Could Apple be planning a new iPhone?

Telecom News Editorials Reports Glossary

1:33 am on November 12, 2005 | Category: Business, Mobile Devices, Cell Phones, Multimedia

Piper Jaffray analyst, Gene Munster remains decidedly optimistic about Apple’s share price, and predicts a variety of future innovations by the company, including a possible Apple-manufactured iTunes Phone.

“Despite a lack of hints from the company, we believe it is useful to hypothesize on new initiatives Apple may have in the works and take a look at which initiatives, if any, make sense for the company,” Munster was quoted as saying. “We believe Apple has a foundation in place to be the hub for consumer digital media.”

Of course, the success of a true iPhone is still somewhat doubtful. With the relatively poor performance Motorola’s ROKR iTunes cell phone, Apple will definitely have to make some significant changes if they hope to succeed with their own model of the very same thing.

But then again, recent years have shown us that Apple is exceptionally good at innovating and conquering the market. If they are willing to humble themselves a bit, and learn from their mistakes, a successful iPhone product certainly isn’t impossible.

Links: Apple, Cell Phones, Mobile Phones, Music, iPhone, Apple iPhone, ROKR.

9 Comments »

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I believe the Motorola ROKR was entirely a Motorola design with Apple furnishing the iTunes software. I’m not sure Apple wants to enter such a rapidly changing market with dominance lying outside of the hardware manufacturers. It’s just too big of a market for Apple right now, without sufficient incentives. As 3G and IP capabilities get deployed Apple could provide software without the scale of commitment equipment would require.

Comment by rBoylin — November 12, 2005 #
the incredibly sexy MotoRazr version is much more attractive plus gives the users the ability to create libraries on removable flash disk media - Moto needs to fix the video capabilities on the Razr

the original ROKR is a large, clumsy, feature poor implementation..

Comment by jeff — November 13, 2005 #
Mini Ture_MacJournal
Extract
{It is clear to anyone who looks at the iPod Photo, the iPod Video, moreso, the Mac mini and the iMac G5 that there is a distinct form factor relationship in this family. There is also a suggestion as to where the form of the iBook and any tablet type handheld device may well go.

I have been puzzling over the universal dock and the infil plastic seating pieces and it is providing for me more questions than answers to me.

If you look carefully at the universal dock there is the opportunity to have a USB device syncable with a 2.70 inch wide base. So what could be in the mind of the Apple designers of the universal dock?

Perhaps such device that could be in the order of 2.5-2.70″ x 6″x .5″ and reside in the universal dock could be imagined as quite a device desirable of many a Mac owner as the complete solution to pda-phone ipod combinations in one iDevice.

I like Apple products so much that any suggestion of a new device option has me thinking again of budgeting.

Such an iDevice that could fit in the form factor available in the universal dock could be one, I could only dream about. I for one wish for a PDA tablet form that runs with a cut down version of OSX which performs as an iPod Video and is a phone-Camera as well that has a battery life of 200 hours. That is not too much as there are all the pre-requisites.

Yea I guess I want too much! Never mind whatever the extra size allowed for in the universal dock is actually designed for I am truly interested.

This could even suggest 3.5″ x 2.5″ for a horizontal screen or a keyboard and a PDA type of profile perhaps for a clamshell or a swivel type +5″, 19.6 screen phone-iPod and PDA combination?

As a designer this is what I would contemplate as a logical step for the family along with the proportions for digital screens on iBooks of 16:9 would complete the family image of form that extends to the tower and large screens attachable to the Powermac’s just released.

A new universal form of plug in touch pad, games compatible that performs like the new mouse also would be great. I notice that the wireless mouse seems to be used all the time by all of my children who use very thick 17″ large PC laptops.

So what may extend from this great family of form I would anticipate as being new exciting and revolutionary.

Just remember that extra space in the universal dock must be for something!

