Apple said to have 3G-enabled iPod in pipeline

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 …

[Jonathan White]

iPad 3G

Initially you'd think they've got an iPad with a 3G data connection built in, why not an iPod touch 3G?

Except, once iOS 5 hits they'll be able to do equivalents of voice, video and SMS, you could imagine the telcos getting a mite upset. And it would rather blur the distinction between the ipod touch and iphone.

It seems an odd move at this point to do it to be honest - if they were going to add 3G, surely they'd have done it at some point in the previous three generations?

[N13L5]

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...

[guybles]

Let's take a look around

The Kindle seems to manage just fine with built-in 'Whispernet' 3G (on selected models). So, for all those conspiracists who love to talk about Apple trying to tie-in people to iTunes, it's a no-brainer.

Just sayin', like.

[Chad H.]

Whispernet

IIRC Whispernet is just a MVNO, which at the end of the day still needs a network partner.

[Anonymous Coward]

Perhaps Apple should buy...?

Perhaps Apple should buy... Three, Vodafone (which includes a big chunk of Verizon Wireless in the US) or other networks and take over as a mobile provider - they have to do something with all that CA$H sitting there.

[Chad H.]

Something to do with the cash?

You mean throw it into a sector thats in decline revenue-wise?

I think they're smarter than that.

[Anonymous Coward]

Might be optimistic

Vodafone's market cap is about twice the size of Apple's cash pile

[Andy Scott]

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

[Anonymous Coward]

Pricing

I've always been surprised by the big difference in pricing between the equivalent iPhone and iPod Touch, especially when they are usually the same hardware spec. It's as if the radio part is very expensive.

But if they put 3G into the iPod Touch then it mustn't be.

Does this mean Apple are overcharging for their iPhones :)

[Chad H.]

Err...

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...

---

And still needs a carrier partner to do this.

[Bilgepipe]

Err...

>>> Though, again, Wi-Fi would be sufficient.

Well... not in an area without Wifi coverage - you know, like most of the world.

[tmTM]

Nearly...

They're about one step away from releasing the exact same product and changing the stickers.

I suppose that'd cut down on production costs, simplify tech support, R&D............

[jai]

who?

and the name of your so-called "Apple source"?

Henk van Vlakkelandburger??

[Anonymous Coward]

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?

[stucs201]

aren't many other features Apple can add

Er, a few seconds thought:

Radio? FM and/or DAB. Maybe even TV tuner?

Intergral FM transmitter? Instead of buying an external one for the car.

More capacity? Its still a long way behind the classic on this (and the classic is overdue a capacity bump)

USB 3 for faster synching.

[uhuznaa]

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.

[VeganVegan]

Lightsquared

Assuming that Lightsquared gets the GPS interference issues settled, they will wholesale US-wide 4G-LTE.

That presents an opportunity for anyone (Apple?) to act as a private telco.

[ratfox]

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?