...Apple follower and Daring Fireball author John Gruber ...pointed to recent reports that have identified a built-in video camera and magnetometer (digital compass) as two new hardware-related features...
I thought it had been shown the present camera has video capabilities and that providing video in a new camera would be a software mod. No? The answer to that question would seem to reflect on the value of Gruber's insights.
I think it's time for Apple to show the world they can manage without Steve Jobs, to show people that Apple CAN work when Steve Jobs decides to leave, and I think this is a perfect opportunity to do that.
I don't think Jobs is leaving Apple anytime soon, but he's got to start backing up slowly so that the other big shots at Apple know how to run the company later on.
I tend to agree with Gruber on this, but my one concern or reservation is simply the amount of time the keynote could possibly go on for.
There is a *lot* to cover with Snow Leopard and if rumours are to be believed, two new iphones to introduce, and possibly a tablet. There is no way they can get anything but the breeziest details announced with all that on the table.
Personally I would prefer separate announcements for OS-X and iPhone related software, and perhaps even a third event whenever they have new hardware to talk about. It would give us obsessive Apple followers some more events to look forward to at minimum and would make everything a little less stressful and a little more clear.
The last two sets of announcements seemed rushed, abbreviated, and un-focussed with all the different people walking on and off stage. If Phil is going to get up and stutter again, and all that sh*t has to be covered, with multiple execs etc. it sounds like a generally uncomfortable and possibly disastrous situation.
Maybe they will f*ck it up and *that* will cause the return of Steve?
I thought it had been shown the present camera has video capabilities and that providing video in a new camera would be a software mod. No? The answer to that question would seem to reflect on the value of Gruber's insights.
The current iPhone camera is capable (after jailbreaking) of very low-end 15 fps, highly pixelated video. So while this is "okay" to people used to cell phone video, to Apple this means "not capable of doing video (properly)."
The rumour is that the new iPhone has a much better camera (3.5MP), which would do acceptable video (from Apple's POV). What's not clear is:
whether or not there are going to be two versions of new iPhone
whether or not just the "pro" one will get the better camera
whether or not both of them will get the new camera.
whether the "pro" model will get even better than 3.5MP
That is my take, a minor iPhone update really has no reason to debut at WWDC.
I agree with the notion that any new hardware will be minor. slightly better camera, perhaps a 24 or 32 gb storage model, maybe a new color option. but there's no new cellular system to warrant a huge overhaul.
I do think anything will be announced at WWDC, just to shut the gossip sites up.
the bulk of the announcement will be about the finals of Snow Leopard and the iPhone 3.0 software.
I would like to see the next generation of iPhones introduced before the end of June to coincide with the original iPhone contract which will be ending after June.
I don't want to have to re-new my 2 year contract with my original iPhone if i plan on buying the next generation iPhone anyways.
If it is like any other cell phone I have gotten via an upgrade for the past 25-30 years, I haven't had to renew any contract until I got a new phone. That is, my service was continued at the current rate as an open-ended contract. As far as I know, nobody has gotten a notice of renewal after their contracts expire, or have been required to re-sign. (As such, I still have my evening and weekend 'free' calls starting at 6 pm and not the commonly 9 pm found today.)
Once your contract period expires, you can cancel your service without any penalties. It is when you upgrade to a newer model, will you be required to sign a new, or renew your contract for another 2-year term, which commenced from the moment you activated you new phone.
Why waste the perfect opportunity to intro the iPhone at WWDC? The iPhone is driving the latest and greatest development on the OSX platform (AppleTV, iPod, iPhone, Mac). I'm sure that a lot of decisions on Snow Leopard's development consider all of the devices that run the core OS (e.g. OpenCL). Of course the new iPhone and iPod Touch will be intro'd at WWDC.
There are new features in iPhone 3.0 that are related to the new hardware, so I would imagine they would release it so that they can discuss developing for those things at the, you know, developer's conference. Then developers can go home and add these new features before the release at the end of the month or in July. I don't see any other way. None of the reasons I've heard for them to wait for SJ to announce it make any sense.
OTOH, large developers with a special relationship with Apple probably already have access to more ”complete“ versions of the beta software and test hardware (such as companies like Tom Tom perhaps?) and have likely already been testing their software on the new iron.
I agree that there will likely be a 2-3 week period after announcement before the new iPhones are available to the public, but Apple is already working with ”showcase“ developers, who will also likely get a small amount of stage time at the WWDC keynote to demo their apps running on the new hardware.
