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Keepin' it real fake, part CCXXI: Apple's iPhone and iPod nano hook up, combine


Hey, Apple -- you know that inspiration you've been looking for in order to concoct a proper iPhone nano? We just found it. Over in some seedy warehouse in the depths of Shenzhen, the aptly titled iphone nano has emerged. As you could likely surmise, this completely improper knockoff gentle combines the best features from Apple's iPhone and the iPod nano to create a singular, if not awkward device. Heck, there's even a 5 megapixel camera, which easily trumps the 3.2 megapixel shooter on the iPhone 3GS. It's all yours for just 90 bones, and you don't even have to sign your cellular soul away to AT&T. Look out Apple, we get the feeling this thing's going to be huge.

[Thanks, facelessloser]

More next-gen iPhone whispers: video recording, faster CPU, July release?

John Gruber over at Daring Fireball has a pretty good track record when it comes to Apple rumors -- remember his spot-on predictions for the unibody MacBook Pro? -- so when he's got a thing or two to say about all the next-gen iPhone chatter, we listen. While not making any promises, he does say he'd wager quite a bit on a new model coming to WWDC, with about twice the CPU horsepower (and possibly twice the RAM, too) as the current model. He also adds some credence to all that talk of video recording, but makes no mention of potential background apps and plays down any surprise tablet or "iPhone mini" cameos. He goes on to add release date would be sometime in July in 16GB and 32GB varieties. We can't say we're willing to bet against him, but that doesn't mean we'll take his word as gospel. We can safely say, however, that we're anxiously waiting to see what kind of shenanigans Schiller has in store for next month.

Engadget Podcast 144 - 05.01.2009


Bogged down and confused with the latest spate of wild mobile speculations? Relationship troubles clouding your judgment? Lonely? Well Josh, Nilay and Paul -- your jovial (yet often enraged) Engadget Podcast crew -- are back for another installment to help you sort all that out. In a week heavy on rumors (Palm Eos, Microsoft "Pink" and the not-so-nano "iPhone lite") and laden with opinion (Windows 7 RC1, TiVo's sad state of affairs), join the boys as they delve deep into the abyss that is gadgetry. Sure, there might never be a Zunephone, but remember: the beauty is in the journey... or something.

Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul Miller
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Song: All That She Wants

00:01:13 - Palm Eos: super-thin, 3G, and headed to AT&T?
00:27:20 - Microsoft's "Pink" smartphone could rival iPhone on Verizon
00:29:00 - Microsoft reiterates what we knew: no first-party handset, no Zunephone
00:36:40 - Apple prototyping "iPhone lite" and MacBook Mini / media pad for Verizon?
00:46:30 - Samsung I7500 with OLED touchscreen powered by Android, dreams
00:57:42 - Windows 7 Release Candidate 1 impressions, insights, and expectations
01:10:05 - Ten years of TiVo: how far we haven't come

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Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @futurepaul @reckless @engadget

New iPhone in June? Somebody seems to think so


Apple has a habit of refreshing its iPod and iPhone-type products on a pretty regular schedule, so a new iPhone in June really wouldn't be the surprise of the century, but now we've got word to that effect from the United Arab Emirates. Etisalat is picking up the iPhone 3G over there, along with providing support for existing iPhones sold on the gray market, but the writeup in Business 24/7 makes mention of a brand new iPhone hitting in June, which Etisalat will also get at launch. This could easily be a misunderstanding on the part of the reporter, a misquote, or a combination of signs, portents and omens, but it's certainly an interesting little tidbit. We'd have to think that anyone liable to get this story right would also be aware that a brand new iPhone would be worth more than a passing reference, but we suppose we'll just have to wait and see. Apple Insider also mentions rumblings of an upcoming iPhone having a fairly significant architecture overhaul -- that's mostly conjecture at this point, but might make sense (or room) for an iPhone nano. And you know how we love the iPhone nano.

[Via Apple Insider]

iPhone nano now rumored for June, Unicorn delayed again until September


Ready for more iPhone nano rumors? Good, because apparently the Chinese trade paper Economic Daily News is now reporting that Taiwan Semiconductor Company (TSMC) will be handling chip manufacturing for a low-cost device being referred to as... you guessed it: the iPhone nano. While the paper has a fairly good reputation, it is filtered through the lens of DigiTimes on our end, so as usual, take it with the required grain of salt. Still, the source is calling a June launch of the handset on the heels of an order for the components in March. The time frame is reasonable enough, and if history is any lesson here, Apple loves to intro iPhones in the Summer. Given that China has yet to see a deal for the iPhone proper, and a lower-cost entry may be perfectly tuned for vast Asian markets, the nano could gather in a whole new fold of users (and the smaller screen would be less of an issue given the need for character recognition). That theory falls in line with statements from analysts, though as always, putting too much stock in any of this speculation could be hazardous to your health. Just ask Steve Jobs.

[Via AppleInsider]

Apple rumor roundup: aluminum Mac minis and supersized iPod touches

Listen, you know the drill by now: Macworld is less than a week away, and that causes a Cupertino-sized rumor mill to fill up with hints of new / refreshed hardware of all shapes and sizes. The crew at TUAW claim they've heard from sources that a new Mac mini will be unveiled with an aluminum finish, a Time Capsule-esque "lip," and a SATA optical drive that can be customized as a second HDD instead. Additionally, TechCrunch says it has three independent sources that confirm there's a large iPod touch is coming next Fall with a 7 or 9-inch screen. There's no indication if they expect a Macworld announcement here, but if true, we expect the cargo pants industry to react accordingly. Finally, and possibly related to the TechCrunch rumor, a Taiwan news site claims Quanta Computers is expecting to add Apple and Sony (is that you, Vaio P?) as clients for manufacturing netbooks in 2009. For those playing along at home, at some point next year we should expect a bigger iPod touch, a netbook, a smaller iPhone, a revised iMac, a revised Mac mini, and absolutely no love at all for the Mac Pro.

