment, and may license the technology to third-party hardware vendors down the road in its attempt to break through in the space. Details of such plans are not expected to be discussed tomorrow, however.

While an announcement is expected tomorrow, an exact release date is less known. Sources have said production of the device is slated to start shortly or just recently started, suggesting a release down the road is most likely. At the same time, given the device's global appeal and different geographical markets Apple will be entering, coupled with the logistics of negotiating terms with phone carriers, release dates may be staggered around the world.


Mac OS X 10.5 Details (95% chance) - On the heels of Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates CES keynote Sunday, where new features in Windows Vista—set to ship in three weeks to consumers—were first demonstrated, Jobs is expected to further divulge new details of Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, including, very likely, a more exact release date and price tag. Apple has previously said the new operating system, code-named Leopard, will be ready in the Spring.

iWork '07 (85% chance) - The newest version of Apple's productivity suite will feature a new spreadsheet application and significantly improved version of the word processor and document layout software Pages.

Recent tips point to a prospective release date closer to March, however, as sources report new features planned for release have extended development time. Accordingly, an announcement may elude Macworld Expo—announcements made there traditionally concern products ready to ship within 4-6 weeks—but given the keynote audience and significant portion of previous keynotes that have been composed of demonstrating new software, Jobs may still take the wraps off the new software.

iLife '07 (85% chance) - Details surrounding the next version of Apple's media software have largely alluded sources, with the exception of substantial tips previously passed on regarding iWeb 2, which is slated to see possibly the most substantial upgrade of any application the suite.

iPod (65% chance) - Details are scarce, but at least one source with a reasonable track record says an upgrade or addition to Apple's iPod line will arrive tomorrow, although there remains the possibility that this announcement is being mistaken for Apple's more substantial new device announcement.

Mac Pro (65% chance) - At CES Monday, Intel announced its new Quad-Core Xeon 5300 processor, which is said to deliver a 50% performance improvement over the Dual-Core Xeon 5100 processor, featured in Apple's Mac Pro line of desktops. Apple is expected to transition its Mac Pro systems to the new chip, which is shipping now, with the likely release of an eight-core Mac Pro system, given that the Quad-Core 5300 chip currently tops out at 2.4GHz, while the Dual-Core 5100 processor goes to 3.0GHz.

Displays (50% chance) - An announcement may manifest itself as a simple price adjustment, but supplies and availability of Apple's displays are currently tight in the channel, suggesting an upgrade may be imminent. Details have escaped Think Secret sources, but reasonable speculation suggests the inclusion of an iSight camera may be part of the new feature set, while the 23-inch Cinema Display may be replaced with a 24-inch model that uses the same glass as Apple's high-end iMac.

Sources who previously tipped off Think Secret to the larger, 24-inch iMac's existence prior to its announcement have also said Apple has actively pursued displays larger than the current high-end 30-inch offering in the past year. Whether a bigger screen be announcement tomorrow is unknown, however.

Other announcements - Apple is also expected to given an update regarding the iTV set-top device, announced late last year. An upgrade to Apple's AirPort hardware, adding support for the faster 802.11n draft specification, has also been suggested, especially given Apple's recently adoption of wireless chipsets that support the protocol in recent Macs.
Click to expand...

I'm starting to grow tired of ThinkSecret. They've been at this game for years, and I've always neglected MacRumours.com for these chumps. They've been terribly wrong in the past. I think this is the last MW I'll be referring to them.
 
If the MacPhone is sweet enough, I'm ready and willing to sell my current iPod and phone and take the plunge.

Capacity most likely won't top 10 GB though, which could seriously delay my purchase.
 
And here I am, with a juicy, out-of-contract account on Cingular.

Hopefully the Apple phone will be everything the hype's built it to be.
 
So, with less than 12 hours to go, what are your bets?

I'll go with a smaller MBP, a video iPod with touchscreen and new cinema displays to go along the iTV.
 
metdroid said:
Screw phones, gimme a new ipod suckers!
Click to expand...

Amen, I've been holding off on upgrading mine for a while.. but it's getting harder and harder to wait now that my old 40 Gig is maxed out.

Edit: Surely meaningless little side note... I bought an ipod accessory off amazon yesterday which had a rebate attached to it. The rebate ran through the 8th, which I found overly convienent. Hope springs eternal I suppose.
 
Wall Street Journal: Apple Phone days away

In what may be the highest-profile claim to date, the Wall Street Journal (paid subscription required) is chiming in that Apple will be announcing their cellphone "as early as Tuesday." The phone reportedly would reside on Cingular's network.

