Archive for the ‘iPhone & iPod Rumors’ Category
A developer with the name of 9to5Mac has just discovered some very exiting evidence in Apple’s newest SDK. The evidence shows to “indicate that there will be video calling on an iPxxx device.”
The evidence includes some iChat like icons which is supposedly there to accept and decline video requests. There were also some system strings found that read things like “Accept Video Chat” etc.
People have wanted video chat capabilities since the iPhone 3G made its debute, and this evidence might be what the users have been waiting for.
iResQ has posted some pictures of what they believe to be the glass for the 4th generation iPhone. There are two notable differences from the current iPhone glass. First, it’s taller (1/4 inch) and it has an extra hole. Gee whiz, I wonder what we think that’s for…
The rumor that just won’t die. This extra hole in the glass certainly could be for an extra, front facing camera for video chatting. I won’t deny it; I want one, that’s for sure. But at the same time, I find it too good to be true. Parts like this aren’t that difficult to fabricate, so I’m not totally sold.
iResQ claims this part is from a very reliable source, and that I don’t doubt. I’m just having a hard time thinking Apple would want to change the size of the iPhone. While I’d like to have a larger screen, an increase of just a quarter of an inch seems unnecessary, especially after we all have accessories that depend on the current form factor. At least it appears to be the same width. But then again, forcing you to buy all new accessories isn’t something that Apple, or pretty much any other company, would feel bad about.
Personally I dont think we will get a front facing camera. We have had rumors of this since the iPhone 3G’s days.
AT&T’s lock on the iPhone could fall as soon as Apple’s special event on Wednesday, a contentious rumor claims. A purported contact within the carrier says exclusivity should end along with the January 27th date. The tipster doesn’t say who would join AT&T in supporting the iPhone, though Verizon has often been cited as the most likely pick, in part for the large subscriber base as well as the frequently cited network strength
The HotHardware contact does, however, outline an AT&T strategy that the company has indirectly confirmed itself. The company would “compensate” for losing sole rights to the iPhone by carrying smartphones on platforms it has previously ignored. The carrier has already said it would offer several new smartphones in the first half of the year that includefive Android devices as well as Palm’s webOS phones, most likely GSM versions of the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus. It’s also noted anecdotally that AT&T has lately deemphasized its exclusivity and has instead focused on attacking Verizon.
Most pundits expect Apple to focus primarily if not exclusively on a tablet device at its event on the 27th, but this could include the option of Verizon for 3G data in addition to AT&T and would open the door to other handhelds on the same network.
Via electronista
Hopefully the new Apple Tablet won’t be the only thing announced at the upcoming Apple media event. The rumor mill is still churning out news that the “one more thing” next week will be a brand new version of the iPhone, set up on the Verizon network. Obviously we’ve heard a lot about this one before, but this time it comes not from an anonymous source, but Canaccord Adams analyst Peter Misek, who says that not only will we see the new hardware as expected, but we’ll have those nice red maps on it as soon as June of this year.
Personally I don’t think we’ll see an iPhone on the Verizon network being announced as early as next week. I doubt Apple wants to rush it out the door, especially with the much more likely tablet incoming. I do believe we’ll see a new version of the iPhone, and it will be Verizon, but Apple’s got time. I’m guessing we won’t see an official announcement until later on this year.
Apple announcedtheir Jan. 27 “Come see our latest creation
” event, and like a big, rumor-filled moth to an increasingly rabid internet flame, rumors of a Verizon iPhone being part of it follow:
“We believe there is a good chance,” writes Canaccord Adams’ Peter Misek in a note to clients Wednesday, “that the ‘One more thing…’ part of next week’s presentation may include two iPhone-related announcements: namely, the release of iPhone OS 4.0 and the unveiling of iPhone 4G coming to Verizon in June.”
Apple will be able to produce a Verizon (i.e. CDMA) compatible iPhone by this June/July, but whether or not their exclusivity with AT&T will be over by then, and whether or not they can come to financial (subsidy) terms with Verizon is anyone’s guess.
Also, Misek no doubt means G4, as in 4th gen iPhone, not 4G as in 4G wireless, LTE networking, since he later states he only thinks we’ll see an LTE iPhone in 2011. And if iPhone 4.0 is “released” it will likely be a beta for developers, with the consumer “release” to follow a few months later as it has in years past.
The Google V Apple battle has stepped up to the next level, with Apple teaming up to replace Google with Bing as the iPhone’s default search engine.
Suggested to BusinessWeek by people ‘familiar to the matter’, you may want to stay skeptical for the while, but this is undoubtedly designed to give Google a kick in the teeth over who makes the best phones. Although Apple may be planning to oust the Google search engine, they are not removing other Google apps from the iPhone. Could swapping Google for its less popular counterpart harm Apple’s iPhone sales?
In my opinion this is a rather odd move from Apple, but I’m not a high ranking exec in the cut-throat world of business. I personally prefer Google to Bing, but it will be very interesting to see if these rumors fabricate.
We’re back at it, and this time we’ve received some exclusive iPhone OS 4.0 details from one of our trusty Apple contacts.
Here are some iPhone OS 4.0 features, according to our guy:
- There will be multi-touch gestures OS-wide. (Would make sense for that as the rumored OS for the iTablet is close if not the same as the iPhone)
- “A few new ways” to run applications in the background — multitasking.
- Many graphical and UI changes to make navigating through the OS easier and more efficient. We haven’t had this broken down, but we can only hope for improved notifications, a refreshed homescreen, etc.
- The update will supposedly be available for only the iPhone 3G and 3GS, but will “put them ahead in the smartphone market because it will make them more like full-fledged computers” more than any other phone to date. Everyone is “really excited.”
- The last piece of information is the most vague, but apparently there will be some brand new syncing ability for the contacts and calendar applications.
As with anything, especially Apple-related anything, we’ll never know for 100% certain until Steve, Phil, or Scott hold it up on stage at “Come see our latest creation” but, yeah, we can’t wait for next Wednesday either…
A few overseas providers of the iPhone have hinted that a brand new version of the handset could be coming out as soon as April of this year. Possible features this time include a video chat function, a removable battery, dual-core processors, and a better screen and camera (possibly with a flash feature, as we’ve heard before). That sounds like a lot of wishful thinking to us (I doubt we’ll ever see an iPhone with a removable battery — if Apple wanted to do so, they’d have already done it), but if not, that would be a pretty darn popular smartphone, and it would definitely answer the recent challenge of Google’s Nexus One.
But of course as always, rumors are rumors, so we won’t believe it until we see Steve Jobs holding it on stage, and you shouldn’t either. But sources have long said that 2010 will be a year in which we’ll see a new iPhone, and while April (or early May) seems earlier than we thought, you never know. [ad#insert-into-posts]
