Apple seen expanding Broadcom touch technology to future devices
Touch-screen technology from Broadcom currently featured in Apple's iPhone is likely to spread to additional consumer electronics devices from the iPod maker, UBS Investment Research said this week.
Analyst Alex Gauna, who on Thursday raised his rating on Broadcom to a Buy, said he foresees "a far larger opportunity" for the semiconductor firm's touch-screen technology than simply in the iPhone.
"Checks indicate application in larger screen displays, and we believe it makes sense that Apple will migrate this technology beyond the iPhone and into its broader MP3, Apple TV/iMac, and notebook offerings over time," he wrote in a note to clients.
Although early parts analyses from research firms indicate that the iPhone employs a touch-screen manufactured by Sharp, a report released by BMO Capital in December implied the handset would utilize an SoC from Broadcom to enable the onscreen touch functionality.
In its report, BMO added that the interface was likely to show up in next-generation media players as well.
Earlier this week Broadcom said it was restating financial results from 1998 to 2005 to reflect $2.2 billion in costs for its part in corporate America's ongoing options backdating quagmire. It's believed to be the largest restatement thus far by a company implicated in the scandal.
Analyst Alex Gauna, who on Thursday raised his rating on Broadcom to a Buy, said he foresees "a far larger opportunity" for the semiconductor firm's touch-screen technology than simply in the iPhone.
"Checks indicate application in larger screen displays, and we believe it makes sense that Apple will migrate this technology beyond the iPhone and into its broader MP3, Apple TV/iMac, and notebook offerings over time," he wrote in a note to clients.
Although early parts analyses from research firms indicate that the iPhone employs a touch-screen manufactured by Sharp, a report released by BMO Capital in December implied the handset would utilize an SoC from Broadcom to enable the onscreen touch functionality.
In its report, BMO added that the interface was likely to show up in next-generation media players as well.
Earlier this week Broadcom said it was restating financial results from 1998 to 2005 to reflect $2.2 billion in costs for its part in corporate America's ongoing options backdating quagmire. It's believed to be the largest restatement thus far by a company implicated in the scandal.
Comments
As my first prediction as an analyst, my checks indicate that Apple will update their lineup of computers in the future.
As my first prediction as an analyst, my checks indicate that Apple will update their lineup of computers in the future.
As your second prediction Apple will benifit from their computer update in the future.
Apple will migrate this technology beyond the iPhone and into its ... Apple TV ... offerings over time.
I am really looking forward to a multi-touch screen on my Apple TV.
I am really looking forward to a multi-touch screen on my Apple TV.
Touch screen has been done with the fanciest remotes, but you'd need a larger device instead of the little gumstick remote.
to become a shuffle with a nano sized touchscreen.
Come Christmas 2007 here's what I expect;
1. iPhone = We all know what this does.
2. iPhone junior = Touch-screen nano-sized device, music, text, calander, clock, calculator, photos, settings etc. (no email, no internet, no video, but expect tiny camera).
3. iPod shuffle = Less volume, less price, refined design and colors.
4. iPod nano = Smaller form factor with front face touch-screen and same price. (2, 4 or 8Gigs)
5. iPod = Fullscreen iPod with video, music, photos, touch-screen etc.
Ireland;1032594]I'd love to see the existing nano get a touchscreen front, and the ability to make calls and send texts, that is all I want from iPhone junior! And then for my next trick I give you the fullscreen Video iPod, simply called iPod (this is the 6G iPod); (same aluminum as nano), just black or silver in both sizes, 40GB or 100GB. The 3rd gen nano could just get a touchscreen, and a refined design, but I believe Apple will give one no choice if they want a new nano, they must take the phone functionality too.
I call dibs on the name Apple iText... for a non-phone, IM/text-only appliance.
BTW, I have doubts that the 'flip' motion introduced on the iPod portion of the iPhone is more efficient than the circular clickwheel motion used on the current iPods. I think the circular motion is still more efficient... oh, well, there's no accounting for efficiency when style comes into the picture...
But I think it's the portable devices that will benefit first. iPod up next. Then perhaps a mac touch tablet bridging the gap between the new iPod with osx and macbook. Introducing a light weight OSX touch machine... say 9-10" wide?
if you watched the keynote, then apple has brought a new concept of scrolling and finding songs on the iphone. why would they put a click wheel and make it look like an ipod, when they can just make it like the iphone.
Originally Posted by SpamSandwich
BTW, I have doubts that the 'flip' motion introduced on the iPod portion of the iPhone is more efficient than the circular clickwheel motion used on the current iPods. I think the circular motion is still more efficient... oh, well, there's no accounting for efficiency when style comes into the picture...