Cingular in November announced a mobile music service based upon Microsoft's WMA format and a subscription model. It is presently unclear how this service would interoperate, if at all, with Apple's rumored phone.

The Wall Street Journal has been extremely reliable in the past, having been the first news outlet to predict Apple's switch to Intel chips.
Click to expand...

On a side-note this is going to be frustrating if the phone is US-centric, and no deals have been made yet with international carriers.

Edit:

The full Wall Street Journal article:

http://www.moneyweb.co.za/shares/international_news/563488.htm

It's possible Apple might be becoming a MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) where they use Cingular's network but with their name (Apple Mobile or something), and sell the phone/set tarifs/handle customer service themselves. That would also allow them full control of the phone's features, and stop operator's gimping the Apple Phone to control content.

If they did the same in Europe, I'd be tempted to switch from my network provider for the first time if the phone and it's features measure up. I'd love to see a more open phone, with perfect interoperability, rather than gimped devices designed to squeeze every last penny out of you by the operators.

OS X Lite as a mobile development platform maybe?
 
The Take Out Bandit said:
So long as it's not over $300 I'd be all over it.

Man. . .

I've been looking for a new phone that would work with my Mac for contacts, etc.
Click to expand...

As far as I know iSync supports pretty much every phone manufacturer. My k750i syncs up fine for contacts, calendars, etc. with only the occasional hiccup when it switches to daylight savings time. That said, an iPhone would tempt me, if only I had any money to actually spend on it.
 
Zweisy1 said:
Will there be a live video feed of the conference?
Click to expand...

Nope, unfortunately. There will be a video of it on Apple's site, but not till a couple of hours after it's finished.

There will be live text updates though on the sites listed on the previous page, and several of them including MacRumors say they will be including photos in the live updates.
 
Thraktor said:
As far as I know iSync supports pretty much every phone manufacturer. My k750i syncs up fine for contacts, calendars, etc. with only the occasional hiccup when it switches to daylight savings time. That said, an iPhone would tempt me, if only I had any money to actually spend on it.
Click to expand...
Yeah iSync works well. I'd like to see them connect the phone to a .mac account. So you can keep files on your account and access them wirelessly. I'd also like this account to come free with your purchase of the phone.

I'm excited, I need a phone and my 3G iPod is pretty much dead. So I'm looking for this phone to be $400 or less and have some nice music capability.
 
Thraktor said:
As far as I know iSync supports pretty much every phone manufacturer. My k750i syncs up fine for contacts, calendars, etc. with only the occasional hiccup when it switches to daylight savings time. That said, an iPhone would tempt me, if only I had any money to actually spend on it.
Click to expand...

Yeah, looking at the iSync page has a nice list; but it's when I actually try to find the phones that it becomes a pain in the ass. :P

Apple solution for my lazy ass. :D
 
Nope, unfortunately. There will be a video of it on Apple's site, but not till a couple of hours after it's finished.

There will be live text updates though on the sites listed on the previous page, and several of them including MacRumors say they will be including photos in the live updates.
Click to expand...

Oh ok thanks. That's a shame.. still, can't wait for announcements.
 
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/298830_apple08.html?source=rss

Jobs may have computerlike Apple phone up his sleeve
Device expected to be close to PC in pocket form

By JOHN MARKOFF
THE NEW YORK TIMES

Apple Computer Chief Executive Steve Jobs is expected Tuesday to unveil an Apple phone representing his company's new mobile communications strategy -- highlighted by a device that may include Jobsian refinements such as a sleek ceramic case and a transparent touch screen.

Industry executives and competitors believe that Apple has developed the first of a new generation of devices that are closer to personal computers in pocket form, meaning that they will easily handle music, entertainment, productivity tasks and communications on cellular and other wireless networks.

But while Apple was able to monopolize the music-player category quickly after it introduced the iPod in 2001, its challenge with a phone would be far more difficult. Arrayed against it are such giants as Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson and Microsoft, in addition to such hand-held companies as Palm and Research in Motion.

Also waiting to enter the fray are powerful Internet companies like Google, who cannot afford to be cut off from users who now rely on them in the desktop computing world.

"Apple is about to touch off a nuclear war," said Paul Mercer, president of Iventor, a designer of software for hand-helds based in Palo Alto, Calif. "The Nokias and the Motorolas will have to respond."

And the coming convergence -- or possibly collision -- between cell phones and desktop computers is also yielding new forms of hybrid devices.

What all of the hardware makers are hunting for is a way to capitalize on the cultural shift in mobile messaging and search that has finally led the United States to close the gap with Asia and Europe, which have in the past been far ahead in mobile data wireless applications.

