Next-gen Apple iPhone rumored to have Magic Mouse-like touch panel
Apple will introduce a new iPhone in 2010 that will employ a touch-sensitive plastic back casing similar to the one used on the company's new Magic Mouse, one analyst has said.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Robert Chen with Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said the new iPhone will go into production as early as April, and will be available to customers in June or July. He said the plastic back panel of the phone could have a touch-sensitive solid shell, much like on the Magic Mouse.
Indeed, Apple in recent years has described the benefits of touch-sensitive enclosures for future handheld devices in patent filings like the one made in July of 2006 entitled: "Electronic Device Having Display and Surrounding Touch Sensitive Bezel for User Interface and Control."
The new hardware could also include an updated version of the iPhone operating system, Chen said.
"Apple?s going to put a lot of innovation, not just on the hardware, but also on the software of the new iPhone," he told Bloomberg.
Chen's predictions are more in line with conventional thinking than a report from earlier this week, in which executives at a South Korean wireless provider claimed a fourth-generation iPhone could see a limited debut in April with a dual-core processor and potentially a removable battery.
Contrary to that rumor, Apple typically announces new iPhone hardware at its annual Worldwide Developer's Conference. It is believed Apple could hold that event starting June 28, coinciding with Chen's claims of a June or July debut for the new iPhone.
The Magic Mouse, introduced in October, lacks any physical buttons on its solid acrylic surface. It allows multi-touch controls that are closer to that of a MacBook trackpad, allowing secondary clicks and finger-based gestures.
The new hardware accomplishes this feat with capacitive touch sensors that cover nearly the entire surface of the hardware. This allows the aluminum base to be covered by a smooth multi-touch panel. The Magic Mouse had a successful debut, doubling Apple's share of the mouse market in just 8 weeks.
It should be noted that several patent filings from Apple that preceded the Magic Mouse's introduction hinted a the direction the Cupertino-based company would take its future mice designs, like this one filed in March of 2006 and another one filed 8 months later.
As for an update to the iPhone software, recent rumors have said that a new software development kit for iPhone OS 4.0 could be revealed later this month. It was said that the new kit includes a "simulator" that allows developers to adapt their iPhone applications for different screen sizes and resolutions.
This week, one rumor claimed there has been a lack of updates to the current iPhone OS because the new build has multiple references to Apple's forthcoming tablet device that the company did not want to leak. Reports have said Apple will unveil the tablet at a media event to showcase new hardware scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 27 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Robert Chen with Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said the new iPhone will go into production as early as April, and will be available to customers in June or July. He said the plastic back panel of the phone could have a touch-sensitive solid shell, much like on the Magic Mouse.
Indeed, Apple in recent years has described the benefits of touch-sensitive enclosures for future handheld devices in patent filings like the one made in July of 2006 entitled: "Electronic Device Having Display and Surrounding Touch Sensitive Bezel for User Interface and Control."
The new hardware could also include an updated version of the iPhone operating system, Chen said.
"Apple?s going to put a lot of innovation, not just on the hardware, but also on the software of the new iPhone," he told Bloomberg.
Chen's predictions are more in line with conventional thinking than a report from earlier this week, in which executives at a South Korean wireless provider claimed a fourth-generation iPhone could see a limited debut in April with a dual-core processor and potentially a removable battery.
Contrary to that rumor, Apple typically announces new iPhone hardware at its annual Worldwide Developer's Conference. It is believed Apple could hold that event starting June 28, coinciding with Chen's claims of a June or July debut for the new iPhone.
The Magic Mouse, introduced in October, lacks any physical buttons on its solid acrylic surface. It allows multi-touch controls that are closer to that of a MacBook trackpad, allowing secondary clicks and finger-based gestures.
The new hardware accomplishes this feat with capacitive touch sensors that cover nearly the entire surface of the hardware. This allows the aluminum base to be covered by a smooth multi-touch panel. The Magic Mouse had a successful debut, doubling Apple's share of the mouse market in just 8 weeks.
It should be noted that several patent filings from Apple that preceded the Magic Mouse's introduction hinted a the direction the Cupertino-based company would take its future mice designs, like this one filed in March of 2006 and another one filed 8 months later.
As for an update to the iPhone software, recent rumors have said that a new software development kit for iPhone OS 4.0 could be revealed later this month. It was said that the new kit includes a "simulator" that allows developers to adapt their iPhone applications for different screen sizes and resolutions.
This week, one rumor claimed there has been a lack of updates to the current iPhone OS because the new build has multiple references to Apple's forthcoming tablet device that the company did not want to leak. Reports have said Apple will unveil the tablet at a media event to showcase new hardware scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 27 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.
Comments
A must if Apple wan't to embark companies. And they should - many companies would be happy if they tried apples solutions broader!
Ooooh . . . Ireland's gonna love this.
Then again, if it's a feature that can be toggled for games and such..maybe
Apple will introduce a new iPhone in 2010 that will employ a touch-sensitive plastic back casing similar to the one used on the company's new Magic Mouse, one analyst has said.
All of you are thinking too hard. What if the backing is just to define device orientation. I realize this is what the accelerometer does, but it seems to me the most logical answer, if this idea is really true.
