iOS Devices

The mobile device market is heating up just a bit over the past few weeks, isn’t it?  The latest bomb is that Palm isn’t just throwing the Pre on Sprint’s network, it is also building a WebOS competitor to the iPhone for AT&T. 

The Palm Eos (codenamed Castle/Pixie) will cost $99 with a plan and be an ultra-thin version of the Pre with a non-slideout QWERTY keyboard.  

Engadget got the picts, specs and the details:

It is an "astounding" 10.6mm thin, will measure just 55mm x 111mm (about 2.1 by 4.3-inches), weigh 100 grams, and will tout a 2.63-inch, 320 x 400 capacitive display (that’s 80 pixels less than the Pre or iPhone).  It also sports:

• 4GB storage
• Price: $349 (pre-rebate) ($99 after)
• Camera: 2 megapixel fixed focus digital camera and flash / video capture
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.1 w/ A2DP and EDR, USB 2.0 via micro USB
• Removable 1150 mAh battery (4 hours 3G talk time)
• Messaging: SMS, MMS (picture and video only), integrated IM client
• Contact sync with AT&T Address Book
• MediaNet
• Cellular Video
• Email: POP3, IMAP4, and EAS support
• A-GPS
• Audio: WAV, MP3, AAC, AAC+ ringtones
• Video Playback: MPEG4, H.264, H.263

And you wonder why Apple has been knocking on Verizon’s door?

The iPhone’s biggest (shipping) competitor is the Google Adroid-based G1 from T-Mobile.  According to Engadget, T-Mobile is now doing over-the-air updates to the G1 to the Android 1.5 (Cupcake) OS. 

BGR is also reporting that like iPhone nano rumors, Palm rumors also say that they are going to release a smaller Pre this year.  That thing pictured to your right is supposed to be it ->.  It is based on the current Centro hardware.

In related news, I show you how to build a pretty sweet Android tablet for $220 out of a Nokia N810 here.  Just so you know.

Richard Teversham, (former) senior director of business, insights and strategy for Microsoft’s Xbox, is now moving to Apple.  Teversham is just the latest in a string of high profile executives leaving established technology firms for Apple.  This particular moves speaks volumes for the future of Apple’s gaming prospects.

According to MCV, Teversham has accepted an education-related role at the iPod creator’s European office. 

Teversham had worked at Microsoft for over 15 years. He held the role of Xbox director for platform and marketing between 2005 and 2007 before becoming strategy boss.  A Microsoft spokesperson told MCV this week: “We can confirm that Richard Teversham, director of business, insights and strategy, has taken a new opportunity outside of Microsoft. A process is underway for recruiting his replacement.

What does Apple do during recessions (with its mountain of cash)? It innovates. And it looks like it is on a major hiring spree.

Thanks Jonny! (hows the arm?)

The Wall Street Journal today took a look at Apple’s in-house Silicon plans.   Two new recent hires, Raja Koduri and Bob Drebin were both high ranking defectors from struggling AMD/ATI.  Both were also focused in the graphics arenas.  But there are many, many more.

The WSJ sites Linkedin Job profiles and Apple Jobs and Indeed job searches as evidence of Apple’s ramping up of talent in the chip making game.  Some have partial descriptions like "testing the functional correctness of Apple developed silicon."

This goes against an industry trend of outsourcing more and more components and relying on partners more and more. Currently Apple outsources its chip supply but has special relationships with its CPU vendors. 

Most cellphones are based on chip designs licensed by ARM Holdings PLC to others. For the iPhone, Samsung Electronics Co. supplies an ARM-based microprocessor with custom features developed by Apple, analysts say.

But don’t get your hopes up for 2009.  They say that Apple silicon is at least a year out, if not more.  We think we know which chip Apple will use next if it continues with Samsung.

There is a great irony to this whole story.  It puts forward that Apple’s main reason for building in house silicon is that it wants to control the leaks of information, yet it quotes "people familiar with the plans, matter, etc" no less than eight times!

MacFormat’s 3D artist came up with these mockups and some additional specs. Will the Mac Tablet look anything like this?

