Let’s talk Tuesday: iPhones, iPods, and more

Here’s our roundup for Tuesday’s Apple event and what we’re expecting.

Let’s talk iPhone: Even though there is no concrete evidence for an iPhone redesign, many are still speculating (we call you “5ers”!) and reporting that one is coming at this event. Because of lack of evidence for a redesign, we believe that Apple will introduce only an iPhone 4S on Tuesday. Here’s what we know:

1. iPhone 4S (N94) shows up in iTunes with the design of the CDMA iPhone 4. This points to the iPhone 4S gaining the Verizon iPhone 4 antenna – which makes sense for a global GSM/CDMA device. After all, the Verizon iPhone packs the dual-mode Qualcomm Gobi chip.
2. This N94 device shows up in Apple’s inventory system for an imminent launch in 3 different configurations.
3. The devices floating around Apple HQ that are running Assistant look like iPhone 4s.
4. N94 turns up various times in iOS SDK.
5. N94 device with iPhone 4 design tested on T-Mobile.
6. Our own manufacturing-based sources say no teardrop iPhones are currently being produced or prepared for production.
7. As far back as April, Game developers seeded N94 device with A5 processor and N94 design.

Evidence for an iPhone redesign coming this Tuesday:

Cases that fit teardrop design. While case-makers have gone full steam ahead in baking different sized tear drop cases, we think Apple either punk’d them or they got designs of a 2012 device that is at least a few months out.

iPhone 5 specifications (4 inch display, 4G) which showed up in unconfirmed screenshots taken on Cincinnati Bell’s (who?) website. Carriers (especially unheard of ones) have no information about Apple’s upcoming handsets. That includes its screen size and name, though there are no shortage of carriers calling it an ‘iPhone 5’. *

As you can clearly see, the evidence for an iPhone redesign is super slim: no SDK references, no iTunes references, no hints of such a phone being in production, no sources spotting such devices. Nothing. If Apple pulls an iPhone 5 redesign out on Tuesday, it will be a major and almost unheard of surprise.

So what are we expecting?

iPhone 4S (N94):

1. iPhone 4 design.
2. Breakthrough Assistant voice navigation feature. Indeed “Let’s Talk iPhone” seems to point to voice features.
3. A5 processor with better graphics from iPad 2.
4. Eight megapixel camera from Sony and/or Omnivision with backlit sensor. We also caught Sony CEO Howard Stringer talking about shipping 8MP cameras to Apple.
5. Nuance speech-to-text.
6. 1GB of RAM which is needed for Assistant.
7. 16, 32, 64GB of storage likely…at least 3 different tiers.

Cheaper iPhone 4 (N90A):

1. iPhone 4 design.
2. 8GB of storage.
3. Lower price point. Free on some plans in many countries.
4. Perhaps lower quality parts (screen, battery, etc.) more like an iPod touch to keep prices low.

Some are calling the iPhone 4S (N94) the cheaper iPhone. This is unlikely because of the N90A’s existence in both the Apple inventory system and Foxconn Brazil.

Let’s talk iPods:

1. White iPod touch: we brought the first evidence of such a device with photos of the actual OEM front plate. The device’s launch has since been confirmed internally and via Apple’s inventory system.
2. A minor iPod nano revision (N20A) has been called for by MacRumors. We’ve seen cameras in the past but aren’t expecting this. Also we’ve speculated about Bluetooth making a connected device but have absolutely no evidence to back this up.
3. There were also sketchy reports that the iPod classic and shuffle will soon be discontinued. We’ve heard that iPod classics continue to be shipped from Apple’s supply centers including orders that are to be delivered after the event so this is likely untrue.
4. We’ve also heard the 8GB iPod touch will see a price cut perhaps to surpass the newly introduced $199 Amazon Kindle Fire for the Christmas shopping season. (Thanks, Mr. X!).

Other interesting tidbits:

1. Apple may be set to release at least one of their new products on October 4th. We’ve heard uncorroborated – but reliable – whispers that Apple has sent boxes of product with a “do not open until Oct. 4th” sign to Apple retail stores.
2. We’ve also heard uncorroborated whispers of Apple opening retail stores at 7AM for the October 14th launch of the iPhone 4S. This will be preceded by a major Apple retail overnight/visuals shift on October 13th. Some stores may even be open until midnight.

* On that note, TUAW – who posted on these unconfirmed screenshots – is somehow claiming we made up our story about iPhone 4S references appearing in iTunes. This is according to their sources ‘who examined iTunes Betas’ –The same Betas that I (in addition to several others) independently located the references in. We’re not sure what to say.

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