New iMacs in retail system; 3G iPhone redesign rumor; 3G's "D-Day"

[AppleInsider]

Apple's upcoming iMac has made a tentative appearance in US retail channel systems. Meanwhile, one rumor has the 3G iPhone receiving both GPS and a significant visual update, an analyst calls WWDC's opening "D-Day" for new iPhone models, and the latest SDK for the handset may allow background apps.

iMac refresh entering retail tracking systems

Following a recent Geeksugar report, details of Apple's first update to the aluminum iMac have filtered into retail, AppleInsider has heard.

A memo distributed among some of Apple's stateside channel partners this week has reportedly provided a heads-up on the refresh, informing them that the changes will primarily touch on the systems' processors and hard drives rather than a significant redesign.

People familiar with the matter tell AppleInsider that placeholders for the new desktops have already been entered into Best Buy's inventory system. How many models will be available is unknown, although a second report indicated seven part numbers entering the system, three of which were dedicated to memory upgrade kits.

Not all resellers are being made aware of the update, however. Checks with multiple American suppliers show them to have ample stock of all existing iMacs save for the Core 2 Extreme version, while the only clue from other regions is a mention from Ingram Micro's European division, which was told without warning that it could order current iMacs with a greater than normal discount.

Apple never slashes prices for resellers without specific reasons, European sources note.

New 3G iPhone rumor claims GPS, flush audio jack

Escalating the already rampant speculation about an iPhone with third-generation cellular Internet access, Engadget on Friday claimed to have new information regarding the Apple device from a "trusted source" who has used the future handheld.

The new iPhone will have the expected 3G access, but should also have a "proper" GPS receiver that lets it track map data in real time, the alleged tipster says. Apple will also have addressed complaints of the recessed headphone jack limiting choices and is now believed to have placed the jack flush with the outside, allowing any standard earphone set to work properly.

Cosmetically, the phone is said to resemble a purportedly leaked image released by iPod Observer that shows the anodized aluminum back replaced with a glossy black case. The volume switch is also now chrome.

Apple's refresh is "slightly" thicker and more rounded than the 0.44-inch thick model sold today, the report adds, but will otherwise be fairly similar.

The rumor goes against prevailing expectations, however, by suggesting that Apple may not ship or even announce the 3G update until July. This clashes with analyst predictions of the phone's debut at WWDC in June, many of which have been triggered by promotional discounts for the iPhone in Europe.

However, the mention of mapping technology supports claims that Apple's iPhone SDK has contained GPS references inside its emulation code that would only be applicable to actual hardware, and not simply Apple's data-based triangulation method used today.

Analyst: WWDC is 3G iPhone's "D-Day"

Likening Apple's phone efforts to a famous World War II beach invasion, Citi analyst Richard Gardner this week called Apple's Worldwide Developer conference the "D-Day" for a 3G iPhone that would also begin an "impressive wave" of new products.

This would include not just the next-generation firmware and software development kit but also a hectic update schedule over the three months following the developer event.

"We expect a complete refresh of the laptop and iPod lines," Gardner says. "The SDK should [also] yield hundreds of compelling iPhone/iPod touch third-party apps for by [sic] Christmas."

Citi's researcher also predicts good fortune for Apple through a "tailwind" of cheap memory and other components, though cautions that gross margins may be smaller in the near term as Apple may have bought some memory prematurely at the end of last year, missing out on an important price cut.

iPhone SDK beta may contain hooks for background apps

Further exploration of Apple's newest iPhone SDK beta appears to contain program calls that could be used for running third-party applications in teh background, TUAW reports.

Methods are included in the UIApplication delegate class that refer to both enabling and giving up status as the active application -- a technique used in many programs to keep them running but change certain behaviors when the app gains primary focus.

Apple's guidelines for iPhone development have so far barred background use for all but its own software, effectively ruling out instant messaging clients and other software that depends on constant activity.

