iPhone rumor mill conjures multiple models

Rumors about the next-generation iPhone continue unabated, with the latest focusing on doubled internet-connection speeds and - finally - video-capture capability. And maybe more iPhones. Silicon Alley Insider reports that a "plugged-in source in the mobile industry" says that the next-gen iPhones (possibly four models), …

[Anonymous Coward]

Platform fragementation

I don't think Apple will want to go too diverse on the hardware, especially when it comes to giving certain models more features/horsepower over others. The app store seems to be doing very well for them and I don't think they'll want to create hardware that either can't run certain apps or run them very sluggishly compared to others. But we'll see...!

[Brian]

Not Apple's style

Having multiple models like this is just not Apple's style. Since when have they cared if you care whether you get an OLED screen or a regular one? They're going to give you what they have already decided you want.

The only variation I could see is a GPS-less device, but only in the markets that have government problems with GPS. Everyone else will get GPS, as location services are one of the cornerstones of the iPhone economy.

The only real choice is going to be 16GB or 32GB, with 32GB in some other color.

[Anonymous Coward]

This is, of course, pure speculation

Those are your own words. Where is the journalism ? Follow up on your lead, get to their source and then the next source...

It'd be funny if in June/July there is only a software release !

[r76]

video sharing?

Paris, because video sharing is always a painful experience - no matter how fast the upload...

[OrsonX]

Uber iPhone or Kapput iBone

This story filled me with horror... then after thinking about it glee.... but, now I think I'm back on horror again....

[I like my iPhone undiluted and available in every colour, as long as it's black]

The questions to be asked are thus:

- what will be the benefit to the user of the purported new models?

- will the various models detract from each other developmentally wise? Will the runt get left in the gutter?

I really hope Apple are not going to go down the path of every other manufacturer and start baiting us with one model that does this (but not that), and so on... Really, just what would be the benefit of a Nano-iPhone? Or a Video-iPhone w/o GPS (for instance).

I don't mind too much as long as there is an UBER model for people who don't like comprimise.

[It wasnt me]

hmmm......

Reading the post from OrsonX I think the question he really wanted to ask was

If i'm a real fanboi do I have to own one of each?

[Anonymous Coward]

Sounds like Fast Talk to me...

> Unfortunately for current iPhone 3G owners, their unit's wireless circuitry can only handle half that speed

Right. That'll be the 2kps with multiple periodic connection timeouts that my iPhone averages -

(which is double the speed i get during busy peak use time ie the daily commute).

[Ash]

No way

What you'll get is the faster wireless, OLED screen, GPS, and a price tag similar to a 3rd world nation's GDP, and if you don't like it, Apple won't care because the fanbois will lap it up like nectar from the Holy Grail.

[Anonymous Coward]

iPhone Nano

How about the nice new shiny one with HSDPA and video only available if you sign away your life for 2 years to AT&T or O2. And then a basic one with no GPS and video which is available SIM-free (as is the model in China), so you just buy it and stick your SIM in it (as ways originally intended in GSM). Better still, dual-SIM which is popular in China for the Chinese mainland SIM and the Hong Kong SIM.

[Torben Mogensen]

More models

In a sense, they already have quite different models -- if you regard iPod Touch as a model of iPhone. Sure, it doesn't have phone capabilities, but it is essentially the same platform.

So I expect Apple will have several quite distinct models, some with and some without phone capability. One of these I expect will be a (relatively) large-screen (8"-10") notepad, possibly with 3G capability, as Apple's entry into the netbook market (but priced a lot higher than the typical netbook). It will be placed between iPhone/iPod and MacBook both in terms of price and size, thus plugging a gap in the Apple range.

Better camera and video capability has been on the wish list among iPhone users, so it is likely that Apple will do something here. This will probably not use the notepad form factor (as this is unwieldy for this purpose).

[jeffrey]

New Features

I think a massive price increase vs the £99 retail of the 3G woudl be too much to swallow. Therefore I think when they bring out a new model, they will either keep to price the same +- 50% or they will have and expensive high end one and another one that will proably be a version of the current iPhone 3G still at the £99 price point.

[Graham Robinson]

iPhone speed test

I wouldn't trust the speed test results. Acording to their site my speed is currently 1.8Mb/s up and 0.4Mb/s down.

Think broadband correctly states 92Mb/s up and 16.5 down

[Jamie Hylton]

whatever happens...

...it will be a dissappointment... can't see them releasing more than one model... but no doubt there will be a tsunami of hype around this until it is announced, and I'm guessing they'll try and get it out just before the Palm Pre.

[reader]

Consider the source...

Talking to a plugged in source about mobile technology? You might as well consult an archbishop on Buddhist transhumanism.

[xjy]

Whiners

No-one's forcing anyone to buy a fucking Apple product! So if you don't like it, don't buy it. Enough people (not at all "fanbois" you bloody MicroShaft shills!) have preferred the ease of use and number of features the Apple gear has to beat the shit out of the competition - iMac, iPod, iPhone.

Of course they can be better and of course there's marketing jiggery-pokery going on, but hell, this is capitalism, so what do you expect??

I bought myself a non-iPod mp3 player cos of the sound and expandability and price (Sansa Fuze) and have regretted bitterly that I didn't check out the interface better. The combination of impossible and impenetrable organization first with Windows Media Player then with the Fuze has been driving me crazy. It's called ease of use and user-friendly interface. The time I've lost and the accumulated hassle and frustration just aren't worth the money saved or the storage flexibility gained (and that storage is worth a lot to me).

So go ahead and swallow shit for a few quid and an anti-Apple ideology thing. I'm not stopping you, and neither is Apple. Bitch and whine as much as you like. This used to be a free country. If you say Apple is crap just cos you can't reach the fruit, that means sour grapes. If the thing is crap why do you even bother trying to diss it instead of giving constructive criticism regarding your product of choice - a Tata Nano or Citroen 2CV...

(Paris cos she doesn't care about free and wouldn't give a fuck about what cheap bollocks you choose to waste your time on)

[vincent himpe]

can we have some real usefull stuff too ?

Like beaming of contacts and files over bluetooth like any other 5 year old smartphone can do ?

Mounting as external drive ? (try convinvg the companies it department you need itunes on your business dektop/laptop. Njet !

Have normal mini usb connector ? so i don;t need to carry yet another cable...

Be able to run real gps software like tomtom so it would work in place where there is no cell phone coverage ? like when you need it most ?

and would it be too much to ask for stereo audio on bluetooth. Come on. Worlds best music player can only do mono ? duh !