It seems that once a year, just about this time of year, credible reports surface that Apple is getting ready to release its voice-enabled iPod, dubbed the iPhone. The reports have been fast and furious over the past few days that Apple will unveil the device next month but the latest that I’ve read cites Prudential analyst Jesse Tortora who offers convincing detail about the supposedly upcoming iPhone.
Tortora said the iPhone device, which he calls a “slim music phone,” will pack camera functionality and be GSM/GPRS network compatible. Meanwhile, he said Apple is also working on a smart phone device with a larger OLED-based display and a sliding keyboard that will be WCDMA compatible to allow for higher bandwidth.
Because the phones are GSM/GPRS and WCDMA, the purported iPhone will only work with the carriers using those standards — Cingular and T-Mobile — and Apple won’t go the MVNO route, according to Tortora. On top of this news, which Tortora circulated in an apparently “extensive” research note, Apple is finally coming out with its big screen iPod next month too.
I’ve always believed that Apple had an iPhone in development (why wouldn’t they?) and now the rumors are getting too specific to ignore. And it makes a lot of sense for Apple to let loose with new models — sales of existing iPods are bound to drop next year unless they do.
Cynthia Brumfield at 8:28 PM|Comments(0)
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