I think the new iPhone needs to be available for sale the day that all those 2G first day buyers contracts expire. Sure they can roll on for a month but the point is those people are then entiled to upgrade.
If there is no new Apple iPhone to buy they might be tempted to get a new phone that isn't an iPhone. For instance they might get a Palm Pre and change networks.
If it comes out on that day then it's much more likely all those people that queued for the first iPhone will then queue for the 3rd iPhone on launch day. It would be highly in Apple's / AT&T's interests to tie these people up again for 2 more years plus the good publicity of huge launch queues again.
Why waste the perfect opportunity to intro the iPhone at WWDC? The iPhone is driving the latest and greatest development on the OSX platform (AppleTV, iPod, iPhone, Mac). I'm sure that a lot of decisions on Snow Leopard's development consider all of the devices that run the core OS (e.g. OpenCL). Of course the new iPhone and iPod Touch will be intro'd at WWDC.
+1
Excuse my incredulity but do developers "really" want to pay $1300 to go to WWDC and not see new hardware?
Let's make no bones about it the iPhone/iTouch are generating profits so massive former Mac developers like Pangea are going iPhone only (it makes sense for gaming companies). Thus we have to look at who really is the bankable start here. Mac OS or iPhone OS? I think we all know the answer to that one.
It's time to unveil the new iPhone hardware, deliver a feature complete iPhone SDK 3.0 and Snow Leopard and let the developers work through the RC and prepare for final ship.
What is the pricing for a new model iPhone if I signed a contract last July when I purchased an iPhone 3G? Do I qualify for the same discount price as a new subscriber if I extend my contract for another two years? Or is there there no upgrade pricing discount for those currently under contract?
If your original contract runs out, wouldn't you just pay month-to-month until the new iPhone comes out? The voice / data plan is not subsidized because you signed on for 2 yrs, just the hardware.
You can, but from Apple and AT&T's PoV they are best to get it out right as close as possible to that time to give iPhone owners less cause to jump ship. However, I'd think that the original iPhone owners, who bought the device for $600, are probably the least likely group to go with another device, so Apple can wait a few weeks without a real risk of losing sales. Even now, they would be eligible for the upgrade price within AT&T without penalty.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hmurchison
Excuse my incredulity but do developers "really" want to pay $1300 to go to WWDC and not see new hardware?
I would hope they go for the software workshops first and foremost. However, since Apple is making most of their money from the iPhone it does seem like it should be showcased so developers can plan their v3.0 apps for the HW changes.
my prediction is that the roles will be switched and instead of steve calling phil schiller onto some iChat as he's done many time in the past, that Phil will engage with Jobs via iChat. this way, Steve stays at home, recoups and still gets a chance to make a big introduction from the comfort of his home.
All those original iPhones' 2-yr contracts expire at the end of June (at least those that didn't upgrade to 3G). Apple & AT&T would certainly not want these owners to wander over to Pre or whatever because there is no new iPhone hardware to entice them to renew.
I wager at least an announcement at WWDC of new iPhones rather than at a later date.
my prediction is that the roles will be switched and instead of steve calling phil schiller onto some iChat as he's done many time in the past, that Phil will engage with Jobs via iChat. this way, Steve stays at home, recoups and still gets a chance to make a big introduction from the comfort of his home.
slam dunk for everyone.
cool.
This would also totally make sense if they are introducing a new iChat or a new video-chat capable iPhone.
Although ... if Steve is not in perfect health, appearing on a web cam might make him look even worse than he actually is, which might be bad PR. No one looks very good on a webcam, except when they appear in the ads for webcams.
What is the pricing for a new model iPhone if I signed a contract last July when I purchased an iPhone 3G? Do I qualify for the same discount price as a new subscriber if I extend my contract for another two years? Or is there there no upgrade pricing discount for those currently under contract?
They may offer a discount over the "in contract" upgrade price, but I doubt that it will be the same as the "out of contract" price since AT&T is subsidizing the device quite a bit. The price difference is $200 right now between the two.
I believe their contract cancelation fee is $175 with $5 dropping off each month. If you have had your device for 12 months before buying the cancelation fee would be $115. I wonder if AT&T would allow you do get it for $100 more than the out of contract free. If you have to cancel your account I think you lose your number, unless you sign up for a different carrier and transfer the number. Regardless, it all seems like more trouble than it's worth. If AT&T doesn't have a way for in contract iPhone 3G users to get the next iPhone at reduced rate I'll just buy it as the in-contract price. I don't want to, but I'm not going to go through that rigamarole to save $85.
my prediction is that the roles will be switched and instead of steve calling phil schiller onto some iChat as he's done many time in the past, that Phil will engage with Jobs via iChat. this way, Steve stays at home, recoups and still gets a chance to make a big introduction from the comfort of his home.
slam dunk for everyone.
