Nature abhors a vacuum, so
frankly we've been a bit concerned about the dearth of Apple rumors as of late, half-expecting to witness some sort of
unnatural disturbance in the space-time continuum. Well thankfully Barron's Online has swooped in the fill the void
(you'll have to trust us- B.O. is subscription-only), quoting two Morgan Stanley analysts who claim that Steve and
Friends are hard at work on "an iPod with phone functions," which is naturally being referred to as the
iPhone. Morgan's Johnny Chan, based out of Hong Kong, speculates that
Apple may subcontract Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Hon Hai Precision for a role in the phone's production, while
another analyst proposes that Taiwan Green Point Enterprises may also get in on action. Obviously the details
here are super-thin (as in, we just gave you all the details), but there's been so much buzz about this fabled device,
that Apple's gotta be planning on putting a cell radio in
something, even if it's just an iSight. [Note: The
above pic is one of the many past "iPhone" concept designs, and is only being used because we don't have a
nice photo of the Morgan Stanley folks.]
posted Mar 19th 2006 1:00PM
1st?
Is that picture real?
WOW iPhon looks real good :)
Looks like it'll just be a ROKR with less features, battery life, but with an Apple logo.
Consumers are gonna suck it up.
I can imagine it to be true. Didn't Bill Gates say something about eventually challenging the iPod with MS Mobile phones?
It looks like a crappy photochop of a Sony Ericsson T6xx series phone.
Actually, if you read the article, it's even powered by Sony Ericsson. So if this is real, its another Rokr E1 part 2.
I still call it FAKE though.
Pic ain't real. Apple hasn't used that typeface to promote their product for years. Everything's Myriad now.
I can't see that picture as being real at all.
I can, however, believe that they will release a phone. Hopefully it doesn't look like that though!
The Phone looks indeed very similar to an Sony Ericsson T610.
I think it's not real. The clickweel however is an great option for an mobile phone. :D
In this case Sony Ericcsson is so much ahead in developing a good working
and good looking Phone ...Apple will have muuuch difficulties to match up.
The only thing that is missing is valuable Materials....Too much metallized Plastic @ SE Mobiles....( The K700 is plastic trash )They should have come out with a year ago....but now with featuring the Superlame ROKR Apple would loose it guess
Apple hasn't used that font in years for its advertising. Fake... (and ugly).
don't know if it's relevant or not but i read that the reason that ical's default icon in the dock is because it was released on the 17th. note the ical icon is on the 10th. doesn't mean it's a fake but just something curious i noticed.
The image is a concept images
http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost.php?p=1176842&postcount=188
"The image is from issue one of iCreate magazine. It's a very good UK published Mac mag with minimal advertising, cover disc and really useful tutorials. It's aimed at consumers, but does occasionally provide tutorials for prosumer and pro apps.
Every issue they have a feature called "What if Apple made ..." They let their imaginations run wild coming up with a new, wished-for product and also design it. Issue one's product was the iPhone. The iPhone image basically went around the world and got them noticed - not a bad way to launch a magazine! So, technically, not a fake as they never claimed it to be real - it was more other people hoping it was real - but it's not real either."
Yuck. Not another thing with the style of the iPod. The iPod is the uglest looking mp3 player on the market. Now apple has to have the uglest looking cell phone to. Apples laptops and desktops look nice but whoever designed the iPod and this but ugly looking cell phone should be fired.
Erm - that pic is really old anyways, I think the guys at Engadget were just making a point by having it there - it's not supposed to be the real deal!
Doh!
Yeah, I would /hope/ that isn't what the phone would look like. It's damn ugly... dugly?
If thats the Iphone, then I'm dissapointed :/.
i have had a mac for years now, and i have always liked their product styling, but damn, i must say, that is one UGLY phone.
you people posting are IDIOTS. THE PICTURE IS NOT THE REAL IPHONE!
READ THE FREAKING ARTICLE...
I don't understand why Apple would make a phone. It just doesn't make a lot of sense. Sure make software for a phone, but a phone?
You know, there are some things that give you confirmation that you have made the right decisions in yout life. After the iMac, iPod, iTunes, iLife and NOW the iPhone...I have finally said iQuit! I have recently dumped my cell phone entirely...this possibility from Apple reassures me that I did the right thing.
Evan, please RTFA...Johnny Chan in HK is actually from JP Morgan (not affiliated with Morgan Stanley), while Ellen Tseng from Taipei is the one from Morgan Stanley. The third analyst who speculated on Green Point is unidentified, and therefore should not be mistakenly associated with Morgan Stanley either.