Such rules aren't known to have changed with the latest SDK release but would conflict with these code changes.

[Zweben]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

iPhone SDK beta may contain hooks for background apps

Further exploration of Apple's newest iPhone SDK beta appears to contain program calls that could be used for running third-party applications in teh background, TUAW reports.

Methods are included in the UIApplication delegate class that refer to both enabling and giving up status as the active application -- a technique used in many programs to keep them running but change certain behaviors when the app gains primary focus.

Apple's guidelines for iPhone development have so far barred background use for all but its own software, effectively ruling out instant messaging clients and other software that depends on constant activity.

Such rules aren't known to have changed with the latest SDK release but would conflict with these code changes.

I think Apple is just being cautious, and wants developers to get used to iPhone development before they allow them too much freedom, to make sure everything gets off to a smooth start. If they let people do anything they want from the get-go, it might result in occasional poor usage of background functions, which could cause a hit to the iPhone's stability or speed, and bad PR. I think they'll probably relax their limitations eventually, once the attention around the app store dies down and developers start to get the hang of the iPhone.

[Solar]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

Cosmetically, the phone is said to resemble a purportedly leaked image released by iPod Observer that shows the anodized aluminum back replaced with a glossy black case. The volume switch is also now chrome.

Apple's refresh is "slightly" thicker and more rounded than the 0.44-inch thick model sold today, the report adds, but will otherwise be fairly similar.

Could that be a zirconia back instead of the old aluminum style.

[dp123]

I wouldn't be surprised by an announce/reveal at WWDC (with possibly pre-orders) and shipment following at the end of the month, early July. Apple can postpone and keep some secrecy with the FCC, but ultimately the FCC is going to release its certification. I think Jobs will always want to trump them/keep the reveal for himself.

[NasserAE]

I see another MW 2008 disappointment for WWDC this year. Expectations are too high.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by NasserAE

I see another MW 2008 disappointment for WWDC this year. Expectations are too high.

It really doesn't matter what Apple announces during their planned keynotes, there will still be the same muppets trying to drown out any good news with their disappointed chatter.

[Ireland]

Originally Posted by Solar

Could that be a zirconia back instead of the old aluminum style.

Could be actually. Glossy plastic strikes me and something that would look very cheap. I'd be highly highly surprised if the whole back was glossy plastic.



This is what black zirconia looks like.

[Blascock]

Thicker? Same screen?... Lame. I wanted thinner wit OLED...

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by Blascock

Thicker? Same screen?... Lame. I wanted thinner wit OLED...

Not thinner. When Apple can get a solid 12 hours of 4G use out of it then they can make it thinner.

OLED would be great. Do we know how much such a panel would cost?

[Constable Odo]

No matter what features the iPhone delivers, there will be people that want more. Removable battery, unbreakable glass, smudgeproof case, LED flash, OLED display, etc. It doesn't matter if the iPhone is overall far better than any other smartphone on the market, they'll find many things inadequate and the griping will continue. Eff 'em I say. iPhone 2.0 FTW.

BTW, has anyone heard about whether it will have copy and paste functions?

[Ireland]

Originally Posted by solipsism

Not thinner. When Apple can get a solid 12 hours of 4G use out of it then they can make it thinner.

OLED would be great. Do we know how much such a panel would cost?

I'd pay an extra $100 for an OLED screen, and it wouldn't even cost that.

[Ireland]

Originally Posted by Constable Odo

BTW, has anyone heard about whether it will have copy and paste functions?

Copy and paste is a software feature, not a 2G phone feature. Don't ask me why in the heck they are not adding it. I already told them what to do with the loupe 4 months ago for copying and pasting text.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by Ireland

I'd pay an extra $100 for an OLED screen, and it wouldn't even cost that.

I'd pay an extra $200 for a one inch thick iPhone that has enough battery for 24+ hours of "interneting" while listening to music, taking calls and with the brightness to full.