We’re not sure how fair this contest is but it certainly looked like fun! Crave UK got to put the iPhone up against the EeePC in a pretty speedy little Citroen in a drive around a race track.  While we’ll concede that the Eee isn’t built to be typed on going around corners at 700MPH, the accuracy of the iPhone doing those same corners was still impressive.  When not racing around a track we think the Eee might be a bit faster, especially if it is the 1000HE’s MacBook style keyboard but we’ll give it to the iPhone in this case.

The Apple Blog has the goods.  Basically, now you can have more than one account on your Touch device.  We’re not sure how often this would come up or why someone would need multiple accounts (work/play?) but apparantly now you can switch between the two on the iPhone.

Anybody able to enable the video features?? 

The latest version on iTunes 8.2 prerelease contains a Notes syncing pane. But you’ll need 10.5.7 to use the functionality. So we are going to hazard a guess that 10.5.7 is going to have a Notes update…and is probably coming fairly soon. 

Update: It was working (buggily) for iTunes 8.1 + iPhone 3.0Beta 3 in 10.5.6 and broke in iTunes 8.2b + iPhone 3.0B4

Also longer version number.

 Thanks Allan!

SprintGurus has the date of the Pre launch (as opposed to pre-launch) on June 7th, the day before WWDC.  We’re not seeing any hard evidence in the image they propose but it makes sense for Palm to be out of the gate first. Will this take the shine off of iPhone 3 or will this just be the "Pre-event"?  We are still hedging our bets on May 17th.

In related news, WWDC sold out in record time this year.

via Mobilecrunk

Developers, start your downloads.  Beta 3 killed Skype over 3G.  Will Beta 4 kill your precious tethering?  We’ll let you know that and all of your other questions as soon as our download completes.

 Oh, and you’ll need iTunes 8.2 Pre-Release…

Here’s the WSJ story*.  The short of it:  Microsoft can’t handle the iPhone nuttiness and blames its hardware partners for not getting the Windows Mobile implementation right.  So they are going to go with an OEM (ironically, probably HTC – which is also a hardware partner) and do it "themselves" – kinda like Google is doing with Android.  Which means they’ll be responsible for the outside colors (Brown!) and the advertising/product placement/branding.  Maybe they’ll even *gasp*  use Lauren.

Verizon also would like to have something to battle the iPhone, if it can’t get Apple hardware.

This plan is likely to backfire because Microsoft’s current partners aren’t going to be happy with competition from the OS provider and will be more likely to move to Android or Symbian.  Zune all over again.  They should call the device "Calls for Sure™"

The one upside?

The group [creating Pink] includes staffers from Danger Inc., a company that Microsoft acquired a year ago that designs the software in the Sidekick, a popular cellphone sold by T-Mobile. 

The Sidekick was a revolutionary device that, if marketed and updated properly, should have owned the smartphone space.  They had an app store two years before Apple did and had proper multitasking, keyboard and email that killed the Blackberry and everything else around.  Unfortunately, it didn’t get sexy hardware upgrades and it was marketed toward consumer youth and hip hop stars (yeah we had em!).  Then Microsoft bought it.

*Just an FYI on WSJ security.  If you Google a quote from the snippet they provide, and then go to the story from Google, you can read the whole thing.  Shhh

How badly do you want to believe?  Badly enough to disregard the fact that it would take someone three seconds to fake a computer signature in an Adium log?  Yes, we want to believe too, so there it is to your right.   Remember, we outed the MacBook Air this way back in January of 2008.  But those logs happened before the "Something is in the Air" signs were trotted out so it lent a bit of legitimacy to the whole thing. 

Also remember, the shots we found (more pics below) were named MacBook Mini and this could be a copycat-type of incident.

Could Apple have made the same stupid mistake twice?  Perhaps.

