Rumor

An Intel executive is said to have made comments this week that corroborate reports of a Netwon-like mini-tablet under development at Apple. Could this be the next iPhone, or non-related?

Intel Germany chief Hannes Schwaderer reportedly spilled the beans saying the device is expected to be powered by one of his firm’s Atom ultra-mobile device chipsets.

The device has been described by sources as an ultra-thin akin to the iPhone and running an embedded version of the Mac OS X Leopard operating system.

As you’ll notice, the device may be considerably larger than the iPhone. I would imagine that would be a little difficult to use as a phone. Either way, the device is going to be a neat gadget to play with.

A recent rumor, which I won’t get too excited over, is the mysterious release date of the 3G iPhone.

In April, SwitchToaMac published a rumor that Apple would be launching the 3G iPhone earlier than expected. Why?

Reportedly, Apple would instead announce a brand new portable device at WWDC. No other details of what this device might be, but there have been rumors that Apple was developing a “mini-tablet multitouch” device for launch in 2008.

SwitchToaMac’s source claimed that the 3G-capable iPhone would be announced in May, with the belief that it would be available for purchase the day after the announcement.

It is still May, and June is right around the corner. As the date get closer, it is clear that people will concoct a dream of flying iPhones if they could, only to get them through this hard time of waiting.

That is what we must do—wait. Good things come for those who wait, right?

File this under a big, “Huh?” Apple recently filed a patent for a universal interface for “real-time text chat services”. This is great news for iPhone users who want their iChat-like capabilities on the go.

The real question that I have, however, is how innovative is this interface going to be? What can APple possibly come up with that would differ so much from the competition that it would require a separate patent?

I am not saying that Apple isn’t coming up with something amazing. I just can’t imagine what it could be.

There are a lot of interesting rumors about what the next version of the iPhone software would contain. Not to mention the rumored features of the new 3G iPhone. Could this patent all point to this new iPhone with video iChat capabilities? Will apps like this new IM client support staying open in the background while other apps are live?

According to this article on CRN.com, “While SMS is mentioned in the patent text, the Cupertino, Calif.-based firm also suggests the chat interface could be used for MMS (Multimedia Message Service) picture and video messages, but doesn’t include an… more...

According to Gizmodo, Walt Mossberg confirmed in a Beet.tv video that the 3G iPhone will be coming in 60 days. Check out 6:53 into the video below. Walt throws out this nugget nonchalantly: “It’s not just because the iPhone will be 3G in 60 days....”

iPodObserver posted an image that they claim represents what the rumored 3G iPhone will look like:

Apparently the new iPhone will also sport a glossy black back, replacing the satin nickel look found on the current model.

If iPodObserver.com’s source is correct, the redesigned iPhone back also drops the black plastic end piece that covers the antenna, and it appears that Apple will continue to offer an 8GB model.

Hmmm, I can take this with a grain of salt, but if real, what do you think about the black glossy back? I’d like it...that is until the first scratch appears.

Keep in mind, it is very rare that “leaked” photos turn out to be legitimate. Only time will tell…

Are you a little tired of the 3G phone talk everywhere? I am also…

However, I thought I would let you know what the latest rumors are. Apparently, the iPhone is decreasing in numbers as more and mores stores sell out. What does this mean?

According to Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster figures there is an 80% chance of that the new iPhone is coming, not in June, but sooner. He gives only a 20% chance that there is a production or manufacturing problem.

“Now Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray has gone a little further, reporting that he’s called around to 20 Apple stores around the U.S. and found the same thing. No iPhones to be had. Additionally, lead times on delivery of iPhones from Apple.com is still 5-7 days.

This leads him to believe two possibilities: 1) A new iPhone is coming sooner than originally expected or 2) There’s a production or manufacturing problem. He figures the chances that a new iPhone are coming at about 80%.”

To be honest, I am not holding my breath, and I may possibly never buy an iPhone again if I hear… more...

New screenshots surfaced of a leaked copy of iPhone OS 2.0

The new screenshots were posted by iPhone developer “Sam,” to this forum and hosted by ImageShack to show the mass email deletion function, the Cisco VPN setup screen, and the home screen with App Store icon.

iPhone atlas reported that, in addition to the 3rd party apps the SDK will offer, the new update will feature included support for Bonjour, full-screen mode in Safari, support for SVG “and more.”

Perhaps Gearlive will get a copy of the iPhone 2.0 software and show us all what it really does.

What other features do you think might be rumored or actually placed into the future release of firmware 2.0?

The Inquirer posts what seems is evidence that Apple is planning to adopt Intel’s Moorestown chip for a future iPhone model.

If you are not quite sure what the Moorestown platform is, it is a system-on-chip design, and will combine processing abilities such as the CPU, graphics, video and memory controller onto a single chip. Moorestown can also support standardized communications capabilities such as Wi-Fi, 3G and WiMAX.

“Yup, it is what you think it is. Intel will have their usual hissy-fit when this is published, but we have source after source telling us that it will happen,so we will go with that. If you are going to buy an Iphone, wait. ”

Although there are rumors indicating the the update won’t be made until 2009, Anandtech claims we won’t see this until 2010.

Only time will tell…

If you’re experiencing battery charging problems with your iPhone after upgrading to 1.1.4, you’re not alone. Several users have experience shorter use times after the upgrade, usually around 10-15% less. This may have to do with a supposed bug fix in 1.1.4 that affected how the iPhone behaves in “fringe” areas- places where signal reception fluctuates in and out of range. If the iPhone can’t handle EDGE signals, we’d hate to see how it would behave when using the power-hungry 3G network.

Have you experienced any battery issues after upgrading to 1.1.4? Let us know in the comments.

Via: Powerpage.org

I have been hearing about the elusive 3G iPhone for a while now, and I yawn and move on to other things.

I do a double take now, because there seems to be sufficient evidence that the 3G iPhone is due this year; mid-year.

The 3G iPhone is coming in the middle of 2008 with technology supplied by Infineon.

“Nicolas Gaudois claims his statement is based on various checks, and particularly an HSDPA design win by Infineon set to ramp up during the second quarter of the year.”

We all knew 3G was coming, but we just weren’t sure when. Although, it is still to early to tell, I would imagine good things to come by June when WWDC usualy takes place.