Originally Posted by Ireland

Copy and paste is a software feature, not a 2G phone feature. Don't ask me why in the heck they are not adding it.

I think his iPhone 2.0 comment is referring to the OS.

[ksec]

Wow... thicker iphone... What about better camera.... I cant wait that long ><

[Monkeyoe]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

Further exploration of Apple's newest iPhone SDK beta appears to contain program calls that could be used for running third-party applications in teh background, TUAW reports.

Is that a quote or is that how you spell "the"? (4th last word by the way)

[addabox]

Teh background FTW!

[addabox]

Originally Posted by Solar

Could that be a zirconia back instead of the old aluminum style.

Good catch.

I just checked the Wiki entry on Zirconia, and they actually cite the Apple patent.

Any materials technology types know if Zirconia can be fabricated with color, as opposed to color being applied after the fact?

A tough, lightweight ceramic material with no external coating to scratch off and radio transparency really does seem like it would be ideal for a handheld device using antennas.

Must be some stumbling blocks to getting it to work, though, or we would have seen it by now. Brittle when thin? Easily scratched? Too much of a heat insulator?

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by addabox

Good catch.

I just checked the Wiki entry on Zirconia, and they actually cite the Apple patent.

Any materials technology types know if Zirconia can be fabricated with color, as opposed to color being applied after the fact?

A tough, lightweight ceramic material with no external coating to scratch off and radio transparency really does seem like it would be ideal for a handheld device using antennas.

Must be some stumbling blocks to getting it to work, though, or we would have seen it by now. Brittle when thin? Easily scratched? Too much of a heat insulator?

That is pretty cool. I though the Zirconia talk was just wishful thinking and not something that Apple could pull out of it's hat.

[bsenka]

Originally Posted by Constable Odo

No matter what features the iPhone delivers, there will be people that want more. Removable battery, unbreakable glass, smudgeproof case, LED flash, OLED display, etc. It doesn't matter if the iPhone is overall far better than any other smartphone on the market, they'll find many things inadequate and the griping will continue.

The removable battery is something I sure as heck will not stop griping about until they start having it in both the iPhone and the iPod lines. There is no excuse for this to not have been there in the first place.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by bsenka

The removable battery is something I sure as heck will not stop griping about until they start having it in both the iPhone and the iPod lines. There is no excuse for this to not have been there in the first place.

There are valid excuses why Apple doesn't allow it.

1) Lithium batteries are not alkaline batteries, therefor not in need of frequent changing. And in most cases never.
2) Adding a battery cover requires additional engineering which adds complexity and cost to the design while increasing its thickness and potentially lowering the durability
3) Apple can make things the way they to. (Of course, you don't have to like it either).

[addabox]

Originally Posted by solipsism

There are valid excuses why Apple doesn't allow it.

1) Lithium batteries are not alkaline batteries, therefor not in need of frequent changing. And in most cases never.
2) Adding a battery cover requires additional engineering which adds complexity and cost to the design while increasing its thickness and potentially lowering the durability
3) Apple can make things the way they to. (Of course, you don't have to like it either).

I would just add, Bsenka, you'll be griping till the sun caves in, because Apple is never going to put a user replaceable battery in the iPhone or Touch. Their position on this is going to become more justified, not less, as time goes on, because batteries are going to get better and better.

In fact, don't be surprised if other manufacturers don't start following suit.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by addabox

In fact, don't be surprised if other manufacturers don't start following suit.

For instance, MS' Zune.

[addabox]

Originally Posted by solipsism

For instance, MS' Zune.

Yeah, funny that. You never seem to hear a lot of bitching about how insane and controlling and clueless MS is for going with a non-replaceable battery.

[monstrosity]

If I were CEO of apple (and i will be one day ) i would split the iphone line in two.

Thats if the extra power to run 3G is to be believed.

