Wild speculation: iPhone to launch in August?

Alright, dear readers, you know the drill: proceed with caution. We have no confirmation here, but sometimes a tip is too juicy not to share, no matter how suspect it might be. A reader is reporting to us that a coworker's tech-unsavvy friend, who is regularly hired by Apple to do marketing photo shoots, was recently brought on to take some shots of "the sleekest, sexiest damn phone he's ever seen." The launch date? "Some time in August." Yeah, not a typo -- August. Now, to be perfectly clear, we don't know what the iPhone (if it exists) will be actually called, we've never seen a real pic of the elusive beast, and this doesn't really jive with the time frame suggested by Peter Oppenheimer's recent comments -- but we want to believe, and we don't have to wait very long for this one to get debunked or confirmed.

[ghostpuppy @ Jul 29th 2006 1:39PM]

You'd think Apple would have a full time in house person for their photography needs. Smells fishy.

[Brian @ Jul 29th 2006 1:40PM]

Seems too wild to be a real iPhone. Aren't we still expecting the V3i from Moto to show up on Cingular? Could just be that this will coincide with that. The D&G V3i is already out but no carrier so perhaps the full blown v3i package is ready now.

[Josehunder @ Jul 29th 2006 1:44PM]

I don't understand how this would work... would you have to pay retail for it, or would it be released with a carrier like verizon or cingular?

[marcin @ Jul 29th 2006 1:47PM]

this is right around the time Apple goes down the drain...

right when they try to invest in too many projects.

soon we'll have Apple tv's, cameras... the works.

[Jonathan Keim @ Jul 29th 2006 1:48PM]

NO way. Think about it the only reason he said august is because everybody knows apple has a day planned in august

[flamer's grill @ Jul 29th 2006 1:52PM]

Why buy an iPhone when you can buy better MP3 phones, like the Fusic or Sony's plethora of MP3 phones? Dumb.

[astutefool @ Jul 29th 2006 1:55PM]

No, everyone's been anticipating this and it would be a worthy addition to the ipod line. Apple have branched out into all sorts of things, like video games as you probably know. If its crap then they can pull it. But they've been developing (and still probably are developing) this thing for ages. They'll have a tough fight against sony though, who've got their quickly.

[Craig @ Jul 29th 2006 1:58PM]

Yeah, you would think that Apple would have someone in house to take pictures of new products, or at least if they outsourced get them to sign a 'gagging' clause?

[Jim @ Jul 29th 2006 2:05PM]

What's a 'quickly'?

[Paul @ Jul 29th 2006 2:06PM]

Can't Engadget (or someone) get a police sketch artist, so we can see something useful? Come on!

[PV @ Jul 29th 2006 2:06PM]

[quote]You'd think Apple would have a full time in house person for their photography needs. Smells fishy.[/quote]

Not necessarily, I've worked at and with several high volume consumer product tech companies and most have outsourced their product photography, along with other marketing-related services like PR, advertising design, copywriting, etc. What would be unusual to me is the timing. Unless Apple is frantically rushing to get this product finished and announced I would have expected photography to have been done several months ago. Normally photography is done before the product goes into production, so that materials promoting it can be shopped around to potential wholesale customers (e.g. Best Buy, Circuit City) who place big orders that set production demand. Since production generally takes 1-2 months, and it can take another month for a product to be shipped to the US from Asia and warehoused something like promo photos would be expected to be taken at minimum 3-4 months before the product is unveiled to the public. Given Apple's intro strategy of having products available within 24 hours of announcement this may not jibe.

But who knows, this is only a rumor, right.

[astutefool @ Jul 29th 2006 2:13PM]

sorry. I meant got THERE quickly. i.e got to the mobile phone MP3 market quickly.

[Justin @ Jul 29th 2006 2:14PM]

does the iPhone qualify as jumping the shark?

[FNH @ Jul 29th 2006 2:18PM]

"A reader is reporting to us that a coworker's tech-unsavvy friend, who is regularly hired by Apple to do marketing photo shoots, ..."

Doesn't sound too convincing. Not because it's impossible, but because of the source.

[LinkTree @ Jul 29th 2006 2:21PM]

I think this just rumor - no way it will be - not ufter they stated to work with Moto like this - and if its something of motorola and apple - we would have C it a long time ago.

[Rick @ Jul 29th 2006 2:29PM]

"soon we'll have Apple tv's, cameras... the works."

Stop it marcin, you are getting me aroused!!!

[freeskihp @ Jul 29th 2006 2:29PM]

This may be a stereotype but most photographers(digital) are VERY technosavy sinc the spend there days around differnet gadgets

[Michael @ Jul 29th 2006 2:32PM]

An Apple phone is the evolution of the iPod. Something Nanoesque, there's no reason why they couldn't fit a phone in the case as well. I'm thinking a smart phone would be far too much to ask...

