Jobs Talks Up Apple Cell Phone

[Suhit Gupta]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=1959' target='_blank'>http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=1959</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Apple Computer chief executive Steve Jobs has been boasting about his company's much-rumored iPod cell phone amongst inner circles, AppleInsider has been told. The remarks are uncharacteristic of Jobs, who is often regarded for his obsession with secrecy -- especially when it comes to unannounced products from his own company. But it's been said that Jobs' own excitement over the device has produced a number of zealous ramblings amongst personal acquaintances dating back to this spring. One person familiar with the ongoings believes the Apple cofounder has commissioned the release of cell phone prototypes to at least two potential OEM manufacturing partners in recent months. Current designs are said to conform to Apple's integrated model and leverage its tightly-knit digital media franchises, that person added."</i><br /><br />That really is uncharacteristic of Jobs. Apple is usually very tight-lipped about their products and Jobs usually wows us all with his keynotes. Is he losing his flare? This past keynote was luke-warm at best and now this news makes me wonder. We are all expecting the iPhone to be coming out in the next 12 months but I prefer the under-promise and over-deliver. Now of course I am expecting this amazing device that will wow us all.

[Damion Chaplin]

Apple limited the ROKR and other iTunes-compatible phones to 100 songs so it wouldn't directly compete against the iPod. Think they'll do the same here?

And where exactly do they intend to sell the phone? Will they limit it to one carrier? That would pretty much pre-emp any attempt at saturating the market iPod-style.

[Jason Dunn]

Apple limited the ROKR and other iTunes-compatible phones to 100 songs so it wouldn't directly compete against the iPod. Think they'll do the same here?

Nope. If this is real, they'll make it full-featured in terms of storage, because they're making money on the hardware. With Motorola, they were just making a small licensing fee.

And where exactly do they intend to sell the phone? Will they limit it to one carrier? That would pretty much pre-emp any attempt at saturating the market iPod-style.

That's where it gets REALLY interesting. I don't know if Apple is prepared for the hell that is working with carriers. Keep in mind that many carriers make their bread and butter selling locked-down dumbphones and $2 ringtones, and now they want to sell $3 songs. Apple and their 99 cent songs are a big threat to them...

[ptyork]

That's where it gets REALLY interesting. I don't know if Apple is prepared for the hell that is working with carriers. Keep in mind that many carriers make their bread and butter selling locked-down dumbphones and $2 ringtones, and now they want to sell $3 songs. Apple and their 99 cent songs are a big threat to them...
If I'm Apple, I'm not really sure I care. I mean, sure, it'd be nice to get the increased volume of sales through carriers, but I think I'd create a GSM + bluetooth + 3G and/or WiFi (for OTA ITMS access + perhaps integrated .mac goodness) phone with 2, 4, or 8 gb flash and market it directly to consumers at first. That covers T-Mobile and Cingular and just about the rest of civilized society with a simple SIM swap. Sell it for $299, $349, and $399 and let it be the sex symbol phone for a while. Then, when (okay, if) consumer demand is high enough, carriers will "fight" to be able to offer it to customers at subsidized rates. Maybe then create a CDMA version for Verizon (exclusive for 6 months, no doubt) and Sprint.

Incidentally, I envision a phone with the basic form of the nano but larger by a factor of 1.5 or 2 with a jog dial that has embedded electro-luminecent numbers that light when you enter "phone" mode (not entirely unlike that Nokia a few years back with the circular button layout). I can even imagine the text entry (2 = b; 2 + rotate clockwise = c; 2 + rotate counterclockwise = a; etc.). Either that, or a "slider" design that reveals a real keypad--less slick but something I'd proably like better in the end because I like the traditional number key layout and tactile feedback for buttons. 'Course, it won't be anything like this since I've yet to even come close to correctly envisioning a pre-announced Apple product. One thing that's 99% sure, we'll FINALLY have an iPod with a user replaceable battery...

[Phronetix]

It can only mean good things about your company when people write articles based on hear-say alone.

Jobs has never confirmed a thing about this iPhone. We all like the idea because we know that Apple has the innovative muscle to creative something that will change the industry. Will it happen? Probably. I'd give it 80-20. There's too much buzz around the business analyst types, who are usually in the know more than the fan-boy types.

I still like the idea of turning the click-wheel into a digital rotary dial, even though it would drive me nuts in practice. :lol:

[Jason Dunn]

If I'm Apple, I'm not really sure I care. I mean, sure, it'd be nice to get the increased volume of sales through carriers, but I think I'd create a GSM + bluetooth + 3G and/or WiFi (for OTA ITMS access + perhaps integrated .mac goodness) phone with 2, 4, or 8 gb flash and market it directly to consumers at first. That covers T-Mobile and Cingular and just about the rest of civilized society with a simple SIM swap.

The thing is, there's never been a successful phone that's been sold like that - like it or not, the carriers are the gateways to the buying customer. Not everyone is comfortable with the idea of buying a phone, swapping out a SIM (hell, most people don't know what a SIM card is!), and configuring the phone themselves. MAYBE is Apple supports this process somehow via their Apple stores...but I really, really doubt it.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

There are phones sold like that, if you look at the global market.

[Phoenix]

...hell, most people don't know what a SIM card is!...

I think it's safe to say most people know what a SIM card is. GSM is the predominant cellular technology in all the world.