Apple and Verizon Working On iPhone Lite and Media Pad or MacBook Mini
The week has started with a lot of rumors as yesterday we’ve seen that Apple is in talks with Verizon for taking the iPhone to the carrier as of 2010. I remind you that Apple has an exclusive deal for the iPhone with AT&T until 2010, however, AT&T is looking to extend this deal as the handset was the biggest success in the carrier’s history. If Apple doesn’t extend the exclusive iPhone AT&T deal, then AT&T will be hurt badly, while Apple will gain a lot from Verizon’s subscribers.
Reports show that Apple is working with Verizon Wireless on a new iPhone that would work on the CDMA network. The next-gen iPhone would work in a dual-mode radio called WCDMA/LTE. The faster and next-gen technology called LTE or 4G will be ready nationwide in 2015, but WDCMA/LTE can be used now, says Verizon, therefore a dual-mode radio for the iPhone would be great as a starting point.
Apple denies working on a CDMA iPhone because the technology will no longer exist in a few years, however, there is a lot of evidence which points to a Apple-Verizon deal as of 2010. It is said that Apple and Verizon are working on two new devices, the iPhone Lite, and a Media Pad. An inside source says that he has seen the devices and the smaller one is a mobile phone which will be cheap, while the other device would allow users to listen to music, view photos, videos, and it would feature a WiFi connection.
Well, it’s clear that the first would be the so-called Verizon iPhone Lite, but we are not sure about the second – it’s the MacBook Mini netbook? Or it’s indeed just a Media Pad? Apple already has the iPods, and I don’t think this would be a Verizon Media Pad. Verizon’s CEO admitted that he is in talks with Apple, but he didn’t give more details therefore anything is possible and we like to think that the rumors are true.
The Apple Verizon iPhone Lite will be smaller, thinner, and less expensive than the iPhone 3G, and it could be released sometime in the next year. I was getting more excited to learn new things about the other device and just when I was sure that it’s not going to be a Media Pad, I realized that this is exactly what is going to be. The inside source says that Apple will unveil a new device category. It will be revolutionary. Apple said many times that they are not going to develop a netbook because they are crappy. But what’s this Media Pad? And why is it heading to Verizon? We don’t know that right now, but we should find out soon as it could be released this summer.
What do you think? Will Apple unveil a Verizon iPhone Lite to support WCDMA/LTE network? Will Apple unveil a Verizon Media Pad? If not, a MacBook Mini? Stick with us and we will let you know if anything shows up!
via BusinessWeek
- THIS POST WAS WRITTEN BY:
- Dragos Pirvu
My guess is that Apple will release a tablet device with no keyboard at WWDC ‘09 in San Francisco. Here are my suspected features:
* 10″ diagonal screen
* Multi-touch (up to 5 touches simultaneously)
* Support for stylus (optional) to allow for digital signatures
* Forward-only camera for video conferencing (identical to MBPro Unibody)
* 3G SIM slot (optional use) for AT&T and other 3G GSM/UMTS providers
* WiFi-N (no brainer here)
* Bluetooth 3.0 for keyboard, mouse, headphones and iPhone synching
* No hard drive, but with 32GB or 64GB solid state memory, not really SSD but similar to iPhone memory
* Ports: Single mini-USB, headphones, mini-display & power
* Full OSX 10.6 (Snow Leopard) support, not a custom version. Installation will require external hard drive
* A removable flip cover similar to the Palm V that will flip under the bottom of the device, and have a fold out “stand” like a picture frame to let you set the device on a desk for use with a bluetooth keyboard and mouse.
Expect a price point of $999 and availability around the end of the year.
Reasons why I think this will be “the device”:
1. The medical market is screaming for a device like this (as long as it has a stylus for signatures).
2. Field data collection and delivery markets could greatly benefit from a device with a bigger display but something lighter than a tablet-PC.
3. Apple has no entry for the netbook market and this would sufficiently cover that market with a bluetooth keyboard
4. Students could use the device for a lightweight alternative to notebooks and help Apple recover some of the market share it’s lost in the educational notebook market.
I wish Apple or Verizon would make up their mind. They need to remember there’s a lot of customers like myself that are looking to buy the i-phone now but are unsure of the future and are Verizon customers.
this is uncalled for, my bf wants an iphone, but can’t get it b/c he is with verizon, make up your minds and keep it that way,my goodnesses