[Dolomite @ Jul 29th 2006 2:34PM]

Awesome news. This sounds like a real winner. I can't wait to buy mine.

[Michael @ Jul 29th 2006 2:40PM]

Dolomite - you know absolutely nothing about the product but are willing to declare it a 'real winner'? I should get in contact with you, I have some land in Florida to sell - I'll give you a great deal.

[Matt @ Jul 29th 2006 2:53PM]

I'm in the market for an MP3 phone, but if it's called the 'iPhone', I'm not interested.

[drsilverworm @ Jul 29th 2006 3:03PM]

It's more than likely one of the 35 new phones that motorola has just announced, many of them scheduled to be released in August as well. Seeing as how many of the 4LTR series phones have built-in iTunes, this is why Apple would want to take photographs of the phones.

Besides guys, there are already phones with iTunes in them, and they aren't that great. Honestly, will an iPhone be that much different? At all? I have if it ever comes out, it will be more of a pocket PC type of phone, and the UI will not let you do anything that is un-Apple related, but that's my personal speculation.

[NaCl @ Jul 29th 2006 3:14PM]

[quote]You'd think Apple would have a full time in house person for their photography needs. Smells fishy.[/quote]

I know for a fact Apple does not. They like to hire the "it" photographer at the time. I have a great photographer friend that assisted in shooting the G5 before release... he also shot the Corvette C6 before release.... NDAs up the but though.

[Shelley "The Machine" Levine @ Jul 29th 2006 3:26PM]

Michael, obviously you know not whom you're addressing, or you might have picked up on the sarcasm.

"If you don't know the shot, don't make the call."

BTW, did you see how I referenced your real estate joke for humor? That is funny to me.

[DK @ Jul 29th 2006 3:26PM]

Can you guys really doubt that Apple is going to make the slickest and best functioning mp3 phone?

Think back a few years when Apple was announcing the iPod, Why would Apple make an MP3 player, all they know is computers, and the mp3 will be the same as all the others coming out. And everyone was wrong.

[teo @ Jul 29th 2006 3:34PM]

dude. if the iphone drops in august i will be soooo stoked. i have been off-contract with vz for months, waiting for the razr on vz or else something hot to make me jump to cingy like the k790a. this will totally make me wait tho!!

@Brian, Paul: the photo is a JOKE. it made me lmao when i saw the article, u should chill out

[Harry K @ Jul 29th 2006 3:36PM]

its got to be a phone already on the fcc site since no one gets a phone approved that fast and released that soon too..........

[HappyApple @ Jul 29th 2006 3:50PM]

I would be right there in line if this were to be released. The fact is that I know it would be a quality product, totally integrated with OS X, and beautifully designed.....no more half-implemented bluetooth or syncing issues with other branded devices. Just a great phone from a great company.

:)

[Prez.KFC @ Jul 29th 2006 3:57PM]

if this is going to be like most mp3 phones already out there, i am not going to be impressed. Those phones have lack of memory, features, and compatibility with services such as yahoo and napster...

i'll stick with my nano and cell separately thank you very much.

[Tony Rayo @ Jul 29th 2006 4:44PM]

Heh someone mentioned Apple coming out with their own TVs, camera, etc... doesn't Sony already do this (okay well they don't have their own OS, but they do make computers, mp3 players, cameras (still and video), cellphones, handheld & console game systems, tvs, monitors and probably a lot more). Apple needs to merge with Sony and just take over the world. I rather see Apple/Sony than Microsoft/Nintendo =p.

- Tony R.

[quahogian @ Jul 29th 2006 5:07PM]

8 gigs of memory, palm version of OS X, 256k or 1.6 mil vga screen, 3.2 meg camera and 4-5 hr run time battery life...i would then definitely be all over that sweetness...aaaah dreams

[himself @ Jul 29th 2006 5:14PM]

It may not show up on the FCC site if Apple filed for confidentiality as well.

Also, regarding the "late photography" for an August release, these could be for a post-launch marketing campaign. Apple usually creates high res 3D renderings for a lot of their marketing, and it is possible that those materials are ready to go.

Oh yeah... at one point, Apple did sell Apple-branded (re-branded, really) cameras and printers and such. There isn't much value in them selling those items nowadays, so don't bet on it.

[Sketcha77 @ Jul 29th 2006 5:46PM]

Ummm...

How about some ZUNE news???

iPods are for sheep.

[Sam @ Jul 29th 2006 6:09PM]

Doing all the marketing for something like that is going to take more than a few weeks to prepare, methinks. I call bogus.

