Hot on the heels of yesterday's reports of
Apple and Verizon dealings comes some tantalizing, but still unconfirmed, new details from
BusinessWeek. According to the publication, the gang in Cupertino has prototyped two devices for the carrier. The first one is a smaller, less expensive device that's been dubbed as "iPhone lite" by someone who's apparently seen it in person. The other is called a "media pad" (
Joggler, anyone?) for music, photos, HD video, and placing calls over WiFi. Details are scant beyond that, and while that pad sounds a lot like an iPod touch to us, we can't help but wonder if it has something to do with those
10-inch displays that Quanta's rumored to be manufacturing. Don't put too much stock into this, as the reports could end up being all for naught, but one thing's for sure: you can bet the
suits at AT&T are keeping a very, very close eye on this. In other, even sketchier and likely unrelated rumors, a listing for "MacBookMini" has popped up in Adium's statistics. While we wouldn't normally think anything of this -- as
TUAW correctly notes, anyone can edit their computer IDs -- it was from these pages that we first heard the name
MacBook Air. Chances are this is nothing, but with all this talk of 10-inch screens and media pads, it kind of makes you wonder.
[Via
TUAW; image courtesy of
Frunny]
Read - BusinessWeek
Read - Adium stats
posted Apr 28th 2009 1:41AM
the new Verizon Hub made by Apple? sounds like it could be good.
not surprising since apple to a company that will look out for itself own well being, now apple has gotten as many as at&t user then its time to go for the rest of the people who is not on at&t.
Let's just hope that Verizon doesn't cripple this "iphone lite" like they do with all their other phones.
If you mean that you hope they don't bleed all over the phone with their hideous laggy red interface...you're asking a lot of Verizon.
lite = denoting a reduction of an aspect of a product, be it fat, size, features...
My money's on the last two :P
Hey now, the major cripplage is primarly only on their dumbphones.
Their smartphones have only minor cripplage. After all, they allowed the App World for BlackBerry, right? And they didn't mess around with the BlackBerry interface, did they? Oh, and what about the Windows Mobile interface? Sure, that could use a lot of messing around with, but they don't do it (with the exception of the Q9m), right?
My point is that if Verizon wants a shot at the iPhone, they need to allow Apple to do what they want. That means NO VCast video, NO VCast Music (after all, Apple has iTunes) and ABSOLUTELY NO VZ Navigator!
If Verizon gets the iPhone, it will probably be the exact same thing as the AT&T iPhone, but with better reception and such.
I doubt very much that a control loving company like Apple, would ever allow anyone to mess with their UI.
Huh !?
I almost feel sorry for the competitor handset makers if Apple is able to pull this one off with Verizon. It might double the amount of iPhones being sold. People will be tossing their LG Dares into the garbage where they belong. People won't have a weak reason to say they can't get an iPhone because they don't want to switch networks. Apple might be able to gain enough leverage to change the carrier industry making the handset company more important than the carrier. Verizon should bring the iPhone into the the network, step back and let Apple do it's thing. Verizon will be able to sit back and just rake in the cash. There would be an improvement for all customers at both Verizon and AT&T as both carriers try to make joining each respective network more attractive. Might even drive down monthly costs.
"If Verizon gets the iPhone, it will probably be the exact same thing as the AT&T iPhone, but with better reception and such."
I would hope so. But why are they calling it "iPhone lite"?
If the only thing that makes it lite is that it doesn't have a SIM card then this would be wonderful for customers. ATT would no longer be the only carrier with what could be called one of the most popular phones out right now. Verizon would go after the ATT customers that are nearing the end of their contract and ATT would have react to try to keep them. Heck, even customers that have plenty of time left on their contract could jump ship. It's not like you couldn't sell your current iPhone to pay for the ETF and still have plenty left over...
@MastrCake
Usually Verizon doesn't cripple smartphones much, except for maybe change the theme/skin to red... -_-
But take a look at what they did to the HTC Touch Pro:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej_BENjjeb8
Maybe the writer mistook iPhone LTE for iPhone LiTE...
