Case maker fans iPhone nano rumors
An iPhone and iPod case maker has added references to an "iPhone nano" to its website, presumably based on its own belief that Apple is about to unveiling a smaller version of its touchscreen handset.
You can catch the references over at the website of XSKN, the same company reportedly behind the iPhone nano casing that drew much attention last week when renderings of the supposed product were published by iDealsChina.
XSKN doesn't yet list any product offerings under its iPhone nano category, though the case maker was recognized earlier this year (1, 2) when it began selling protective holders for both the iPhone 3G and fourth-generation iPod nano before those two products were publicly unveiled by Apple.
It's unclear whether XSKN is privy to knowledge of Apple's future product plans.
Last week iDealsChina claimed that Apple would introduce an iPhone nano during next month's Macworld Expo, though the hype surrounding the rumor quickly fizzled when Apple announced that Steve Jobs would not be making his traditional keynote address at the conference.
You can catch the references over at the website of XSKN, the same company reportedly behind the iPhone nano casing that drew much attention last week when renderings of the supposed product were published by iDealsChina.
XSKN doesn't yet list any product offerings under its iPhone nano category, though the case maker was recognized earlier this year (1, 2) when it began selling protective holders for both the iPhone 3G and fourth-generation iPod nano before those two products were publicly unveiled by Apple.
It's unclear whether XSKN is privy to knowledge of Apple's future product plans.
Last week iDealsChina claimed that Apple would introduce an iPhone nano during next month's Macworld Expo, though the hype surrounding the rumor quickly fizzled when Apple announced that Steve Jobs would not be making his traditional keynote address at the conference.
Comments
because there is a market that is not smart phone. i'm in it. my wife is in it. etc. and apple is master of the upsell.
I agree. And it's completely in line with Apple's previous moves in the PMP market.
The only thing I can't see is how they are going to solve the keyboard problem on a phone that is even smaller than the iPhone. Voice maybe?
A lot of folks (myself included) don't really like talking to their devices.
If anything, wouldn't it make it more expensive?
Plus it makes touch interaction much more difficult as the buttons are presumably smaller.
Maybe it will have an ipod click wheel for dialling instead of touch like the old-fashioned phones. Basically an ipod nano with a phone component.
That might actually be quite cool now I think about it. I think they'd still need to add a camera as even basic phones have a camera but no web browsing and maps, just a phone + ipod.
Texting would be done by selecting letters on a rotary display. So rather than hitting letters multiple times, you simply scroll to the letter. It could have an acceleration to get to letters quickly.
The ONLY thing that might make sense is an iPod that can make and receive phone calls.
The timing for this makes perfect sense to me-
The iPods are starting to lose market because almost every phone and its brother has at least some Mp3 capability and you don't need to pay any fancy data fees to put your music on your phone. I would never buy an iPod today since I can easily put music on my phone (sony) and listen to that whenever I need. I guess there's no docking station and no capability to put 1000+ songs on the thing, but you get my drift....
ALSO,
Since everyone is panicky about SJ, they let someone else into a stellar new product at the same time as the transition. perfect!
Texting would be done by selecting letters on a rotary display. So rather than hitting letters multiple times, you simply scroll to the letter. It could have an acceleration to get to letters quickly.
And how about emailing people or web browsing?? Texting using a rotary display will be extremely 'slow'. It won't be user friendly either and we all know Apple's obsession with UIs.
I love the full-featured QWERTY keyboard on my current iPhone. There is no way I'm going back.
IMHO I don't see this happening.
A phone for talking on, no more, no less. Maybe a phone, that WILL have software upgrades giving it more functions with time. And after they get used to some cool features, they'll want a full fledge iPhone for all of the features. Hell who knows, maybe Apple will have some kind of "Trade-in" or Trade-up" program?
Get them hooked early, and keep them for life.
Now IF this PHONE becomes available EVERYWHERE, sit back and watch the million$ roll in. This maybe how they are going to get from under AT&T.
Skip
Apple sees the iPod Touch and the iPhone as the platform of the future.
The traditional iPod is now obsolete technology that they want to cannablize.
So the iPhone nano will be designed to
- be a Phone
- play music
- play video
- SMS with landscape mode keyboard
- no web
- no email
- no apps
- no WiFi
The iPhone nano will kill traditional iPod sales but will not compete with iPod Touch and iPhone.
When considering the capabilities of the iPhone nano, you have to look at what Apple wants it to and doesn't want it to cannablize.
Apple sees the iPod Touch and the iPhone as the platform of the future.
The traditional iPod is now obsolete technology that they want to cannablize.
So the iPhone nano will be designed to
- be a Phone
- play music
- play video
- no web
- no email
- no apps
- no WiFi
The iPhone nano will kill traditional iPod sales but will not compete with iPod Touch and iPhone.
If it has enough memory ? it will kill (they're intention) iPod sales. It won't in a since. What it will do, is get the 10's of millions of folks who own a current model iPod to consider purchasing a new itouchPhone. This will give Apple A LOT of new cash flow ? did I say A LOT!
So a:
- 8 GB
- 16 GB
- 32 GB
- 64 GB ? itouchPhones.
Skip
And how about emailing people or web browsing?? ...
There wouldn't be emailing or web browsing on it as that would make it a regular smartphone, not a low-end phone as is envisioned by most.
they won't have a QWERTY keyboard - just the same texting style as all other phones that don't have a full keyboard. It'll be cheaper because it won't have 3G, maps, probably only WiFi, but you will be able to download all the apps in the world and you'll be able to play games and download your music. ...
This would only work if the nano iPhone is able to switch resolutions on the fly.
The games and apps require the original iPhone resolution and the supposition here is that the nano iPhone would be smaller having only a 3 by 3 icon screen and 3 icons across the bottom. The games and other apps would have to test for screen resolution at start up and switch to the right form factor so all previous games wouldn't work even if the iPhone itself was capable of switching resolutions.
I would bet it would be a closed device if it exists at all. We can only hope that Apple someday realises that the standard weather and clock widgets need some work before being showcased in this fashion.
This would only work if the nano iPhone is able to switch resolutions on the fly.
The games and apps require the original iPhone resolution and the supposition here is that the nano iPhone would be smaller having only a 3 by 3 icon screen and 3 icons across the bottom. The games and other apps would have to test for screen resolution at start up and switch to the right form factor so all previous games wouldn't work even if the iPhone itself was capable of switching resolutions.
I would bet it would be a closed device if it exists at all. We can only hope that Apple someday realises that the standard weather and clock widgets need some work before being showcased in this fashion.
The App Store already allows developers to specify what device their software runs on. Obviously, no one has currently selected "iPhone Nano", so no software would be available initially. However, I would imagine it wouldn't be rocket science to port a lot of it to the smaller screen and flip on that switch. That would enable a whole new set of buyers, and probably give previous purchasers free upgrades to the phoneNano-enabled versions.
Given Apple's marketing and positioning in the mobile games space lately, I would be surprised if it was a completely closed system.
The exception is if they went the MVNO route, where they could sell subscribers added features and focus on that route rather than the hardware route. Since they have picked their bed globally, that seems hard to pull off now.