Read - Large form iPod touch to launch Fall '09
Read - Rumor watch: new Mac mini go for launch
Read - Quanta expects zero YoY NB shipment growth in Q4, 2008

What is the deal with the iPhone nano?


Adding to a small stack of rumors about a supposed iPhone nano, case-maker Vaja today quietly added the category to its website (pictured after the break). Frankly, we're not sure what to think. There are a number of ways in which Apple could produce a cheaper phone or alter its subsidy deals, so the idea of an iPhone that's simply smaller makes very little sense. Yet, here we are showing off the site of a reputable accessory manufacturer with a brand new phone listed -- ostensibly just a teensy version of the iPhone 3G. Of course, this is probably just rumor, speculation, lies, corruption, signs of an unquenchable thirst for power, and a glimpse at the machinations behind one of the greatest conspiracies mankind has ever known. So, we're posing the question to the biggest brains of all: the Engadget reader. Is Apple working on an iPhone nano?

Is Apple working on an iPhone nano?

iPhone nano revealed by (another) silicone case mockup?


There's something just a little skeezy about basing predictions for Important New Apple Products upon nasty renders of protective case mockups from China. Still, they've panned out astonishingly nicely before, so we'll just have to suck it up. iDealsChina is reporting that XSKN is not-so-secretly working on a silicone skin for the upcoming "Nano iPhone" (or, more likely, iPhone nano) a shorter, chubbier version of the iPhone 3G. According to iDealsChina sources, the phone will apparently sport EDGE data, but otherwise seems unsurprisingly identical in specs to its forebears, other than the obviously smaller screen. They're also saying Apple plans to sell these at high volumes for low prices at hip spots like Walmart, that the company will (naturally) be unveiling the new handset in January at Macworld, and even go so far as to say that leaked photos of the device should be surfacing in the next couple of days -- we'll be keeping our eyes peeled. Check out another couple of tantalizing case renders after the break.

[Via PMP Today]

3G iPhone touchscreen leaks out?


We're just four days away from WWDC, so the rumor mill is churning at a fever pitch -- and the latest context-less bits of info to emerge from the churn are these purported photos of the 3G iPhone's touchscreens over at iLounge. Yeah, that's touchscreens, plural -- if these are to believed, Apple's got two sizes of iPhone in store for us on Monday: a 3.2-inch model, and a smaller 2.8-inch model. Note that both of those sizes are smaller than the current iPhone's 3.5-inch screen, which seems slightly implausible -- but kinda-sorta matches up with other rumors we've heard, including those persistent "iPhone nano" whispers from last year. We still really doubt that Apple will shrink the iPhone's screen size, however, and there are literally hundreds of touchscreen iPhone KIRFs these panels could have come from, so we'd say there's a better chance this is just more hype -- but we know y'all have your own ideas. Let us know in comments!

[Thanks, Sleuth]

Knockoff artists take "nano" in "iPhone nano" too seriously


Okay, so, iPhone nano -- what do you picture? An identical clone of the original scaled down by a third? Yeah, us neither, which is why we're calling out this alleged iPhone nano spy shot as a fraud. We're not disputing that it's real -- in fact, we'd be surprised if it was a Photoshop job, considering how skilled the knockoff manufacturers have become at producing iPhone clones -- we just refuse to believe at this point that Apple would inject zero innovation into the design of the iPhone's baby sib. For what it's worth, though, gadgetzone.nl says that its source absolutely insists that the shots are real and came from within Apple, which of course explains the Brand X monitor and PC keyboard in the background. We'll believe it when Steve shows it, guys.

[Via Unwired View]

Update: It's a media player. Rock on. Thanks, Deniz.

Second generation iPhone for $249 in September?

Remember all those version 2 iPhone rumors rumbling about back in May. Well, they're back and running amuck in Taiwan. According to DigiTimes, Taiwan's Chinese-language Commercial Times says that Taiwan's Wintek has gained the touch-screen panel orders for the second-gen iPhone. The report claims that Wintek has already begun test production in small volumes with Apple intent on selling their newest model of the iPhone in September for somewhere between $249 and $299. Unfortunately, the article doesn't state where this flavor of the iPhone will be sold. An important omission given that September is the same rumored delivery for Quanta's iPhone variant meant specifically for non-US markets. Of course, that would be too early according to (some) JP Morgan analysts although Kevin Chang, and his vision of an iPhone nano, would surely disagree. To muddle things further, Wintek was just fingered as the supplier of panels for future touch-screen iPods set to launch in August. However, DigiTimes sources are now reporting that the iPod's capacitive touch-screen will be "less complicated" than the panel used for the current iPhone. No multi-touch? Who knows. Man, rumor mongering is a silly business... interesting, but silly.

P.S. Yes, that's a mock-up to the right.

iPhone nano rumors heating up, destined for Q4?

While analysts have been speculating that Apple may unleash a smaller (and cheaper) handset in the not too distant future in order to grab a sect of market share not interested in the relatively pricey iPhone, the rumors are seeming to gain traction. According to Kevin Chang, a JP Morgan analyst based in Taiwan, Apple is actually looking to "launch a cheaper version of the iPhone in the fourth quarter that could be based on its iPod nano music player." The report cited anonymous sources "in the supply channel" and also referenced the now-famed patent that suggests such a device could be materializing. Still, we'd highly recommend taking all of this in with a healthy heap of salt for the time being, but don't be incredibly shocked if your next iPod nano unexpectedly rings while you're stereotypically browsing through Gorillaz tracks.

[Thanks, Matt, image courtesy of InformationArchitects]
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