If a release for August was true, he would have been taking pictures back in June.

[Sam @ Jul 29th 2006 6:16PM]

Woah someone mentioned they'd like to see an Apple/Sony merger? That would be the most horrible day of my life. I'd rather see an Apple/Google merger or an Apple/Bubba-Gump Shrimp merger than an Apple/Sony merger. That would be awful.

[TydalForce @ Jul 29th 2006 6:30PM]

As much as I'd *love* an Apple branded phone, there's one really big problem with this story...

Apple doesn't photograph their products.

Look *very* carefully at any Apple product images. Its all done in Illustrator or something. Sure, its amazingly good - but none of it is "real".

[Silver @ Jul 29th 2006 6:34PM]

"Apple doesn't photograph their products."

Now that's one of the dumbest things I've heard in the comments in a long, long time (and there are lots of dumb, dumb things said here...).

[BobbyW @ Jul 29th 2006 6:55PM]

I can't believe anyone is giving this story credibility. Who is the source? Any one of us could have sent in this BS.
Engadget must get an increased hit count for Apple iPhone stories and is letting ANYTHING in.

[bert @ Jul 29th 2006 7:11PM]

It won't launch. Are you guys serious?!

[Patrick @ Jul 29th 2006 7:16PM]

NEW RUMOR: Apple is giving away an iPhone to the first 1 gajillion people who send an email with the subject line stating Engadget iPhone Story. Send the email to [e-mail]

[VL-Tone @ Jul 29th 2006 7:18PM]

Zune is for Apple-Hating sheep.

[astutefool @ Jul 29th 2006 7:30PM]

Are you sure you don't mean the Sansa? i.e. fake nano

[Karl @ Jul 29th 2006 7:32PM]

@everyone calling it fake: read the first part of the title. It's wild speculation. Everyone knows the source is unverifiable. Don't reiterate it in every post, because it becomes a damned pain to read.

@drsilverworm: those phones had limitations, and they weren't made by Apple. Apple have better hardware designers, and like stylish form factors. The mobile iTunes is the parallel universe version of the real iPod. In that universe, humans are subordinate to beetles on the creativity scale.

[jgreenwald @ Jul 29th 2006 7:56PM]

I have one basic problem with this story. If the photographer does take pictures for Apple, then he most definitely would have signed an NDA or had some other contractual understanding that he doesn't blab about what he photographs. You don't get access to unannounced products without an NDA.

[Shunnabunich @ Jul 29th 2006 8:49PM]

"Besides guys, there are already phones with iTunes in them, and they aren't that great. Honestly, will an iPhone be that much different?"

Thing is, those iTunes-enabled phones are made by Motorola, and are therefore subject to the user experience limitations of Motorola's hideously awkward OS. :) Apple would probably do a better job of it, IMO.

"I rather see Apple/Sony than Microsoft/Nintendo."

I'd rather see Apple/Nintendo. :D

"Now that's one of the dumbest things I've heard..." (Silver)

...Maybe because you haven't visited apple.com in the last several years? :P (jk, I know what you meant) Most of the "hero shots" of their products are non-photographic and probably rendered in a 3D app (i.e. look at those precise reflections, shine etc. on the iPod). It gives the graphic designers greater control over the nuances of the "photography" environment and how it affects the product image. However, real-life photography of an iPhone is still plausible because Apple frequently uses photos of people holding/interacting with their portable products like iPods.

[Billd @ Jul 29th 2006 9:36PM]

"Fuck ZUNE. The POS will flop just like all other microsoft related/branded DAP. Leave it alone."

So let me get this straight....

You think the MS mp3 player will flop, but an Apple cell phone will rock? Should'nt you fanboys be using the same "logic" you use against the Zune to proclaim the "iphone" to be a disaster?

Or is all you care about is the Apple logo?

[Hex Aym @ Jul 29th 2006 10:19PM]

I may be able to corroborate this news on the iPhone. My source is someone close to a Taiwanese manufacturer/ component supplier. Their new project is titled Apple Handset, and has started sometime in mid July. Of course, this could mean an iPod, but we could keep our hopes up.

Not the most reliable bit of information, but interesting nevertheless.

[Bosco @ Jul 29th 2006 10:43PM]

Even Apple rumors have a better function and design than Microsoft.

[Palaniappan Chellappan @ Jul 29th 2006 11:20PM]

I can't believe Engadget posted this.

If is the 'sexiest damn phone' he's ever seen, how come he hasn't described it?

And Apple probably has strict Non-Disclosure Agreements.

[himself @ Jul 29th 2006 11:47PM]

We'll know this is real if come monday Apple Legal subpoenas engadget to reveal the name of their source...