I fully expect Jobs will come out on stage looking like this...
Methinks Munster really knows better but has gotten caught up in the desktop OS wars. There's alot of hype behind Windows 7 and alot of fanboys(both Windows and OSX) have tried to make too much out of it and forget that Apple has another market now that means more to them than the desktop OS market. This is of course the iphone.
And in case you didn't pick up on it, yes, I labeled Munster as a fanboy.
Comments
...Apple follower and Daring Fireball author John Gruber ...pointed to recent reports that have identified a built-in video camera and magnetometer (digital compass) as two new hardware-related features...
I thought it had been shown the present camera has video capabilities and that providing video in a new camera would be a software mod. No? The answer to that question would seem to reflect on the value of Gruber's insights.
I don't think Jobs is leaving Apple anytime soon, but he's got to start backing up slowly so that the other big shots at Apple know how to run the company later on.
There is a *lot* to cover with Snow Leopard and if rumours are to be believed, two new iphones to introduce, and possibly a tablet. There is no way they can get anything but the breeziest details announced with all that on the table.
Personally I would prefer separate announcements for OS-X and iPhone related software, and perhaps even a third event whenever they have new hardware to talk about. It would give us obsessive Apple followers some more events to look forward to at minimum and would make everything a little less stressful and a little more clear.
The last two sets of announcements seemed rushed, abbreviated, and un-focussed with all the different people walking on and off stage. If Phil is going to get up and stutter again, and all that sh*t has to be covered, with multiple execs etc. it sounds like a generally uncomfortable and possibly disastrous situation.
Maybe they will f*ck it up and *that* will cause the return of Steve?
I thought it had been shown the present camera has video capabilities and that providing video in a new camera would be a software mod. No? The answer to that question would seem to reflect on the value of Gruber's insights.
The current iPhone camera is capable (after jailbreaking) of very low-end 15 fps, highly pixelated video. So while this is "okay" to people used to cell phone video, to Apple this means "not capable of doing video (properly)."
The rumour is that the new iPhone has a much better camera (3.5MP), which would do acceptable video (from Apple's POV). What's not clear is:
- whether or not there are going to be two versions of new iPhone
- whether or not just the "pro" one will get the better camera
- whether or not both of them will get the new camera.
- whether the "pro" model will get even better than 3.5MP
All these are open questions right now.That is my take, a minor iPhone update really has no reason to debut at WWDC.
I agree with the notion that any new hardware will be minor. slightly better camera, perhaps a 24 or 32 gb storage model, maybe a new color option. but there's no new cellular system to warrant a huge overhaul.
I do think anything will be announced at WWDC, just to shut the gossip sites up.
the bulk of the announcement will be about the finals of Snow Leopard and the iPhone 3.0 software.
I would like to see the next generation of iPhones introduced before the end of June to coincide with the original iPhone contract which will be ending after June.
I don't want to have to re-new my 2 year contract with my original iPhone if i plan on buying the next generation iPhone anyways.
If it is like any other cell phone I have gotten via an upgrade for the past 25-30 years, I haven't had to renew any contract until I got a new phone. That is, my service was continued at the current rate as an open-ended contract. As far as I know, nobody has gotten a notice of renewal after their contracts expire, or have been required to re-sign. (As such, I still have my evening and weekend 'free' calls starting at 6 pm and not the commonly 9 pm found today.)
Once your contract period expires, you can cancel your service without any penalties. It is when you upgrade to a newer model, will you be required to sign a new, or renew your contract for another 2-year term, which commenced from the moment you activated you new phone.
There are new features in iPhone 3.0 that are related to the new hardware, so I would imagine they would release it so that they can discuss developing for those things at the, you know, developer's conference. Then developers can go home and add these new features before the release at the end of the month or in July. I don't see any other way. None of the reasons I've heard for them to wait for SJ to announce it make any sense.
OTOH, large developers with a special relationship with Apple probably already have access to more ”complete“ versions of the beta software and test hardware (such as companies like Tom Tom perhaps?) and have likely already been testing their software on the new iron.
I agree that there will likely be a 2-3 week period after announcement before the new iPhones are available to the public, but Apple is already working with ”showcase“ developers, who will also likely get a small amount of stage time at the WWDC keynote to demo their apps running on the new hardware.
