Report: Apple and AT&T to partner on U-Verse, $99 Netbook
A report citing a source "pretty high up in AT&T?s food chain" says it has "100% confirmed" a series of cooperative deals between Apple and AT&T that include a faster new iPhone, U-verse integration, and a rumored "$99 3G netbook."
The posting, by the Boy Genius Report, notes the uncontroversial expectation of a new iPhone expected for mid June, and highlights the likelihood of the same upgrade to 7.2Mbp/s service that Apple Insider described in an report last week, adding that "the annual iPhone launch is ?becoming a tradition? and that "people should prep for an exciting time this summer."
More interesting is the news that "AT&T is said to be working with Apple to create a unified product with an unparalleled experience across all their products and services," specifically mentioning a new U-Verse iPhone application reported to "allow control of your home DVR (play, pause, rewind, etc.)."
Such a move certainly wouldn't take much effort, as Apple not only already offers an iPhone application for remote control of iTunes Libraries and Apple TV, but other DVR vendors, including Tivo, also already offer the ability to remotely program their systems from the web or from a mobile device.
A closer partnership between Apple and AT&T could also extend the iPhone's success to Apple's healthy and increasingly sophisticated and differentiated AirPort line of wireless products and the slowly accelerating base of Apple TV users, were Apple to convince AT&T to bundle its existing products or a new "unified product" device offering wireless networking and iTunes content access with AT&T's U-Verse cable and Internet service.
The report also cryptically threw out the idea that a "$99 3G netbook will start selling this summer, and the first one won?t be a Windows OS," suggesting that Apple and AT&T could somehow launch a new device for half the price of the current iPhone 3G but incorporating a keyboard, and somehow avoid gutting sales of the existing iPhone 3G and iPod touch, and eroding the seemingly recession-resistant market for Apple's $1000 entry level notebooks.
The posting, by the Boy Genius Report, notes the uncontroversial expectation of a new iPhone expected for mid June, and highlights the likelihood of the same upgrade to 7.2Mbp/s service that Apple Insider described in an report last week, adding that "the annual iPhone launch is ?becoming a tradition? and that "people should prep for an exciting time this summer."
More interesting is the news that "AT&T is said to be working with Apple to create a unified product with an unparalleled experience across all their products and services," specifically mentioning a new U-Verse iPhone application reported to "allow control of your home DVR (play, pause, rewind, etc.)."
Such a move certainly wouldn't take much effort, as Apple not only already offers an iPhone application for remote control of iTunes Libraries and Apple TV, but other DVR vendors, including Tivo, also already offer the ability to remotely program their systems from the web or from a mobile device.
A closer partnership between Apple and AT&T could also extend the iPhone's success to Apple's healthy and increasingly sophisticated and differentiated AirPort line of wireless products and the slowly accelerating base of Apple TV users, were Apple to convince AT&T to bundle its existing products or a new "unified product" device offering wireless networking and iTunes content access with AT&T's U-Verse cable and Internet service.
The report also cryptically threw out the idea that a "$99 3G netbook will start selling this summer, and the first one won?t be a Windows OS," suggesting that Apple and AT&T could somehow launch a new device for half the price of the current iPhone 3G but incorporating a keyboard, and somehow avoid gutting sales of the existing iPhone 3G and iPod touch, and eroding the seemingly recession-resistant market for Apple's $1000 entry level notebooks.
Comments
The report also cryptically threw out the idea that a "$99 3G netbook will start selling this summer.
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No Way. The 8 gig 3G iPhone is $199. Is this Apple $99 3G netbook gonna be made by Psystar?
No Way. The 8 gig 3G iPhone is $199. Is this Apple $99 3G netbook gonna be made by Psystar?
The standard hardware subsidy for signing a 2-year contract is around $200, and AT&T may be paying Apple more for the iPhone. Plenty of $299 or $399 netbooks exist out there.
I doubt Apple will be releasing a netbook. Their notebook sales have not slowed and netbook profits are not high compared.
I have some serious doubts about this $99 'Netbook' claim as it doesn't fit with Apple's pricing structure and strategic market segmentation toward higher end buyers.
Maybe it's a 12" display that works wired or unwired with an iPhone
All the report says is that it's not a windows netbook. It could be Linux or Symbian.
I doubt Apple will be releasing a netbook. Their notebook sales have not slowed and netbook profits are not high compared.
I agree. A $99 netbook would almost have to be linux. Unless AT&T's massively subsidizing it to encourage rapid adoption. Even then, it's highly unlikely it'd come from Apple. I just don't see why they'd head down that road with all of the other profitable projects demanding their attention right now.
I have some serious doubts about this $99 'Netbook' claim as it doesn't fit with Apple's pricing structure and strategic market segmentation toward higher end buyers.
Iphone with strip camera, touch screen, add key board, switch to better processor, with ATT contribute $200 and charge for 2 year contract, put in a MAC-Air case with different color... why not. sounds like a winner... I like the price.
Iphone with strip camera, touch screen, add key board, switch to better processor, with ATT contribute $200 and charge for 2 year contract, put in a MAC-Air case with different color... why not. sounds like a winner... I like the price.
I might be wrong, but I'm understanding that you're suggesting a total manufacturing cost of under $300 for this thing, and you expect it to work well? I just don't see a reasonable business model here. The monthly charges would have to be absolutely prohibitive.
I think they are hinting for a $99 3G iPhone. The new software should bring a lot of functionality to the platform. If they (Apple) offer a bt keyboard...
The $99 gives you a body with a bigger screen, a two hand keyboard and some ports, but it would be useless without an iPhone to drive it. It would benefit those who want the full netbook thing, but only if they were already iPhone users or willing to switch. This would fit with the rumored tethering, as the netbook would automatically be as wireless as the iPhone