Im with you on this one. There have been those rumors that the iPhone Apple makes for VZ will be LTE since it will be in 2010 anyways (since the ATT exclusivity contract ends in 2010) and LTE will be the new up and coming technology being deployed at that time, so maybe an LTE iPhone is more logical than iPhone Lite, makes more sense to me
Add this to LTE being on the GSM side of progression and I think we have a winner.
Agreed, from everything I have read, CDMA is going the way of the Dodo, and the world will be united in LTE bliss. My question is, will the Verizon phone be a CDMA/LTE phone (since the network will take some time to upgrade completely)? And, will AT&T come up to bat and get moving on LTE to avoid losing customers?
could be true, also remember those smaller iphone covers that were spotted a while ago... maybe those were actually real.
Judging by the abundance of mysterious "iphone" user agent generated caches with non-standard ~213 pixel screens, Apple will indeed be releasing a smaller iphone soon. Testing appears to be in progress or something...
wait- what do you mean? Where are you getting these caches you are talking about? And what are their exact dimensions?
It looks great!
um... since that image is completely different from the artist's rendition in the businessweek video (and the trackpad is non-functional), I'm guessing it's nowhere near how the real might look.
It would be funny to see macbook mini to have even less features then air.
But still beat the Adamo?
Dude. Ew.
That trackpad? looks worthless.
Vertical scrolling or even general vertical pointer movement should be a fucking nightmare with that trackpad.
Umm.. it's a PS job that has nothing to do with Apple. Kinda pointless to discuss its merits seeing as it is that this will never see the light of the day.
Photoshopping that worthless trackpad is what was pointless!
I can't imagine what or how these new devices are going to look like or what exactly it is that they'll do (smart phone-type computing, netbook-type computing, something else all together). If they're actually real of course.
Something else altogether. The larger device will redefine what "ebook" is all about as it opens up an entirely new segment in the portable device market. Forget the trackpad and keyboard, they are history.
Buy AAPL now, it's cheap.
So, instead of getting unlocked iPhones like other countries, US consumers will now get provider-locked Apple netbook/tablet. Great. What's next, new iMac locked in with Comcast/Time Warner? I'm just baffled at US consumers' love-fest in paying $$$ for provider-locked devices.
I'd argue the opposite.
In US, most people get the free phones (non-existing concept in most of europe). A few people get smartphones, but pay much less for the phone with a 2-year contract (200-300bucks)
In Europe, people spend unbelievable gobs of money on smartphones (500-1000 bucks)
@Pretol: Funny. Contract/subsidy has nothing to do with provider-locking the phone. In Asia, subsidized phones under contract are unlocked out of the box, including smartphones & iPhones. In some countries, you can get free iPhone with contract. In the US, consumers still have to pay $$$ for a locked phone. Illogical.
@Pretol
Are you slow??? Really?
Where have you ever seen an EU company charge that much for a phone?? Really...
Xperia, Magic, Dream, Touch, N95...
All these phones are free on contract over there...
Over here...we dont even get them on contract...
We're the ones having to pay over $600 for those phones.
I agree with Pika....its stupid that we pay ridiculous monthy amounts on top of $200+ for a decent smartphone right off the bat.
And not to mention phone selection is FAR superior in EU than the US.
They've had access to 5 and 8MP phones for ages...
We're just now getting them
Looks like the iPhone is not getting a major hardware update, with all the focus being on a netbook/hd streamer.
I was almost certain the iPhone 3G would be followed by an iPhone HD with a hi-res screen, like all the new high-end phones... and maybe a front cam for iChat.
The current iPhone hardware is over a year old; of course Apple will update it.. all these rumors are just that; rumors.. there's still common sense.
