Apple said to have 3G-enabled iPod in pipeline
Cutting voice ties with carriers?
Apple may be gearing up to release a version of the iPod Touch with 3G cellular connectivity built-in.
So suggests Dutch-language fansite AppleSpot without shaying who told dem and vot was being shmoked during de convurshashion.
It's certainly a bizarre notion since Apple would undoubteldy hope any iPod Touch owner wanting a 3G links out-of-range-of-Wi-Fi communications would buy an iPhone or an iPad.
Then again, an iPod enabled for data might make a lot of sense in the context of iCloud. Though, again, Wi-Fi would be sufficient.
And, short of design tweaks, there aren't many other features Apple can add to the iPod Touch that it might well bolt on 3G data access simply to refresh the product.
Conspiracy theorists will like this notion: a 3G iPod Touch as mobile messaging device that lets Apple do VoIP, video calling and instant messaging WITHOUT CARRIER PARTNERS.
Except, of course, where is it going to get 3G data access from?
Maybe it's time to dust off those old Apple-as-virtual-network-operator rumours...
Our own Apple source said of the Netherlands-sourced news: "If this rumour is true, I'm a Dutchman." ®
COMMENTS
iPod touch + 3G = cheap iPhone?
There were rumors of Apple coming with not one but two new iPhone models this year -- a cheaper version of the iPhone 4 and a truly new iPhone 5. An iPod touch based iPhone (with the same cheaper display and cameras) with a low price could be quite a hit. And what's an iPod touch with a 3G radio other than an iPhone?
Well, we will see.
iPhone shuffle?
I'm still waiting for an iPhone shuffle.... It would have no screen or keyboard, but press a button and it calls one of your contacts at random...
... yes, I need an app to find my coat.... and the coat icon?
Ipod Touch
Maybe I'm missing something, but isn't the iPone just a iPod touch with 3g anyway? While the iPod Nano being something different
err why should "they have done it in the previous 3 generations"...?
they didn't have iCloud up yet...
So, not much point from Apple's point of view.
I think they can do a lot more interesting things with their Datacenter, than trying to get everybody to stream their own music to themselves, and end up with no music if they ever drive through a tunnel or are out of the city...
I like having a good little microcomputer called 'phone' on my travels, can watch downloaded university lectures, read books, listen to music, type stuff, even write code on it - importantly, without needing any connection for all that fun.
So I won't be caught dead making everything on it network dependent no matter how many radios are on that device. Various radios are great, so long as we can turn them on and off as we please...
Sorry, what?
After the iPhone without the phone, the iPod with a phone?
What is next, a iPad nano, so that you can make phone calss with it?