1) I would basically repackage the current iphone into a smaller sleeker form (without 3G) a kind of iPhone Air. Why? because there are still many territories that dont have decent 3G coverage, and the philosophies behind apple originally not including 3G are still just as true now as they were when they first designed the iphone.
I have been using 3G for years, it aint all that, the 2.5G WIFI angle apple went with was a perfect tradeoff for battery life, form factor, ease of use.

2) Make an 3G iPhone Brick slightly thicker than it is now, the back utilized for a second screen but E-ink instead, used for keyboard and ebooks etc. Proximity sensor on the front for new interactive capabilities, oh and GPS.

[NasserAE]

Originally Posted by solipsism

There are valid excuses why Apple doesn't allow it.

1) Lithium batteries are not alkaline batteries, therefor not in need of frequent changing. And in most cases never.
2) Adding a battery cover requires additional engineering which adds complexity and cost to the design while increasing its thickness and potentially lowering the durability
3) Apple can make things the way they to. (Of course, you don't have to like it either).

I agree with you. I don't see a need for a user replaceable battery. I'd rather buy a USB charger for my iPhone, which can fully charge the iPhone more than 4 times using AA batteries, instead of carrying a spare battery.

[monstrosity]

Originally Posted by addabox

Yeah, funny that. You never seem to hear a lot of bitching about how insane and controlling and clueless MS is for going with a non-replaceable battery.

I have NEVER had to replace a phone battery in my life, nor do I know anyone that has. Phones are disposable items designed to last two years max, where i come from (england) owning the same phone for a year is absolute maximum!

Some people get through two or three phones a year, lost, stolen, blocking toilets, broken joystick, sitting on them and smashing the screen, throwing them at partners, using them to punch people with, opening beer bottles with.... it's a harsh world for a phone.

And if a phone does last a year, it gets sent a special congratulatory letter from the queen.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by NasserAE

I agree with you. I don't see a need for a user replaceable battery. I'd rather buy a USB charger for my iPhone, which can fully charge the iPhone more than 4 times using AA batteries, instead of carrying a spare battery.

I've been waiting for the Mophie iPhone Juice Pack. I was about to complain that it's still not available (I think I checked 2 days ago). Lo and behold it's now available. Oh happy day! I'm a very heavy Mobile Safari user, and while I can get 8 hours out of the IPhone on EDGE, I do have to turn the brightness down to its minimum.

• http://www.mophie.com/products/juice-pack

Note: Multiply those numbers by 2 to get the total hours.

[monstrosity]

Anyhow I have taken steps to resolve the mobile phone battery issue myself, here is an image of one of my inventions...


....I have designed, manufactured, and installed these in all the pubs in my area, it means nobody has to worry about running out of batteries again, and it's a good excuse to sink an ale.

Incidentally if anyone is interested in my having a HandyCharge installed on their premises please contact me...

[teckstud]

Originally Posted by solipsism

I'd pay an extra $200 for a one inch thick iPhone that has enough battery for 24+ hours of "interneting" while listening to music, taking calls and with the brightness to full.

Really? How would you fit it in your pants pocket? They should be going smaller in anything - not larger?

[teckstud]

Originally Posted by monstrosity

I have NEVER had to replace a phone battery in my life, nor do I know anyone that has. Phones are disposable items designed to last two years max, where i come from (england) owning the same phone for a year is absolute maximum!

Some people get through two or three phones a year, lost, stolen, blocking toilets, broken joystick, sitting on them and smashing the screen, throwing them at partners, using them to punch people with, opening beer bottles with.... it's a harsh world for a phone.

And if a phone does last a year, it gets sent a special congratulatory letter from the queen.

I guess that's why most people are satisfied with only spending $50 on a cell phone for that very reason.

[teckstud]

Originally Posted by solipsism

For instance, MS' Zune.

Don't you think a thicker iPhone is rather Zune-ish?

[sequitur]

Originally Posted by addabox

Teh background FTW!