Adium via TUAW

The NYTimes’ Jenna Wortham is reporting that an as-yet unreleased Compete study proves that iPhone users don’t use their devices for work.  Well, that’s not what the study really says.  But the title of the story is an eye-grabbing: "Apple iPhone Owners Don’t Use It For Work"

This is based on the statistics:

"73 percent of iPhone owners used their mobile devices primarily for personal reasons, such as entertainment. By comparison, 59 percent of owners with other types of smartphones — from manufacturers like HTC, Research in Motion and Nokia — primarily used their devices for business and work-related needs."

Even if you use your iPhone as your sole work communications device, you probably also use it more for personal reasons.  It does have a video iPod built-in and access to thousands of games, camera and location-based utilities for personal use. For those 27% who use the iPhone primarily for work, you are missing out!

Do you use your car primarily for work?

http://feedroom.businessweek.com/linking/index.jsp?skin=twoclip&fr_story=816e6f8e0ae953ce1c952ae3b0cac12dd829fd61&rf=ev&hl=true

Starting to see a pattern here?  We are.  According to Businessweek:

Verizon Wireless is in talks with Apple to distribute two new iPhone-like devices, BusinessWeek has learned. Apple has created prototypes of the devices, and discussions reaching back a half-year have involved Apple CEO Steve Jobs, according to two people familiar with the matter.

One device is a smaller, less expensive calling device described by a person who has seen it as an "iPhone lite." The other is a media pad that would let users listen to music, view photos, and watch high-definition videos, the person says. It would place calls over a Wi-Fi connection. One of these devices may be introduced as early as this summer, one person says.

Are you starting to believe that this Verizon thing might actually be true? Whatever the case, this rumor just got a whole lot more interesting!  Is Apple just playing hardball in its negotiations with AT&T or is it interested in selling two different portable devices on Verizon’s network, including the mythical tablet device?  We’re kinda wondering why Verizon would be carrying a device that would place calls over Wifi…but don’t let the details get it the way.  There’s more!

Businessweek continues:

The new Apple devices under development, if introduced, hold the potential to shake up the tech industry. The media pad is smaller than an Amazon (AMZN) Kindle electronic reader, but its touchscreen is bigger than the Kindle’s, says the person who has seen it [The Kindle has a 7-inch screen]. Carriers such as Verizon and AT&T are keen on striking deals to supply wireless Internet access to these new small computing devices, such as netbooks, which represent revenue growth opportunities. Phone carriers also fear being cut out of their core markets for supplying land-line and wireless voice services.

 "The media pad category might go to Verizon," said the person who has seen the device. "We are talking about a device where people will say, ‘Damn, why didn’t we do this?’ Apple is probably going to define the damn category."

The new iPhone-like device is slightly thinner and smaller than the existing iPhone, people say. The reason the device is much cheaper than existing iPhones is that it relies on a so-called system on a chip, which incorporates many types of chips and drives down the cost of silicon in such devices, says one source familiar with the design. This new chip could also potentially be used in the media pad. "It will have a much lower cost that will blow away the margins on the BlackBerry and the iPhone," the person says.

Wow.

According to SAI, MLB.com’s At Bat 2009 iPhone application (iTunes Link) is currently the no. 3 app in Apple’s iPhone store, and is one of two $9.99 apps in the top 100.  It is closing in on a $1 million in revenue on sales of 130,000 downloads at $10/each.  Apple’s 30% cut is over $300,000.  Also, 220,000 copies of the free At Bat Lite have been installed on the iPod Touch and iPhone.  Not too shabby.

Sick of the Verizon/iPhone news yet?  Here’s another tidbit:  SAI is reporting that a Verizon spokesperson gave them the "I know something I won’t tell, I won’t tell, I won’t tell":

A Verizon Wireless spokesman, reached for comment, did not deny that Verizon is in talks with Apple to sell the iPhone. "We’re always ready to talk with suppliers, but nothing to announce today," he said.

Wow, we love PR speak.  We’d also love a Verizon iPhone, if only to light a fire under AT&T’s backside.  More iPhone Verizon coverage.

Update:The WSJ reports:

President and Chief Operating Officer Denny Strigl took a slight shot at AT&T in addressing a USA Today report that Verizon and Apple Inc. (AAPL) were in talks to bring the iPhone to the carrier after AT&T’s exclusivity agreement ends in 2010. While he declined to comment on the iPhone, he said that Verizon Wireless isn’t dependent on one device, and that it already has a strong base of high-value customers.