It would be a worry if Apple missed this chance to significantly boost the iPhone's specs - they cannot ride the wave of the App Store success forever, they need to keep pace with (well, at least not stray too far behind) their competitors on the hardware front, too. I still love my first-gen iPod Touch but I'm keen for a newer version with a much better processor so that the games can start surpassing the PlayStation I quality they are at now.
All we have to do,
Is take these Lies,
And make them true...
lol that's one pissed off hitler in your avatar
Well, given that, all we have to see is that in the same way that I don't belong to you, neither do you belong to me. It's six of one, half a dozen of the other, really.
"The first one is a smaller, less expensive device that's been dubbed as 'iPhone lite'"
Sunnovabitch! I knew Verizon would figure out a way to ruin the iPhone! They destroy everything they touch :(
Yeah, because Verizon "destroyed it" by supposedly looking at a prototype.....
It's like I said on Marketwatch, I think Apple is going for a tablet that takes its form factor and GUI from the iPhone.
Random post of the day goes to:
Eleazar
Eleazar also wins: FAIL of the day
Actually this is good news. Maybe now AT&T will lower their rates in order to become more competitive. I'm amazed at the millions of people who have accepted AT&T's terrible rates just to own an iPhone. I have one on T-Mobile but only because I get unlimited internet, minutes & 200 text for $42.00 per month (their preferred customer price). For all you device locked hardware buyers I've just one thing to say.. Wake Up & demand unlocked products. Any wonder European rates are so much cheaper. It's due to the competition caused by the unlocked products you can buy there..
yeah. about a billion of people with Mini9 Hackintoshes change it to "MacBookMini".
i wouldn't read much into that at all.
er. why'd this show up here? i totally hit the right reply button. i swear.
Because if there's anyone you can count on for low prices, it's Verizon Wireless... *rolls eyes*
NONE of this makes sense...
First of all, Verizon would get an iPhone before they get a cheaper "lite" version.. Secondly, this tablet/netbook device would obviously have 3G broadband, why would it "place calls over WiFi" ?
It sure could be the new Verizon HUB. VOIP with wifi to stay put in the home. The LITE could be the handset for the HUB.
Why do idiots keep bring up LTE. Verizon's LTE network will be NOWHERE expanded enough to begin selling dedicated LTE voice devices. Verizon will sell only data-only LTE devices initially and eventually bring out CDMA/LTE hybrid devices once they expand their LTE network to more major markets.
lame...
Yes, boot camp is amazing, isn't it!?!?!?!?!?
So, they finally found an intelligent way to profit from a netbook?
Yep - make it expensive.
exactly what I was thinking. but Apple will NEVER call it that, because you know, netbooks suck.
Macbook Mini (if true) will probably be a a touch screen Tablet that's able to link via bluetooth to the mini style keyboards being shipped with the new iMacs. Grab the Tablet to go, set it down and pair. At least, I think that would be cool.
A 10" tablet would be interesting if they modeled/branded it like an supersized ipod touch/iphone. Bluetooth headset required in order to make calls with voice dialing or touch type on the tablet for new numbers not in the address book. Allow bluetooth keyboard or on-screen board for typing. Use wifi or evdo for internet, sync with pc/mac for media..
now only if they could build flash into their stupid safari browser.
I wouldn't get excited by the single entry by MacBookMini in the Adium stats.
If you look at the original Adium stats page from Google cache that told the world the MacBook Air was on the way, you'll see the lone, single little entry for MacBookMini down the bottom there too. It's clearly someone's little machine that they've changed the name of - a hackintosh netbook, perhaps?
It looks great!
"Hot on the heels of yesterday's reports of Apple and Verizon dealings comes some tantalizing, but still unconfirmed, new details from BusinessWeek."
get lost troll!
me?
Apple light Bt keyboard-$69.99
Apple dock connect to USB adaptor -$19.99
Apple dock to mini displayport
-$15.99
Apple logo -$200
1cm thickness - priceless
No wonder it would be worse than Vaio p.
Only $200 for the logo - they could and should get more than that. It is mighty pretty.