For Apple, one advantage in entering the wireless data market may be that it can develop both the hardware and the software for its own phone. But it would still need to rely on the cellular carriers.

In the past, Jobs has cited the carriers' control of handsets in the United States as a reason he had not introduced an Apple phone. Now that has apparently changed, and Apple's business strategy in offering an Apple phone will potentially be as intriguing as its design.

Jobs has been rumored to have entered into an alliance with Cingular. That would suggest he has patched up a reported split in 2005 that came when Apple introduced its iPod Nano on the same day Cingular and Motorola introduced the Rokr, an iPod-compatible phone.

Whatever his business strategy, Jobs is certain to have an impact. Recently, he told two associates, who asked not to be identified to avoid damaging their relationship with him, that he was more excited about his current project than he was about the Macintosh.
Click to expand...

Please be true, I need exactly such a devive, a mix between a Newton and a Phone, small, sleek and user friendly.

Fredi
 
At this point, one source is no "more" credible than the next. It is all still speculation at this point, and wishful thinking. This mentality of "he said, she said" is crossing over onto the internet, so even more prestigious sites like the New York Times are going to jump all over a story that says Apple might release a new multimedia device to the public at MacWorld, even though their sources are none other than the ones from MacRumours. Just my two cents.
 
Dear Apple,

Please don't release a smartphone, or partner with Cingular. i'm a Palm user of roughly ten years, and i don't want to have to wait for developers to bring their applications to what will likely be a new platform, nor do i want to have to rebuy them. Also, i just got a new Cingular contract three months ago and really don't need to reinvest in a cell phone this soon. i'm broke, i've resisted buying an iPod so far (iTunes-equipped SLVR notwithstanding), and a smartphone is the only device you could possibly sell me on day one.

i look forward to the typical jabs at Microsoft, current Mac hardware bumps, and the likely announcement that iTunes has now sold a googolplex songs, has become self-aware, and threatens the survival of the mankind.



Sincerely,

aoi tsuki
 
DefectiveReject said:
Doesn't the Apple site normally go down before one of these things goes ahead?
Click to expand...
I think the store usually goes down, but the rest of the site sometimes stays up, if I remember correctly. There are quite a few sites doing live blogging of the keynote, so you can get info there.
 
wow, so I'm guessing them unveiling an iPhone today is a sure thing now

Can't wait to see it, along with iTV (will it Stream HD?)
 
neptunes said:
wow, so I'm guessing them unveiling an iPhone today is a sure thing now

Can't wait to see it, along with iTV (will it Stream HD?0
Click to expand...

Considering they said it was 802.11 without specifying b/g or anything, I think it's safe to assume it's using the pre-n standard, and combined with the fact it has an HDMI connector I think HD is a pretty good bet.
 
neptunes said:
wow, so I'm guessing them unveiling an iPhone today is a sure thing now

Can't wait to see it, along with iTV (will it Stream HD?0
Click to expand...
It's definitely not a "sure" thing, but very likely.
 
The more and more I read about it, the more it sounds like Apple's phone is going to be damned expensive :(

All I wanted was an iPod with a slide out keypad for <$300, not all this extra crap.
 
border said:
The more and more I read about it, the more it sounds like Apple's phone is going to be damned expensive :(

All I wanted was an iPod with a slide out keypad for <$300, not all this extra crap.
Click to expand...

This is Apple you're talking about here. Of course it's going to be a high end product. But it's also probably going to be extremely sexy, powerful, and easy to use. Mac integration will probably be off the charts too.

If you've followed any of Apples product roll outs, you had to know this wasn't going to be a budget product.
 
border said:
The more and more I read about it, the more it sounds like Apple's phone is going to be damned expensive :(

All I wanted was an iPod with a slide out keypad for <$300, not all this extra crap.
Click to expand...


Considering that you can barely get an iPod in that price range - you need to reset your expectations. Apple makes money off margin on products - something introducing a cheap ass phone will not provide them.
 
every single year is the iPhone! let's hope this is the year, so people can get over it and Apple can do other devices.

how much 'till the conf? any site/blog with live updates?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

28 years ago the First DVD players were released in the US
2 3
113
4K
BlackTron replied
What is the first cartoon or tv series you can remember when you were young
2 3
107
258
dispensergoinup replied
30 years ago we lost Selena.
11
1K
squallheart replied
The first-ever YouTube video was uploaded 20 years ago today
33
902
San Dan Glokta replied
Street Fighter: The Movie is 30 years old today
36
2K
Gp1 replied
Top Bottom