Sling updated their iPhone progress over the weekend.  It is submitted and awaiting approval.  We’ll believe it when we see it in the iTunes store:

Yet another source is saying that AT&T and Verizon are working on an iPhone.  USA Today, adds their fuel to the fire:

It would mark the first time Apple has produced a version of the iPhone for a CDMA wireless network, which is different from AT&T’s GSM technology. Vodafone, co-owner of Verizon Wireless, already sells the iPhone in Europe.

The New York-based telecom entered into "high-level" discussions with Apple management a few months ago, when CEO Steve Jobs was overseeing day-to-day business, these sources say. They declined to be named because they aren’t authorized to speak publicly.

Sounds sorta legit to us.  Although, many sources have stated different lengths of time in the AT&T-Apple exclusivity deal (Including two different timeframes by USA Today alone which BOTH run counter to this story).

This one does corroborate our report from way back when, plus it would push AT&T to be more competitive, which is sorely needed.

USA Today continues:

Regardless, Entner says, Apple would likely maintain ties with AT&T. The biggest winners, by far, would be consumers, he says.

"They could pick the network they wanted to use: AT&T’s or Verizon’s," he says. "It would finally give consumers choice, and choice is a good thing."

Entner says Verizon would fare well in that fight. While AT&T’s 3G network is "somewhat faster," he says, Verizon’s network "is generally perceived to be better in terms of reliability."

The biggest loser? "AT&T," Entner says. "It would be a reversal of fortune, because a lot of people who have been disappointed in AT&T’s network but love the iPhone would probably" jump to Verizon.

Apple would also benefit, he adds, "because that means they’d have to buy a new iPhone."

Techcrunch sifted through the March 2008 deposition that Forbes got through the Freedom of Information Act.  What did they find?  Steve Jobs really went to bat for one time lieutenants like Fred Anderson (who was known to be interviewing at Dell) and Jon Rubinstein who he brought over from NEXT.  As we told you before, both eventually left Apple to go to Elevation Partners who invested heavily in Palm to help build the Palm Pre.  The Pre will soon be going head to head against the iPhone.  Gratitude!

Tim(othy) Cook and Avie Tevenian also came up in the deposition, below:

Jobs on the origins of the 4.8 million-share mega grant to Apple’s top executives:

"Apple was in a precarious situation in that we’d, you know, had the internet bubble busting, and I thought that Apple’s executive team and the stability of Apple’s executive team was one of its core strengths. And I was very concerned because Michael Dell, one of our chief competitors, had flown Fred Anderson, our CFO, down to Austin, I guess, him and his wife, I think, to try to recruit him. And I was also concerned that [REDACTED] and [REDACTED] two very strong technical leaders, were also very vulnerable.

So I was very concerned that Apple could really suffer some big losses on its executive team with the business environment we were in and the competitors coming after our people.

. . . Well, I talked with the board almost every meeting about, you know, key personnel, because I think that’s the key asset Apple has, is its talent"

 

Q. All right. And who did you consider to be these ultra key people?

Jobs: [Timothy Cook] who at the time I think was our Executive Vice President of Operations, maybe sales and operations, actually. Fred Anderson, our CFO. [Jon Rubinstein] head of hardware. [Avi Tevanian] head of software.

Who am I forgetting? I think those were the four key ones.

Steve Jobs’ Deposition below:  http://d.scribd.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=14645289&access_key=key-1hncljz0tx7e9xk3oa0z&page=1&version=1&viewMode=

I did a little 4th grade math over at Computerworld this morning.  If Apple has distributed a billion applications and sold 37 million iPhones and iPod touches, that means that each device has an average of 27 apps.  Knowing people who haven’t installed any apps, as well as some who’ve filled their device up, there is a wide variance.  But what it does mean is that iPhone and iPod touch have a stickiness to them that might prove stickier that the original iPod platform with its AAC files.  Read more at Computerworld.