I know it's not the point of the article, but it's sad to see small details like this compromise the integrity of Engadget's reporting accuracy. That, and the fact that I'm in the industry and am probably more sensitive to these i-bank names than the average Engadget reader =P
i don't know if it is just that few of you people have read the actual article or not.... but it clearly states this is a past conceptual design... probably not even an inhouse design.. let alone, anything that holds water... also, of note, i find it funny that people seem to endlessly bitch about apple style... The fact that it raises awareness enough to be noticed means it has gotten part of the job done... regardless of whether you like it or not, the fact is, it created an emotional response. Jonathon Ives, designed both the iPod and pretty much all the rest of apple gear.
eek, I hope they go with Nokia or something else that has good reception and sound quality for the phone guts. I'm also crossing my fingers they make a GSM and a CDMA version.
I first thought that fone was pretty cool looking... but on second thought, it's pretty.... fugly..... But the clickwheel is pretty cool! =D
http://www.applele.com/img/pict05_iphone_r02top.jpg
If it would look like that i'd buy one!
Am I the only one that read the last sentence in this post?
I think apple is now focusing on developing OS X and getting their computers to Intel. Specially focusing on their OS X because the Fantastic Six Vistas are (maybe/some day/not) comming.
The phone... Well, they launched a Hi-Fi box, why don't expect a phone... or two.
Jon, you're not...
That sentence was added later, after most of the comments appeared...
Waiting for the phone, then I'll comment :)
I don't think that APPLW will be working on an iPhone until America has 3G technology everywhere and at a decent price. APPLE computers are widely used for their fantastic video conference ability through iChat, and I think that if APPLE was to build an APPLE cell phone, it would have a video conference capability.
------------------
3G is already everywhere in the world, but in America... It's strange, I know, but I really think that APPLE is waiting to get better support in order to come up with a totally innovative way of mobile communication.
I have used 3G cell phones back home, in Europe, and I have to say that it's brilliant, but nonetheless, there is so much more to do in order to make this technology user friendly ?a APPLE...
Somehow, "iPhone" sounds a bit too industrial for Apple's standards.
What is that, oh yeh look closley at the bottom it says sony ericcson
im sorry to say this is photoshoped for now
To everyone who keeps saying this is fake, all the way down to comment #30 - you are all frickin idiots. Not only does the article say that it is just a concept, but a number of other comments have pointed this out as well. Stop being so goddamn comment-happy.
for everybodies information, the picture is from issue one of icreate magazine, they have concept art every month, this was for the 1st issue like a year and a half ago. mobileme is a possible name trademarked by apple
Man it looks like a bootleg SE T610. If you look at the bottom of the phone it says Sony Ericcson. Since when do Apple and Sony work together?
#13 - Yeah Maurice, you make A LOT of sense. Whoever designed the iPod did a HORRIBLE job and should definelty be fired. They have barely sold ANY iPod's, mostly on account of the poor design. Ummmm.... oh wait, the iPod (like it or not) IS on of the most successful bits of technology we have seen in a long long time, and it is in part because of the GREAT simple design. Over 70% of the market can't be wrong!!
Doesn't look too sophisticated... But some people just have to buy anything with Apple's logo on it...
i'm sure sb already mentioned this, but quite a few people need to read the last sentence. no, this is not the real damn phone. its a damn concept design.
Yawn...another compressed music device...de-evolution at it`s finest. No thanks Stevie Jobs-pod !
Here is a top 5 of Apple mobile phone concepts:
http://www.freshcreation.nl/comments.php?id=143_0_1_0_C
I'm sure that the one on the picture is not. But also I'm sure that the iPhone is comming really soon. Maybe for April's fool...
Too bad Cisco owns the rights to the word iPhone....
We got new things today, I am really excited about this. But, first... ipod sales reached 2 billion, so we bought China. Now, and I am excited about this, the iPhone.
iTunes
Mail app
Calendar
Airport Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0
Front Row w/remote
Built in i-sight camera
Apple OS X Mobile Edition
-------------------------
Sounds good to me...
if the little thing about SE wasn't on there i would have to say bs cause that keypad is straight out of the SE T616/610
well if you think about it, and look at it closely, compare that phone to the Sony Ericsson T610, looks like its another photoshop
say hello to iDontgiveacrap
you want a music player get an ipod or something else.
wow all those concepts look like crap.
given apple's strong and loyal brand, creating a vmno makes sense for apple. it will happen.. they're probably just figuring what the content and functions should be.
How about the MEPOD or the always popular peapod ?
Ah, the elusive yet imminent Apple cellphone. I can't wait. It will give all the Apple haters one more thing to bitch about having "no FM tuner."
no thanks.
Sony Ericsson all the way!
thats possibly the worst attempt at an iPhone!
its got the keypad of a SE T610 and the top of god noes what this P.O.S is.
Worst.Concept.Ever
I personally think apple would do a way better job if they designed it themselves. Not some crappy website...
Im sticking to my N91