http://mobile.engadget.com/2006/07/29/wild-speculation-iphone-to-launch-in-august/ Engadget Mobile Comments for Wild speculation: iPhone to launch in August? http://mobile.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://mobile.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://mobile.engadget.com/2006/07/29/wild-speculation-iphone-to-launch-in-august/http://mobile.engadget.com/2006/07/29/wild-speculation-iphone-to-launch-in-august/
Ill believe it when I see it. Don't want to get my hopes up.

PS: first post]]>Jul 29th 2006 3:23PMhttp://mobile.engadget.com/2006/07/29/wild-speculation-iphone-to-launch-in-august/http://mobile.engadget.com/2006/07/29/wild-speculation-iphone-to-launch-in-august/
even if an "iphone" ever did come into existence, i wouldn't even consider it unless it had a wm5 killer os. if it did, then i could justify buying it ('cause you know apple's gonna jack up the price tag on that sucker).

"add this to the even more speculation about the possibility of incorporating the Intel Core 2 duo's into the new Macs"

uh, that's not speculation; apple's been planning for a while to use intel's amd 4x4 killer.
here's a thought, which marketing strategy is more effective:
1. leaking proto shots and data about a phone to hype the unknown release of it, or
2. running the rumor mill into the ground WAY before you even plan on doing anything, and hyping up the product by being wiley and vague about any details given (if any at all) while still promising you're doing something?

or, in real life, which has generated more buzz, the gsm treo release, or the iphone (speculative) release?]]>Jul 29th 2006 7:04PMhttp://mobile.engadget.com/2006/07/29/wild-speculation-iphone-to-launch-in-august/http://mobile.engadget.com/2006/07/29/wild-speculation-iphone-to-launch-in-august/
Example 2: My buddy on the street that knows everyone says that Apple is working with Motorola on a phone.

Bottomline; if you don't want to be called a rumormonger in this business... don't rely on non-direct sources. Both those situations probably did happen, and generated rumors that were way off base from Apple's Nike iPod integration, and Motorola's iTunes phone.

And both were described as such on rumor sites. No offense, but come on, you don't have a chance in this business without collaboration on reports.]]>Jul 29th 2006 9:54PMhttp://mobile.engadget.com/2006/07/29/wild-speculation-iphone-to-launch-in-august/http://mobile.engadget.com/2006/07/29/wild-speculation-iphone-to-launch-in-august/Jul 30th 2006 1:00AMhttp://mobile.engadget.com/2006/07/29/wild-speculation-iphone-to-launch-in-august/http://mobile.engadget.com/2006/07/29/wild-speculation-iphone-to-launch-in-august/
Personally, I can't see why so many people think an "iPhone" would be a regular cell phone. I don't see Apple making a phone just for the US market (that means no MNVO), and I can't see them marketing handsets direct to the consumer (ala. SonyEricsson). It seems more likely to me that Apple will announce a VoIP enabled smart device, maybe something like a media-centric analogue of the Nokia 7710 that will ship with a built-in VoIP client that runs over a WiFi connection. I could imagine that the service would be further Apple branded with direct tie-ins with hot-spot providers for telephony on the go. Give it a VoiP to POTS bridge, with a nominal fee, and you might just have a winner.

Keep in mind, that Apple and Softbank announced a "mobile lifestyles" collaboration this last April, after Softbank took over Vodafone's Japanese subsidiary. Softbank runs one of the major ISPs in Japan, and is rapidly building out their public WiFi network. They also have an IP-phone service that works well, and have expressed an interest of creating a deeper synergy between their phone and internet business units. Which might make them a roll-out partner.

This gives apple the entry into the mobile space with out having to rely on they type of big-corporate partner (read verizon) that is unlikely to "get" their products. It also allows Apple to take a nascent technology (mobile VoiP) and define it with that special Apple goodness, like they did with the iPod / iTunes/ iTunes Music Store.

Of course, that is just my personal take on it, and undoubtedly Apple would do a more clever job of it than I could imagine. Nevertheless, if Apple released a device with that type of mobile VoIP functinality, that also added in iTunes, a web browser, and email client (sort of a roaming iLife suite), I would seriously consider buying it. ]]>Jul 30th 2006 7:27AM