I figure if you take the new iPod Video and my moto e398 together with a pda and +-6″x 2.70″x.5″ the combined size could be in the order of what is suggested to sync in such a space, it is not an oversize clamshell type form factor when we consider the PDA sizes.
End Extract}
“Mac mini-iPod Video-iMac G5 a Dock & a Family of Form!”
Mini Ture_MacJournal

JJ

Comment by JJ — November 14, 2005 #
[…] In light of recent speculation that Apple plans to launch its own iTunes phone, it now appears quite likely that the two companies could part ways and end up competing over the same market. […]

Pingback by Motorola Plans New ROKR Phones » Telecommunications Industry News — November 16, 2005 #
From JJ at
Mini Ture_MacJournal:
In respect with the above very valid and very perceptive notions of market competition, I perhaps would have thought rather than any competition between two market leaders like Motorola and Apple to be a moot situation, as you have ascertained, it perhaps could be better considered as a discrete tactical move in an extremely competitive rapidly changing mobile phone marketplace, in that it it could be summarized as a way to provide a wider acceptance strategy for a penetration of some new digital media ready idevices in the marketplace. Everyone is so quick to draw the long competition bow when great technical confreres through competitive advances which in the end collectively are bought about by very close and sincere co-operation between organizations of excellence like Motorola and Apple to further mutual strategic long term structural and technological aims. I would always favour the long term solution as a fitting outcome in such a world wide converging appliance notions, vertical market place.
Perhaps we need to be looking at the way some corporations co-operated during World War II, for the greater good of all concerned, in an extremely polarized world market place. The competitive advantage may be well and good, in the USA, but great world wide advances come from astutely managed centres of excellence who co-operate for the greater good of all and in so doing generate a much greater amazing synergy of goodwill and design excellence which benefits the whole world by advancing in many new, unusual and positive ways.
Well that’s a humble view, but sometimes competition between parties who are awash with mutual gains and advantages perhaps need to be appreciated for their class decision making and market sophistication and technological savvy. It is perhaps a case of the best eggs in two baskets may well be better than one, when choice and design variations and excellence are truly considered. I would prefer to consider the options of a family of devices which are combinatorial of many aspects of digital deliver. Yet we see but with the main aim on digital multi media delivery so the aspect of mobile phone connection may be by itself a minor final mode and but a secondary aspect to the main market strategy of digital media delivery. The whole of market is succinct digital technology delivery and the mobile phone to me is but a passing phase which one day soon may be replaced by a more multi digital media all purpose idevice.
and that is my take.
JJ
“Mac mini-Headless New Movie Clips (.mov).”
Mini Ture_MacJournal

Comment by JJ — November 18, 2005 #
Interesting perspective. I agree with you that Apple and Motorola still have a lot to gain by working together in some capacity.

If they do go their seperate ways and create two seperate devices that do the same thing, there will almost certainly be some level of competition.

But with the long collaborative relationship between the two companies, I can see that there could be mutual benefits in maintaining an alliance…

Comment by Jeremy — November 18, 2005 #
From JJ at
Mini Ture_MacJournal:
Well said Jeremy, the reality is that competition is a fact of life, and to a point healthy competion is what we need, but my thoughts centre on current EU interiorization to US technology and some poor copies and attitudes from some asian and other competitors through adversarial non creative corporate attitudes which in some quarters seem to be very insular in their attitude to the US and Australian market places which does to a point leave me wistful, cold and thoughtful.

Give me good old fashioned US creative innovations like the T-Model Ford, the Boeing 707, the NASA shuttle down to the 1984 Macintosh, and now the iPod and the great push for iHome intelligent automation in the US which now needs to be sensitively nurtured. ‘Borrowers may not lenders be’ in some emerging technological cases, and we perhaps need to be a little more synergistic, sharing and patriotic about our own home grown (US and Australian) very skilled technological young generation… I am talking about the US and Australian home grown skills and many very talented young technologist who need more financial and corporate support. I say this all from an Australian’s point of view of course because we have very talented Mac technologists here as you have in the USA and this creative young generation do need much more centred financial creative support as well. In these new communications fields of emerging technology may we see a more concerted support effort for the universities and for young technologists, programmers and tech support guru’s so that this new era emerging will be a great one of benefit to us all.

Thank you for your comments Jeremy and best wishes
JJ
“Mac mini-Headless Sharing Clips (.mov).”
Mini Ture_MacJournal

Comment by JJ — November 18, 2005 #
[…] Apple has already tried to integrate cell phones with MP3, via their partnership with Motorola over the ROKR iTunes cell phone. That particular device, unfortunately, was a bit of a flop, but there are indications that Apple might try to make a similar device of their own, without the help of Motorola. […]

Pingback by Will Apple Produce a Truly All-in-One Device? » Telecommunications Industry News — May 25, 2006 #
[…] A Piper Jaffray analyst has expressed confidence in Apple Computer Inc., and predicted that there is truth in rumors that the company is planning its own iTunes-compatible mobile phone. […]

Pingback by Analyst Predicts Apple iTunes Cell Phone within 12 Months » Telecommunications Industry News — June 10, 2006 #