Apple rumor roundup: iPhone patent 4.0 edition
By Nilay Patel 
posted January 15th 2010 12:28PM
posted January 15th 2010 12:28PM
On today's edition of the never-ending Apple rumor roundup, we take a quick detour into the murky realm of the United States patent database, topped off with a charming unsourced tip and some delightful analyst conjecture. Let's blaze.The rumor: A recent Apple patent application for a capacitive touchscreen-specific stylus may or may not mean The Tablet uses a stylus for input.
Our take: We've already promised to eat our hat if Apple puts a removable battery in the iPhone, so what's next? A shoe? We will eat a shoe if Steve Jobs introduces a product that requires the use of a stylus. Besides, this product already exists: it's called the Pogo Stylus, and it's not exactly rocking minds (although we are intrigued by Inklet). Apple likes to file silly broad patent applications and see what it can get away with -- it's never been wise to read too much into them.
The rumor: Another Apple patent application hints that portable DVR functionality is coming to the iPod / iPhone -- you'll be able to grab TV and radio content from cable, satellite, OTA, or using "services" with your portable device and then load that into iTunes. Not only will you be able to connect new iPods to a cable box to record shows -- channel changing and everything -- but Apple's going to release an accessory for older iPods to enable this functionality as well.
Our take: This would be like a dream come true for the consumer, and a crazy heroin nightmare for Apple to actually implement -- can you imagine an iPod with a freaking CableCARD slot? Neither can we. Besides, it's not like Apple to push content sales from anything other than the iTunes Store, and it's especially not like Apple to extend functionality to older iPods when it can just release a newer one in a slightly different metallic finish. Next! The rumor: The extremely well-known Robert Chen of Goldman Sachs says a new iPhone will go into production this April with availability in June or July, and that the back of the phone will be touch-sensitive plastic, much like the Magic Mouse and that Synaptics Fuse demo unit we just played with. AppleInsider takes this a step further and points to -- what else? -- an Apple patent application describing something just like that.
Our take: Surprisingly, this one of the more plausible rumors we've heard yet. Taken alone, it certainly seems to make sense: the iPhone release schedule up till now would indicate a new model coming in June, so production could certainly begin ramping up in April, and hey -- why not a touch-sensitive back panel? It would certainly make gaming much more interesting. That said, Goldman Sachs and Robert Chen are in this game to make money and we're unfamiliar with his track record, so we're not assuming any of this is accurate. Still, a nice mix of the insane and the believable here -- someone's been practicing at home.
The rumor: iPhone OS 4.0 is coming soon -- a "prominent app developer" sent CNET's Rick Broida an email saying they'd "submitted an updated app for the new iPhone OS 4.0 software." That obviously means iPhone OS 4.0 is coming, like, tomorrow.
Our take: We haven't gotten any independent tips about this email, so maybe only Rick got it. Even still, we still think that whatever Apple's doing next is based on the iPhone OS -- and we've also heard that updated builds of the iPhone OS are under strict lock and key because they contain many references to The Tablet. We also think it's obvious we'll see iPhone OS 4.0 at some point in the next few months -- if not in the next two weeks at the stlll-unannounced tablet launch, then in two months at the now-traditional March iPhone SDK event.
So yeah, things are starting to heat up, and this latest batch of rumors seems ripe for some hysterical misinterpretation. We would say we can't wait... but we can.
Anybody else feel that they just patent random shit so throw everybody off their trail? I'm sure they have the money to do it so why not right? It makes their reveals that much bigger of a deal when they're more surprising, which is good for press and publicity. I guess in some ways, their patents might inadvertently be helping with advertising, so it'd be money well spent at least, lol.
Legend. Clever. Kudos to Engadget.
You guys are way out! But your ideas do interest me. Just wait for the announcement, I'm sure we'll blow your minds. Just a 'lil hint, it's a niche market product unlike the iPhone.
Only good things come from eating ones shoes...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSRN14ZcJQ4
rumors about rumors....
http://iphoneservicesdepot.com
The 10 inch form factor is in my opinion perfect, and there is no doubt that touchscreen accuracy and intuitive feel beats all competing products.
CTNDIGITAL will have its software running there by release date. see it at www.ctndigital.com
"Apple likes to file silly broad patent applications and see what it can get away with -- it's never been wise to read too much into them."
Really? I think that despite that fact that Apple will piss away more money than you (or I) will ever make, they file patent apps to protect their intellectual property whether or not they ever release a product using said patents. We both know filing a patent with no intention of ever releasing a product just tends to tie up the market so a competitor can't release one first for at least for 20 years. Or make them pay a licensing fee of some sort.
Not just waste money on lawyers and all the other associated fees with filing patent after patent. And certainly not so they can tip back in their chairs thinking "How much money can I waste. Lets see how much I can get away with today"
Nilay, you seriously can't believe that shit. That they do "silly" things just to waste money? If you do, that's a great story for your fantasy land but, here on this planet it doesn't work like that.
You don't operate a successful fortune 500 company doing "silly" things as you describe. They might seem silly to you and I. There are normally good reasons for what they do.
I know you don't actually think that, I just wanted to call you out on it. Keep up the good work.
The Apple tablet will be small and round (just like a pill). It'll be called iDigest and when you swallow it, music will come out of your stomach. Double pinch your nose to listen to the next track. After a while your body will iExcrete it and you'll have to do some sifting (wearing iGloves for hygiene) or buy another iDigest.
The number one reason that the new iPhone will not have a touchscreen back is the huge wall of iPhone covers you see for sale at all the apple stores. The covers have huge margins and apple makes a lot of dough licensing the "made for iPhone" logo. A public company is not going to abandon a huge revenue stream like that for a feature that only marginally adds to the capabilities of the device.
@GJBroad
Good point. A touch-sensitive back would make it tough to use a protective case with the phone.
I hope they improve the hardware as well to go along with this software update. Would like to see one of those fancy newish 1ghz processors.
lol