Apple makes products that do specific things, and do them very well. It doesn't need to be complex, it needs to "just work".
Apple will introduce a new iPhone in 2010 that will employ a touch-sensitive plastic back casing similar to the one used on the company's new Magic Mouse, one analyst has said.
Ooooh . . . Ireland's gonna love this.
This is not going to happen. Even better, a touchscreen! Imagine they day they can actually make a screen touch friendly, that would be a truly amazing phone, skip.
However, on the iPhone it could be used only as an extra feature for navigation in specific apps, and not during phone calls, of course.
But a touch-sensitive back casing eliminate the possibility of the removable battery
The stylus option could be useful in apps for specific areas that needs precise pointing.
Analysts are the *last* people to see actual hardware, the guy said "could" not "would," and this:
"Apple’s going to put a lot of innovation, not just on the hardware, but also on the software of the new iPhone, ..." is grammatical nonsense and sounds like it was written by an ESL student.
So an analyst, with no command of the English language, who obviously isn't too bright and is generally out of the loop as it were, said something "could" be the case with the new iPhone. Wow.
Edit: Just to make the prediction ... the only way this makes any sense at all, is if it's actually the tablet that has a touch sensitive back, and even then only for the purpose of detecting the orientation, or exactly how you are holding the thing, NOT for input control. For instance if it could detect your fingers on the back of one side in a certain pattern, it would know you are holding it in your hand a certain way and thus be able to ignore your thumb on that side of the front or something like that.
Apple will introduce a new iPhone in 2010 that will employ a touch-sensitive plastic back casing similar to the one used on the company's new Magic Mouse, one analyst has said.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Robert Chen with Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said the new iPhone will go into production as early as April, and will be available to customers in June or July. He said the plastic back panel of the phone could have a touch-sensitive solid shell, much like on the Magic Mouse.
Indeed, Apple in recent years has described the benefits of touch-sensitive enclosures for future handheld devices in patent filings like the one made in July of 2006 entitled: "Electronic Device Having Display and Surrounding Touch Sensitive Bezel for User Interface and Control."
The new hardware could also include an updated version of the iPhone operating system, Chen said.
"Apple’s going to put a lot of innovation, not just on the hardware, but also on the software of the new iPhone," he told Bloomberg.
Chen's predictions are more in line with conventional thinking than a report from earlier this week, in which executives at a South Korean wireless provider claimed a fourth-generation iPhone could see a limited debut in April with a dual-core processor and potentially a removable battery.
Contrary to that rumor, Apple typically announces new iPhone hardware at its annual Worldwide Developer's Conference. It is believed Apple could hold that event starting June 28, coinciding with Chen's claims of a June or July debut for the new iPhone.
The Magic Mouse, introduced in October, lacks any physical buttons on its solid acrylic surface. It allows multi-touch controls that are closer to that of a MacBook trackpad, allowing secondary clicks and finger-based gestures.
The new hardware accomplishes this feat with capacitive touch sensors that cover nearly the entire surface of the hardware. This allows the aluminum base to be covered by a smooth multi-touch panel. The Magic Mouse had a successful debut, doubling Apple's share of the mouse market in just 8 weeks.
It should be noted that several patent filings from Apple that preceded the Magic Mouse's introduction hinted a the direction the Cupertino-based company would take its future mice designs, like this one filed in March of 2006 and another one filed 8 months later.
As for an update to the iPhone software, recent rumors have said that a new software development kit for iPhone OS 4.0 could be revealed later this month. It was said that the new kit includes a "simulator" that allows developers to adapt their iPhone applications for different screen sizes and resolutions.
This week, one rumor claimed there has been a lack of updates to the current iPhone OS because the new build has multiple references to Apple's forthcoming tablet device that the company did not want to leak. Reports have said Apple will unveil the tablet at a media event to showcase new hardware scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 27 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.
[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]
I'm happy I didn't do the early upgrade to the 3GS... this new one sounds like it'll be much more innovative than the 3GS was. Granted my 3G is starting to show it's age, it can be pretty slow when it's full of music and apps. But the Dual-Cores are going to make the phone that much faster, and probably use less power than the faster single-core processor did in the 3GS. A camera flash will be awesome... if they could take the Camera up to 5MP and add a flash, I'd be really happy. At this point my only option when I'm out with friends is to lug around my big Canon Digital SLR... or hope for some lighting wherever we're going and try to use my phone. The 2MP camera isn't terrible... but when you look at the images full size on a computer, you start to realize just how bad the camera actually is. Video chat is a nice function, not sure how much i'll use it though. I hope 4.0 includes flashplayer but it doesn't sound like it's going to. Just give me a faster phone, with 64GB capacity, and a 5MP camera with a flash... and i'll have almost nothing left to complain about.
The Magic Mouse, introduced in October, lacks any physical buttons on its solid acrylic surface. It allows multi-touch controls that are closer to that of a MacBook trackpad, allowing secondary clicks and finger-based gestures.
The Magic Mouse is nice for scrolling, but too small for other gestures... I can't figure out why Apple doesn't just release a pad like surface (trackpad size) for it's desktops.. I would much prefer that to a Magic Mouse..