I know what WTF means, but what is FTW?

[melgross]

Originally Posted by Ireland

Could be actually. Glossy plastic strikes me and something that would look very cheap. I'd be highly highly surprised if the whole back was glossy plastic.



This is what black zirconia looks like.

That's a zircon, a gemstone.

Zirconia is a ceramic.

[melgross]

Originally Posted by monstrosity

I have NEVER had to replace a phone battery in my life, nor do I know anyone that has. Phones are disposable items designed to last two years max, where i come from (england) owning the same phone for a year is absolute maximum!

Some people get through two or three phones a year, lost, stolen, blocking toilets, broken joystick, sitting on them and smashing the screen, throwing them at partners, using them to punch people with, opening beer bottles with.... it's a harsh world for a phone.

And if a phone does last a year, it gets sent a special congratulatory letter from the queen.

I just replaced the battery in my daughters phone. But, that's after two and a half years of constant use.

[Messiah]

Originally Posted by Blascock

Thicker? Same screen?... Lame. I wanted thinner wit OLED...

I want a car with wings...

[inkswamp]

I just hope this somehow includes a matte screen option. I recently had the chance to sit down in front of one of these new iMacs in an office setting and the glare and reflection were much worse than I thought they would be. I was really hoping I could sit in front of it and say, "Wow, it's not that bad" but it was.

The people in the office even had the windows covered with tinted plastic sheets so as to reduce the sunlight coming in, and the low-level light was still very distracting and annoying. The guy who sat at the computer said it was a nonstop battle to deal with the glare. On top of that, the drop in display quality from the previous generation iMac was readily apparent (at least to my eyes.) It looked like a cheap third-party display. Very sad.

I still don't understand what Apple was thinking with the iMac displays, and I hope like hell they fix it with this update. I am, for the record, not counting on it.

[Karelia]

Originally Posted by sequitur

I know what WTF means, but what is FTW?

Fuck the what?

Actually, it's For The Win.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by teckstud

Really? How would you fit it in your pants pocket? They should be going smaller in anything - not larger.

My first answer to your question, is "I wear big boy pants now". Most people have wallets thicker than an inch. And those are usually filled with cards that will never be used.

When the iPhone v2.0 comes out with 3rd-party apps and a 3G version with much faster internet the battery is going to be drained even faster just from additional non-phone use. That isn't even considering the additional power draw from the faster chip.

The Mophie Juice Pack I ordered just last night will make my iPhone 0.75". Even if it didn't fit I'd find a way to attach it as the most important feature to me is the longevity of the device when I'm away from a charging station. I surely can't be the only one who is out all day and uses their mobile extensively.

[federmoose]

Originally Posted by monstrosity

I have NEVER had to replace a phone battery in my life, nor do I know anyone that has. Phones are disposable items designed to last two years max, where i come from (england) owning the same phone for a year is absolute maximum!

Some people get through two or three phones a year, lost, stolen, blocking toilets, broken joystick, sitting on them and smashing the screen, throwing them at partners, using them to punch people with, opening beer bottles with.... it's a harsh world for a phone.

And if a phone does last a year, it gets sent a special congratulatory letter from the queen.

Okay, this is FAR from how phones work in the US. We get 2 year contracts... so keeping a phone for 2 years is a must. At that point, many phones need a battery replaced. But I do agree with you on the iphone: if you're willing to pay $400+ for 2 years worth of phone, you can pay $90 to keep using the darned thing for another 2 years.

[federmoose]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

Apple's upcoming iMac has made a tentative appearance in US retail channel systems.

Am I the only one surprised at new iMacs? I mean, a complete redesign of the macbook/pro line has been rumored for a year now, but iMacs were refreshed pretty recently. Is this just a speed bump or are we talking a redesign (or at least a matte screen as previously mentioned)? I think a redesign is unlikely, especially since the portable line is purportedly being redesigned to resemble the iMac line.