Rumor rubberizes iPhone 3.0
Third Coming due July 17?
The next iPhone will have an OLED display, double the processing power, a 50 per cent improvment in battery life, and a rubber-backed body with a light-up Apple logo on the back.
That is, if a Tuesday article by Apple iPhone Apps is to be believed.
According to "a source who is closely connected to Apple's hardware development team," all this new iPhone goodness and more will be available for purchase on July 17.
Many of the features that the AiA's source predicts will be in the new iPhone have been reported here and elsewhere, including a 3.2-megapixel camera with in-phone video editing a built-in FM transmitter and digital compass, enhanced location services, video and still-photo MMS, and a top capacity of 32GB.
The source adds to this gaggle of goodies the aforementioned OLED screen, a rubberized body (à la the ancient Newton, presumably, and not the "Rubber-tread backing" mentioned by AiA), and a light-up logo on the back - which a pair of posters over at MacDailyNews postulate might double as the much-needed flash for the iPhone's camera.
The new iPhone is alleged to come in 16GB and 32GB versions for $199 and $299, respectively - a safe prediction, seeing as how Apple appears loath to enter a lower-priced arena.
All this, of course, remains pure speculation, since Apple has a long-established policy of not commenting on unannounced products.
Maybe AiA's source made the whole thing up. Maybe he or she saw one of many possible prototypes, and ran with it as real.
And maybe Apple is devilishly stirring the rumor pot, hoping to shift some of the spotlight away from the Palm Pre, which is now officially set to launch on June 6th, a mere two days before Apple kicks off its annual Worldwide Developer Conference with a keynote speech by the company's marketing SVP, Phil Schiller. ®
COMMENTS
@ Michael C - big thanks
Yup, exchanged my water damaged puppy @ Apple store in Canada. No questions asked, no requests for my carrier invoice or contract, nada. I did have to make an Genius appointment.
They kept the old phone, my wallet got $229 CAD lighter (after tax) and I left with a working iPhone 3G 8gb.
Kudos to them for having finally gotten a clue. Good thing I had kept my phone for my kids to play with, rather than junking or recycling it.
Txs again, Michael, for the heads up on that water damage policy change.
@OLED
OLED is cropping up on games consoles like the GP2X Wiz, so there's no reason why it's not phone capable.
It has better contrast and there's no battery eating battery life.
@AC
"Funny - the iPhone has sold around 3.9 million, Blackberry has sold 7.2 million in the same space, dominating it is not. Smart phone sales still only represent 12.7% of the sales and going nowhere fast in the recession."
Where did you pull those numbers from? The IPhone has sold 21.4m units.
As of 18th Dec 2008 BlackBerry has 21m subscribers (http://www.rim.com/investors/pdf/Q3F09_MDA_FS_PR.pdf).
Not too shabby for IPhone considering the 9 year lead for BB.
Ack...
Hate to say, I was almost considering one of the things (never know, still might if Apple don't do like these rumours and utterly screw the specs again).
Rubberising it is an interesting one. Seen loads of the things get dropped and shattered due to the excess shine on the things. But then again, the shine is what appeals to many in the magpie effect. Doesn't matter that you are sooner or later going to introduce it to the pavement, its shiny! Maybe they might do some kind of compremise with the edges rubberised or something, all guesses like everyone else but would be more fitting to keep a grip and keep Apple innovative shine.
The light up logo is nothing but typical Apple. No bloody use what so ever but showing off. Stupid. If they want to add a light stick it on the top edge and give it a lens and maybe we can use it as a torch!
As for the screen, its not going to be OLED, but a AMOLED...ok just a few differances but they are beautiful enough, glitzy enough, and big enough and cheap enough to be stuck in a phone. Samsungs been doing it for some time so no doubt Apple will claim to be innovative again and use one also.
The camera on the first two was bad enough...and way behind the times. If they move to 3.2MP its a complete joke. My three year old phone was 5MP with a crap lens on a par with Apples usual efforts. Current phones are going 8 or 12MP with a good lens, fast response and a good flash. I never really liked having a camera on a phone, these days just love it and its a feature I won't live without for those few great instant snaps.
Apple-1:Opposition-0
...if the description is true then the opposition might as well pack their bags and go home as it's Game Over.
Nokia can pile in the mega-pixels 'till the cows come home but it will be to no avail, there is only one phone people want now. I have 2 devout Nokia totting friends who are not waiting for the N97 as they should be right now, oh no, they only have one phone in their thoughts...
My only dilema is whether to wait 'till the end of my contract and go straight from V2 to V4???