I'm not a big Apple fan, but their products are consistently the thinnest and many times the lightest on the market. They also usually trump most others in battery life. I'm interested in what they might come up with.
Oh, great! Another trinket for Apple for all the iWankers to masturbate over! ;)
Count on Verizon to garbage up the best UI on the market. OF COURSE they'll screw with it to form it to their interface. IPhone apps will probably not all work (and you won't know until you pay for them), You'll be forced into VCast Music, VZNavigator instead of Google Maps, etc. etc.
Ok not that this confirms the Iphone Lite rumor but last week while at lunch I noticed a guy for works for some tech company playing around with what I thought was to be an iphone at first but once getting a better look it was smaller than an iphone and slightly thinner, also the backing was not the typical white or black as you would traditionally see. I started paying closer attention thinking it was just a case that made the color difference on the back where the apple logo is located but saw no indication that there was a case of any kind on the device. It was definitely a phone with an apple logo and had similar features of an iphone such as the camera on the back, the apple logo where it is traditionally, but it was smaller, like Pre small.. Don't know if it was legit or not but the guy who had it was definitely some type of tech dude.
Apple's got some good shit planned, is all I know.
Them partnering with both AT&T and Verizon is incredibly smart. I know I'll be jumping ship to head over to VZW if they offer LTE first. I won't even care about paying the ETF.
I know everyone's worried about VZW crippling any and all devices, but I don't see it being a problem. Apple will keep its familiar UI. If VZW wants some of its own software on there, Apple will make them offer it as an application through iTunes, just like all other applications.
WTF?
This is logical thing for Apple to do. Why keep it exclusive to AT&T? As if... The people who jumped ship to AT&T have already done so. Then there's the rest of us who are still on Verizon, and there are a lot of us! Makes more sense to open it up to atleast one other carrier. But, this most likely will be AT&T 3.0. Verizon is smart enough not to hinder or bloat the device. Apple won't allow that. After all, the other behemoth (AT&T) caved, this one will too. There are too many factors not to cave into Apple's demands.
1. wasn't no carrier control over device design, software etc one of the conditions that lost Verizon the contract in the first place
2. it would be shocking if the contract with ATT wasn't for any current and future released cell phone signal accessing devices for the period of the exclusive contract. in other words, be it a phone, a netbook with built in edge/3g/whatever comes next, or even just a plug in 3g 'dongle', ATT gets it during the contract.
3. isn't verizon currently CDMA, not GSM. that means Apple would have to practically start over from scratch at this point. doesn't make much sense. if Verizon is moving to the same tech that ATT is moving towards and Apple is upgrading the iphone etc tech to that standard, then there's a logic that Verizon could support something.
4. given the number of unlockers it actually makes more sense for Apple to NOT sign up with another company after the ATT thing is over. make the devices all unlocked and let anyone that can service the tech that Apple decides to use a valid carrier.
Actually #3 on your list was the probably the reason why Apple chose AT&T. For a first release phone product AT&T was the ONLY choice. AT&T is as you stated is not only GSM, but it is the only GSM carrier in the US whose network is compatible with the rest of the world's GSM networks. Choosing AT&T meant Apple could release one HW product and use that platform for much of the rest of the world doing only SW (language) tweaks.
LTE is not even in the building stages for anyone other than ATT, if even them. Sprint/Clearwire is the only company with working 4G towers in any kind of numbers yet. Don't hold your breath for LTE yet.
Verizon is ahead of at&t in terms of LTE planning... but yes, it's all planning and no building- after all, the 700 MHz spectrum they're planning on using hasn't even been fully vacated in all areas as of yet.
Why can't Apple just make equipment that is capable of running on any Network? Yes, I do know the differences between networks, Apple is smart, they should be able to figure that one out. Or better yet, why can't VZW and Sprint just jump on the SIM card bandwagon.
a 10" ipod touch with 720p screen and same slim design,ide buy one anyway.