If there is no new Apple iPhone to buy they might be tempted to get a new phone that isn't an iPhone. For instance they might get a Palm Pre and change networks.
If it comes out on that day then it's much more likely all those people that queued for the first iPhone will then queue for the 3rd iPhone on launch day. It would be highly in Apple's / AT&T's interests to tie these people up again for 2 more years plus the good publicity of huge launch queues again.
Why waste the perfect opportunity to intro the iPhone at WWDC? The iPhone is driving the latest and greatest development on the OSX platform (AppleTV, iPod, iPhone, Mac). I'm sure that a lot of decisions on Snow Leopard's development consider all of the devices that run the core OS (e.g. OpenCL). Of course the new iPhone and iPod Touch will be intro'd at WWDC.
+1
Excuse my incredulity but do developers "really" want to pay $1300 to go to WWDC and not see new hardware?
Let's make no bones about it the iPhone/iTouch are generating profits so massive former Mac developers like Pangea are going iPhone only (it makes sense for gaming companies). Thus we have to look at who really is the bankable start here. Mac OS or iPhone OS? I think we all know the answer to that one.
It's time to unveil the new iPhone hardware, deliver a feature complete iPhone SDK 3.0 and Snow Leopard and let the developers work through the RC and prepare for final ship.
If your original contract runs out, wouldn't you just pay month-to-month until the new iPhone comes out? The voice / data plan is not subsidized because you signed on for 2 yrs, just the hardware.
You can, but from Apple and AT&T's PoV they are best to get it out right as close as possible to that time to give iPhone owners less cause to jump ship. However, I'd think that the original iPhone owners, who bought the device for $600, are probably the least likely group to go with another device, so Apple can wait a few weeks without a real risk of losing sales. Even now, they would be eligible for the upgrade price within AT&T without penalty.
Excuse my incredulity but do developers "really" want to pay $1300 to go to WWDC and not see new hardware?
I would hope they go for the software workshops first and foremost. However, since Apple is making most of their money from the iPhone it does seem like it should be showcased so developers can plan their v3.0 apps for the HW changes.
my prediction is that the roles will be switched and instead of steve calling phil schiller onto some iChat as he's done many time in the past, that Phil will engage with Jobs via iChat. this way, Steve stays at home, recoups and still gets a chance to make a big introduction from the comfort of his home.
slam dunk for everyone.
(iPad) That's what she said.
Jeez I hope they don't go with "iPad." Dumbest. Name. Ever.
All it suggests is a product designed to sop up various disgusting human effluents.
I wager at least an announcement at WWDC of new iPhones rather than at a later date.
just not in person.
my prediction is that the roles will be switched and instead of steve calling phil schiller onto some iChat as he's done many time in the past, that Phil will engage with Jobs via iChat. this way, Steve stays at home, recoups and still gets a chance to make a big introduction from the comfort of his home.
slam dunk for everyone.
cool.
This would also totally make sense if they are introducing a new iChat or a new video-chat capable iPhone.
Although ... if Steve is not in perfect health, appearing on a web cam might make him look even worse than he actually is, which might be bad PR. No one looks very good on a webcam, except when they appear in the ads for webcams.
What is the pricing for a new model iPhone if I signed a contract last July when I purchased an iPhone 3G? Do I qualify for the same discount price as a new subscriber if I extend my contract for another two years? Or is there there no upgrade pricing discount for those currently under contract?
They may offer a discount over the "in contract" upgrade price, but I doubt that it will be the same as the "out of contract" price since AT&T is subsidizing the device quite a bit. The price difference is $200 right now between the two.
I believe their contract cancelation fee is $175 with $5 dropping off each month. If you have had your device for 12 months before buying the cancelation fee would be $115. I wonder if AT&T would allow you do get it for $100 more than the out of contract free. If you have to cancel your account I think you lose your number, unless you sign up for a different carrier and transfer the number. Regardless, it all seems like more trouble than it's worth. If AT&T doesn't have a way for in contract iPhone 3G users to get the next iPhone at reduced rate I'll just buy it as the in-contract price. I don't want to, but I'm not going to go through that rigamarole to save $85.
steve jobs WILL be at the keynote
just not in person.
my prediction is that the roles will be switched and instead of steve calling phil schiller onto some iChat as he's done many time in the past, that Phil will engage with Jobs via iChat. this way, Steve stays at home, recoups and still gets a chance to make a big introduction from the comfort of his home.
slam dunk for everyone.
I fully expect Jobs will come out on stage looking like this...
And in case you didn't pick up on it, yes, I labeled Munster as a fanboy.