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Dual-Mode CDMA/GSM iPhone 5 ‘World Phone’ AND $99 iPhone 4S? Posted: 25 Aug 2011 07:48 AM PDT Beatweek’s Johnny Major vigorously insists that the new iPhone definitely must be an iPhone 5 and not a 4S upgrade of the present version 4 model. “After making would-be iPhone 5 buyers wait a year and a quarter for the iPhone 4 era to be over,” says Major. “sticking them with another warmed-over iPhone 4 with mere spec boosts as their only "upgrade" option would have seen current iPhone 4 users staying home and owners of the aging iPhone 3GS wondering what they waited for.” Based on our comment forums, I expect many iPhone 5 News Blog readers will enthusiastically agree. However, Major doesn’t entirely dismiss the prospect for there being an iPhone 4S model in the works in addition to a flagship iPhone 5, but he thinks that if a 4S model does materialize, it will be as a “sideshow bargain model… an eight gigabyte price-leader presumably priced “somewhere from $99 to free” for budget-conscious entry-level consumers that won’t get in the way of a likewise presumably “massively overhauled” iPhone 5 release. Meanwhile TechCrunch’s Robin Wauters reports that the iPhone 5 will almost certainly support both CDMA (used by Verizon and Sprint in the US) and GSM (used by AT&T and T-Mobile). Wauters notes that this is not a new rumor, and indeed at one point it was “half confirmed” by a Verizon executive back in May. Electronista reported During a recent conference call discussing its latest quarterly results the company let slip that its next Apple handset would be a “global device,” capable of using both Verizon’s CDMA network and GSM networks while roaming abroad, and with Verizon CFO Fran Shammo providing more details of the next iPhone in comments at a Reuters’ technology summit. However, Wauters says he has now received solid evidence via a developer of some of the most popular apps on the iOS platform today, who speaking on condition of anonymity turns the rumor into a near-certainty. According to Wauters’ source, and verified by app usage logs he/she supplied as corroboration a single, brand new Apple device supporting both CDMA and GSM. A CDMA/GSM ambidextrous “world phone” iPhone would make logical good sense, especially for users who travel outside the U.S., given the lack of coverage uniformity globally, while with a dual-mode iPhone 5, users would be able to roam between both networks effortlessly, or at least with the minuscule effort of toggling an antenna selector switch. The downside would be the need for two different antennae and tandem support silicon. What isn’t likely coming this time, Wauters maintains, is LTE/4G support. |
The iPhone & The Mouse: Steve Jobs’ & Walt Disney’s Kindred Spirits Posted: 25 Aug 2011 07:38 AM PDT
The phenomenon, while not unprecedented in the Apple universe — Apple devotees have fervently defended and followed Steve Jobs in the public sphere for well over a decade now — speaks to the unique relationship between the man behind the iPhone, iPad, iPod, and Mac computers. And a change in that relationship upsets an equilibrium in the tech universe that is felt on all levels: overnight trading on Apple stock shed 5% from its value on the news, and tech analysts immediately began to consider the short and long term implications of Mr. Jobs stepping away from being a pro-active CEO with his own personal ingenuity and vision for future Apple products. To wit, Apple isn’t the only company that leverages the celebrity status of its founders and CEOs to market its products: other figures, such as Martha Stewart, Oprah Winfrey, and Sir Richard Branson all wield their public personas and respect to move their products and companies forward. Other figures, like Tiger Woods before his scandal, even manage to become a brand in and of themselves. And over 100 years ago, even Thomas Edison had a similar aura to Steve Jobs, as his inventions, such as the electric light bulb, phonograph, and moving pictures changed culture in the Victorian age much like the iPhone has impacted our own generation. But none of these other examples truly measure up to Steve Jobs’ impact on Apple — and people’s lives. Steve Jobs and Walt Disney: Kindred Spirits Perhaps the most accurate comparison that can be drawn in the annals of charismatic business leaders is between Steve Jobs and Walt Disney. In the 88-year history of the Walt Disney Company, the company’s economic dominance has flourished the most after the death of its founder and visionary Walt Disney in 1966. His legacy, however, is still felt strongly in all of Disney’s ventures. In fact, it’s hard to believe that Walt himself has been dead for 45 years, considering that he himself forged the iconic Disney cartoon characters, a host of timeless full-length motion pictures, Disneyland, and Disney World — the first and only theme park of its kind. The successes of Disney in the decades after Walt’s death have all been built on his idiosyncratic foundations: Disney World continues to grow, and other Disneyland offshoots continue to pop up throughout the world, and Pixar is carrying on Disney’s groundbreaking work as an animator — you can argue that Pixar is singlehandedly producing the most timeless films of this generation, amidst an increasingly mediocre motion picture industry. Speaking of Pixar — that’s Steve’s gig, too. Pixar, Disney and the Future of Apple Without Steve Jobs Acquired in 1986, Pixar has grown to become a company worth $7.4 billion dollars. But more importantly, Pixar and Disney have inextricably linked the legacies of Walt Disney and Steve Jobs together. They are kindred spirits — and so too are the companies, with Apple owning the largest share of Disney stock. But what we’ve seen play out in the history of the Walt Disney Company we can similarly expect from Apple, even with resignation and eventual passing of Steve Jobs. To be sure, his role in personifying Apple has already made his resignation even more poignant than that of Walt Disney’s passing in the mid 60s, as the connection that today’s fast-paced media environment affords to the average person brings public figures even closer to those who follow them. But Apple customers should also take solace in the fact that, just as Disney has continued to carry on the excellence established by Walt, so too will Apple continue in its tradition of innovation and quality. When you think about how Disney’s innovations in traditional animation have led to the conflation of technology from the likes of George Lucas and Steve Jobs to forge the next generation of CGI that has become the stand for movies, television, and video games, there’s no reason to believe that the template of the iPhone and iPad will not continue to progress. Just as the phonograph led inevitably to the compact disc, so too will the smartphone and tablet lead to new vistas not yet anticipated by Steve Jobs himself, but otherwise impossible to reach if not for his timeless brilliance. By Michael Nace |
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