Thats be beauty of the touchscreen functionality. Versatility. You could choose under preferences whether you prefered the interface with a simulated click wheel or the coverflow/finger flip method.
People could choose what they found easiest/most elegant/most effficient/most likely to make a zune owner sob
On the MacBook family the trackpad is getting a bit old hat, could it be replaced with a screen and icons for functions? It would save having to remember function keys and cmd combinations. It could be application specific as well.
All I can say is "ugh"
I installed a digital cable box for my 87-year old father-in-law this past weekend. He's a sharp guy, but not a techie at all. Never used a computer. Heck, he served in the horse cavalry, for Pete's sake.
Trying to explain all the functions of the Guide, Info screens, programming reminders, future broadcast info, favorites, and the OnDemand choices was a chore. He doesn't have a big-screen, and his eyesight makes reading and recognizing all the onscreen feature icons tricky, let alone the myriad buttons on the cable remote. Then he still needs his DVD player remote to watch movies he has purchased.
Think of the possibilities of an Apple-designed universal remote. It could have a touchscreen display to display the cable-box guide and info at your armchair, not across the room on your set. A touch on a 5" LCD on the remote handles the chores rather than using a multitude of different tiny physical buttons to scroll left, right, up down, get info, select, pause, play, etc.
I have a cell phone - my third -- and it's sitll a long way from perfect. I can't use an iPhone despite how cool it might be because even though I live in a city of over 1 million people, I can't get a Cingular signal in my suburban home (had to quit Cingular and go to Verizon, which works fine, as does Sprint and T-Mobile).
I've already got three iPods; a 1G shuffle, a Nano, and a 5G video.
But I also have five remotes sitting in front of my 60" LCD TV, and another dozen or more sitting around the house. I know I could invest in a high-tech universal programmed solution, but I've used these at work in our fully-equipped AV meeting rooms, and they're still clunky to use, and the best of the breed require a professional to program them... and still have a large number of buttons.
Apple should design the touchscreen Universal Remote for the rest of us, sign up with Time Warner and Comcast as partners to provide them (at monthly equipment charges) and sell variants of them in every electronics store you can imagine.
Is it just me, or do others see big dollar signs in creating the one device with truly universal appeal? People who live where cell service and the internet hasn't reached watch television every day. People who have never touched a computer hold a remote for hours. I'll pay $5-$10 a month for life to have a truly great remote to cruise-control the 7 gazillion channels my cable company provides.
Apple's patent for the amazing Multi-Touch technology shows touch-screens for various applications which can be interchanged including where the mechanical keyboard is currently situated on the laptops.
Certainly from Steve's demo of the iPhone, one would expect Multi-Touch to replace the current keyboard, even add a numerical keypad and a double click on the space bar to turn it into a track pad. Going further, the key pad could become any type of interface for any type of musical, medical, diagnostic, etc., instrument with simple touch commands or prompts, and leave the main screen virtually alone for viewing.
Reviewing the patent and Steve's address, there appears to be no limits to the applicability of the Multi-Touch technology that is currently limited with the older like-products.
As far as replacing keyboards on laptops, that's a good idea if the price can be held down. In the mean time I'd like to see the typing correction feature of the iPhone's virtual keyboard added to Leopard, where it would work with real keyboards. Previous implementations of typing correction (as in MS Word) sucked. As a poor typist, I'd love a system that could guess (and guess well) my intention and provide the correct word automatically, and offer a choice of words when in doubt.
havent every one of us been drooling at the thought of what these analysts are now saysing... except we were saying it about 10 mins after steve reveled the iPhones Multi Touch capability.
im off to throw another yacht on the fire!
havent every one of us been drooling at the thought of what these analysts are now saysing... except we were saying it about 10 mins after steve reveled the iPhones Multi Touch capability.
Trendannoyer,
Unfortunately, and I have done it myself, often assume that these analysts' reports are 'new' news. In fact, they are simply recomendations that they draw up to send to their clients to help them in their stock purchases or sellings.
Much of the information is old hat, redundant and based on assumptions that the analyst concludes with the information that they have available at the time of writing.
As such, these 'analysts recommendations' are not really 'Insider' information as we would expect to see here. And should be taken as just one man's or company's opinion whether to invest or not invest in Apple.
Like everything else, I certainly look forward to reading everything about the Mac. Even the analysts' reports. Unfortunately, more often then not, I would still hedge my bets based on many of their assumptions that these so-called experts claim, simply by the often misunderstanding or limited knowledge of the technology that they are reviewing.