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Wed, 29 Apr 2009 Apple iPhone Lite & Kindle-killing 'Media Pad' coming this summer?

Apple "media pad" - music, games, photos, HD video and calling ability Wi-Fi

Brennon Slattery PC World

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For those US customers who switched to AT&T from Verizon in anticipation of the iPhone, now may be the time to switch back.

According to two anonymous sources speaking to Business Week, Apple and Verizon may release two new Verizon-exclusive iPhone-like products as early as this summer.

The rumours go hand-in-hand with recent talk that the iPhone is coming to Verizon, and that Apple has new devices up its sleeve for the summer.

One device seems like it'll be the closest we'll ever get to the iPhone Nano: a smaller, less expensive iPhone. The iPhone Lite, as it's being called, is smaller and thinner than the existing iPhone and will come cheaper because 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."

The other is a "media pad" that has the same functionality as an iPod Touch - music, games, photos - but with HD video and calling ability via a Wi-Fi connection.

Sources tell Business Week that the device will be smaller than the Kindle 2, but with a larger touchscreen, paving the way for more speculation about Apple slinking into the eBook market.

This might be the Apple Tablet everybody has been talking about.

"The media pad category might go to Verizon," a witness told Business Week. "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."

All signs point to a burgeoning deal between Verizon and Apple because, 1) Verizon Wireless CEO Lowell McAdam told Business Week that he has spoken to Steve Jobs within the past six months even though Jobs is on medical leave; 2) Business Week isn't the type of publication to spread rumours; and 3) if Verizon wants Apple products, new products must be developed.

Apple isn't about to renege on its iPhone exclusive deal with AT&T, and the current iteration of the iPhone is on a GSM network and won't function on Verizon's CDMA network.

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Comments received


Brian said on Wed, 29 Apr 2009

If you check back a couple of years you will see that Asus was supposed to be 'co-operating with Apple to create a new Tablet with MacOS but not MacOSX??? Who knows maybe it's all true and like they said, they were not going to make a netbook, maybe this is why, they have been slaving away over a hot tablet. I want one! :)

Brian said on Wed, 29 Apr 2009

PS, it will have three mini usb ports an SD slot for increasing onboard memory (there will be two versions, one with 16Gb onboard SSD and a higher end model with 64 Gb onboard SSD), and a 5 in one card reader to read camera SD cards etc. Wireless and Bluetooth go without saying.

BJ said on Wed, 29 Apr 2009

I can't think of many things I would want one for (if any). A netbook would be a lot better.

Tony Powell said on Wed, 29 Apr 2009

If you add a microphone to an iPod touch you have the wifi calling ability via skype etc..

gregorsamsa said on Wed, 29 Apr 2009

@BJ,

Agreed. Virtual keyboards are fine if you do a minimum amount of typing - otherwise this looks a fairly niche product. Compared to netbooks, it won't be cheap either.

phelix_da_kat said on Wed, 29 Apr 2009

why not also update and release the iPhone with "system on a chip". More space for memory and slimmer!

CDMA said on Wed, 29 Apr 2009

Apple isn't likely to develop a CDMA device - the iPhone (GSM) already tells us that - because such products are limited in their use to North America. It's also a standard whose days are numbered, so not worth long term investment.

So, overall, story seems like complete BS.

who me said on Wed, 29 Apr 2009

what ever they come up with it will be overpriced and under spec, but then some people buy for image alone and dont even use half the features

Brian said on Wed, 29 Apr 2009

Hmm, having thought it over maybe you are right about it being probably overpriced. Maybe I'll just stick with my Acer Aspire one which I bought after having given up on the idea of Apple ever bringing a reasonable priced netbook to the market all I need to do now is to get OSX to work on it instead of the flakey Linux.

MaX said on Thu, 30 Apr 2009

Great, as long as it allows full blown presentations from NATIVE Keynote and PowerPoint presentations.

2Pac said on Thu, 30 Apr 2009

Gawd you lot can be so negative! It looks the Don!

Ascylto said on Thu, 30 Apr 2009

@ who me

"overpriced and under spec, but then some people buy for image alone ..."

Can't you at least TRY to be original.

Get back under the bridge.

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