Apple developers told to prepare 'full screen' apps for Jan. demo
Further fueling a whirlwind of tablet-related speculation Wednesday, some app developers have reportedly been told by Apple to prepare new versions of their software for a "full screen resolution" demo next month.
"Apple is preparing to show off a new, larger mobile device with a higher resolution display in January -- probably a version of the Apple tablet we've been hearing about for months -- according to a plugged-in source in the mobile industry," Silicon Alley Insider reported Wednesday.
The source reportedly said that developers were asked to prepare their apps for a demo next month by making them support a full-screen resolution, rather than the fixed 320x480 pixel size of the iPhone and iPod touch screen. The source said applications that can accommodate the larger screen size will run "just fine" on the new device.
The report also alleged that the device will not go on sale in January, but will simply be demoed. It is assumed that Apple wants to give other developers more time to prepare their applications to run on larger screens.
The rumor would suggest that the tablet runs a version of the iPhone OS, as it is alleged to be compatible with existing iPhone and iPod touch apps, albeit at a higher resolution.
The Silicon Alley Insider report was another in a number of tablet-related rumors that cropped up Wednesday. Earlier reports suggested a January unveiling, with mass production expected to start as soon as February. That could put it on track for March release. Another report alleged that Apple was working on a tablet with a 7-inch screen size, contrary to many longstanding claims of a 10-inch screen, though speculation has suggested Apple could release both form factors.
Various publications have connected the tablet and its anticipated formal announcement with two recent moves by Apple: the purchase of music streaming service Lala, which is expected to result in an overhaul of the iTunes service, and the company's alleged negotiations with CBS and Walt Disney to allow a TV subscription plan. The tablet is expected to be portrayed as a multimedia device capable of browsing the Web, watching movies, and reading content.
Various publishers have prepared for the tablet, even though it has not been officially announced. But numerous rumors have indicated that Apple has reached out to various print publications about providing their content on a new form factor.
"Apple is preparing to show off a new, larger mobile device with a higher resolution display in January -- probably a version of the Apple tablet we've been hearing about for months -- according to a plugged-in source in the mobile industry," Silicon Alley Insider reported Wednesday.
The source reportedly said that developers were asked to prepare their apps for a demo next month by making them support a full-screen resolution, rather than the fixed 320x480 pixel size of the iPhone and iPod touch screen. The source said applications that can accommodate the larger screen size will run "just fine" on the new device.
The report also alleged that the device will not go on sale in January, but will simply be demoed. It is assumed that Apple wants to give other developers more time to prepare their applications to run on larger screens.
The rumor would suggest that the tablet runs a version of the iPhone OS, as it is alleged to be compatible with existing iPhone and iPod touch apps, albeit at a higher resolution.
The Silicon Alley Insider report was another in a number of tablet-related rumors that cropped up Wednesday. Earlier reports suggested a January unveiling, with mass production expected to start as soon as February. That could put it on track for March release. Another report alleged that Apple was working on a tablet with a 7-inch screen size, contrary to many longstanding claims of a 10-inch screen, though speculation has suggested Apple could release both form factors.
Various publications have connected the tablet and its anticipated formal announcement with two recent moves by Apple: the purchase of music streaming service Lala, which is expected to result in an overhaul of the iTunes service, and the company's alleged negotiations with CBS and Walt Disney to allow a TV subscription plan. The tablet is expected to be portrayed as a multimedia device capable of browsing the Web, watching movies, and reading content.
Various publishers have prepared for the tablet, even though it has not been officially announced. But numerous rumors have indicated that Apple has reached out to various print publications about providing their content on a new form factor.
Comments
The Great iPhone Fragmentation continues . . . .
i see what you did there.
This gets me fairly excited. I hope for a larger Ipod Touch and then something larger running OS X.
OS X is not made to be touch screen, iPhone OS is. So tablet will run next generation of iPhone OS.
The Great iPhone Fragmentation continues . . . .
3 years and 150,000 apps later, Apple has finally decided it's time to move on.
The iPod/iPhone platform is firmly entrenched.
One of the reasons apple waited this long is to avoid fragmentation.
Mission accomplished. Now it is time to extend the platform in new directons.
The Great iPhone Fragmentation continues . . . .
yes that's very amusing and all, but the tablet isn't an iPhone, and two things to develop for is much better then 10
OS X is not made to be touch screen, iPhone OS is. So tablet will run next generation of iPhone OS.
but iPhone OS is OS X, it isn't Mac OS X, but this tablet is going to be something between a Mac and an iPhone.
What is the resolution of Full Screen?
Full screen means flexible based on the arbitrary window size, whether it be 640x480 to HD 1080p and beyond.
OS X application developers deal with this all the time as they don't know what the output resolution is going to be on the end user's device.
A high resolution iphone / ipod touch would seriously make my balls wet.
What if that simply means they're upping the screen resolution of the existing iPhone for a PPI that's comparable to the "beautiful" droid screen? It seems to be a common point of reference for something that the Droid has as an advantage over the iPhone. To be competitive, Apple will have to make sure apps will work well at multiple resolutions (and resolution independent if it is for the tablet), and this could be what they're doing now. That being said, a tablet would be a way better announcement regardless what this speculation actually means for how soon it will be released.
The droid screen is gorgeous, well for that 4 hours that you have enough power to run it
Actually a friend got one and loves it so much, she just can't figure out why her battery is dead by 5pm every day
Odds are not that they're replacing the screen with 800x480 or such but that they need what amounts to resolution independence which points to a new device. I predict something AS USEFUL as a netbook without the need for a full desktop OS. Kindle 1-2 sized works for me, but 90% screen.
Wow.
Odds are not that they're replacing the screen with 800x480 or such but that they need what amounts to resolution independence which points to a new device. I predict something AS USEFUL as a netbook without the need for a full desktop OS. Kindle 1-2 sized works for me, but 90% screen.
They?ve done a January spec bump once before with the original iPhone but I agree that it?s unlikely unless the current iPhone sales have been faltering with more adept competitors in the market.
The ?full screen? apps demo comment is odd since full screen has no baring on the size or resolution. Perhaps they want developers to replace bitmaps with vector graphics to make them more resolution independent.
If this is for a tablet demo I think this means that the tablet will be ARM-based. I hope that you can run multiple apps in a windowed mode similar to the iPhone Simulator in the SDK.
The 10.3" iTablet will be running the iPhone OS and be on the Verison network.
iTablet won't be a phone.
It'll have Wifi but it won't be a phone. It may have VOIP but it won't be a phone.
The reason their is no such fragmentation with the iPhone OS is because all of the devices use the same OS version and the same user interface. The only difference for the tablet is increasing the screen resolution. The tablet will also likely be able to multitask, but that doesn't really change anything for how a developer would create compatible apps for all devices.
The Great iPhone Fragmentation continues . . . .
Very nice. Confirmed. And it looks like Apple beat everyone to the punch on this one.
The 10.3" iTablet will be running the iPhone OS and be on the Verison network.
So why the additional 0.3??
Why do you think that it will be running iPhone OS? I can?t imagine that having 16 huge icons or having the same sized icons but with dozens on the screen makes much sense from a UI standpoint. I?d wager that it?s going to be a hybrid behind the iPhone OS and Mac OS frameworks and foundations with an entirely new UI setup specially for a 10? display whose main interaction is finger-baed multi-touch. Other tablets and many smartphones have failed or been unfulfilling by trying to shoe-horn an OS designed for one platform into another platform. Just look at the iPhone to see that its success comes from not following everyone else down that consumer unfriendly road.