Courtesy of Good Morning Silicon Valley, this item from SmartHouse that confirms what many already know in their bones to be true: Apple is going to add voice functionality to the iPod. In other words, an iPod phone is on the way.
Taiwanese phone maker BenQ said that Apple is soliciting bids on the phone’s manufacturer (although BenQ won’t be one of the bidders) and that rival tech supplier Hon Hai Precision is slated to be the front-runner for supplying the (presumably VoIP) technology to Apple. With Apple’s iPod sales track record (almost 50 million to date) and a bigger screen video iPod ready for release, the inclusion of wireless VoIP technology in Apple’s amazing little device will catapult the Cupertino, CA-based company into some unknown level of communications industry hotness.
Just when Apple plans to debut the voice-enabled device is unclear. The article cites one source as saying it might be introduced within a couple of months, but other sources cited say the iPod phone won’t appear for another year.
Cynthia Brumfield at 2:40 PM|Comments(1)
Not necessarily a VOIP app. Apple has registered with the FCC as a Virtual Mobile Telephone Operator, which means they will lease access from an established network (like Sprint of Cingular) and resell it. Essentially what Virgin Wireless does.
This is probably a replacement for the RCKR phone, not an iPod. I can see Apple offering 3G wireless networking cards for the MacBook line though.
Posted by: Brock at March 23, 2006 5:32 PM
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