Just speculation; I've read on Engadget and the like about the new ROKR 2 that will feature Motorola's iRadio and not iTunes support. The next logical step my mind took was that it was dropped because Apple is coming out with its own mobile phone and mobile phone service next week.

Okay, that was a big step, so backtracking I figure it's probably more because of some strained relations between Apple and Motorola (over a great many things, including that the inclusion of iTunes didn't make the ROKR an instant best seller) and licensing and other business foibles we're not privy to. (Steve has axed relationships for many reasons -- remember the video board bit some years ago, when the vendor leaked that their new board was being used in Apple's newest [specs here] Power Mac, being shown at next week's Macworld Expo?)

And as far as "who will use the iPhone", it'd be great if it was a service-independent phone (i.e., all carriers). If it's a new service -- not unheard of -- say, an Apple-branded service, fewer will be able to get one off the bat (I'm locked into a new contract with Sprint, for instance).

I dunno; I'm just speculating. I have my own thoughts as to what's going to be on stage 7 days from this minute -- including iLife 06, a big revamp of iWork, and some nifty new unexpected hardware (not Macs) -- the iPhone is not among them. Still…

Edit: Maybe it is just a rumor, [www.tuaw.com] , but I've seen it quite a few places. Still, that's what rumors are, so maybe this is all moot.

---

(BTW, it's spelled < y'all >.)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/03/2006 12:04PM by Zoidberg.

I'd be very happy if Apple ended their relationship with Motorola and jumped ship to someone like Nokia or Sony Ericsson.

I can see them doing that.

or possibly even going for their own Hardware.

Unfortnatly, I think that if Apple did go the hardware route(making an iPhone), then it would not be compatable with Sprint or Verizon(YAY!!), but go for more of the industry standard of GSM, have it unlocked and avaliable right off Apple.com.

---

_______________________________________________________________
Security is just a word. The act of being secure is entirely different.
"...but I think that to make your dream a reality, having a dream itself is a mandatory prerequisite"
From A Book: Walking Through The Impossible

Just because it has two clutches, shifts faster, uses a torque converter or has near-infinite gear ratios, requires less driver intervention and is more efficient doesn't make it better in my opinion.
Save The Manual Transmission

but go for more of the industry standard of GSM, have it unlocked and avaliable right off Apple.com

I'd actually very much applaud this; it would just suck at first because I couldn't get one right off.

BTW, love the sig. Home is indeed where your family is. (said the Katrina refugee)

Yep, and it would also keep it somewhat exclusive in the U.S.

I wouldn't want every single Verizon kid at school having an iPhone.

---

_______________________________________________________________
Security is just a word. The act of being secure is entirely different.
"...but I think that to make your dream a reality, having a dream itself is a mandatory prerequisite"
From A Book: Walking Through The Impossible

Just because it has two clutches, shifts faster, uses a torque converter or has near-infinite gear ratios, requires less driver intervention and is more efficient doesn't make it better in my opinion.
Save The Manual Transmission

The recently-announced Razr V3i will still have iTunes support, so it seems Moto is trying to diversify more than anything else.

I thought Nokia partnered with M$ to provide digital music technology, and Sony Ericsson will be tied to all of of Sony's proprietary crud for the foreseeable future. I also don't see Apple producing their own headset any time soon because the way the market is currently structured, the carriers have the manufacturers by the short hairs. Oh, and M$ is neatly sewing up the smartphone market. So forgive me for not being optimistic about the future of headsets in the U.S.

As speculation goes, it's good speculation.

Apple has generally skewed GSM-friendly in its supported phones, and the timing of the ROKR2 announcement is definitely interesting.

My fantasy (and it's admittedly that): they make a strategic investment in Danger and combine the iPod, Sidekick, and .Mac into a single web-linked handheld smartphone product/sevice combination.

.Mac mail would show up on your device wherever there's a phone signal or WiFi, much as Danger's Sidekick works now.

All your movies/music/e-mail accessible anywhere in the world 24 hrs a day. Anything you've bought from iTunes you can stream over your phone.

Hey, a guy can dream.

And to add fuel to the fire... Apple's rumored massive increase in .Mac bandwidth.

That's consistent with the introduction of some sort of streaming media-based web services.

[www.applele.com]

[www.applele.com]

[www.applele.com]

[www.applele.com]


[www.applele.com]