Though I didn’t expect any of my predictions to actually come true (I hoped they would, but didn’t expect they would, and I think I ended up with 0 out of 8 correct), Apple dropped a bomb in the form of the iPhone that caught everyone by surprise. I even got a few Apple fanboy goosebumps when the full specs were announced. Combining “a revolutionary mobile phone, a widescreen iPod with touch controls, and a breakthrough Internet communications device with desktop-class email, web browsing, maps, and searching”, the iPhone will do it all and then slip away into your pocket. Features include:
3.5-inch widescreen display
Multi-touch input
OS X based operating system
Bluetooth 2.0
Wi-Fi
EDGE/GSM
5 hours of talk/video/browsing time
16 hours of audio playback
Weighs in at only 4.8 ounces
Comes in either a 4 or 8 GB versions
There’s also a sensor to know when you’re rotating it so it can change the orientation of the screen, a sensor to know its proximity to your face so your cheek doesn’t make any unintentional phone calls, and a sensor to turn up and down the brightness depending on how much you need
Oh yeah, and it’s beautiful
Since this thing is already clogging all of the Internet’s tubes, I figure I’d give the readers of DYH a little something different. First off, let’s see how the 10 people whose reputations relied on the iPhone did.
Kevin Rose got the January launch date right but missed out on the Cingular exclusive, was definitely wrong on the size, number of batteries, and slide-out keyboard; but he was right on the number and size of the models, and somewhat right on the touchscreen.
Rebecca Runkle from Morgan Stanley got the number and size of the models right, dimensions right, colors wrong, Cingular right, virtual clickwheel wrong, and full screen LCD right.
Think Secret got the fact that their would be a camera right, EDGE/GSM right; but got the megapixel count and the display size wrong.
The rest of the 10 just put their money on their actually being an iPhone, and though they were right, though it wasn’t too hard to figure that one out.
What I find interesting is that if you combine everyone’s information and pick and choose the good stuff, you could have had a pretty good idea of the specs of the actual iPhone. Most got the fact that there would be two models in 4 and 8 GB form right, Kevin predicted the January launch date and the touchscreen, Rebecca got the pricing very close, the size close, the Cingular exclusivity right on, and the LCD screen size right on, and Think Secret got the GSM/EDGE thing right as well as the inclusion of a camera.
Besides the iPhone, Apple (as they’re now officially being called after they announced they’ve dropped the word Computer from their name) finalized the specs on the Apple TV (the now official name for the iTV). Designed to bridge the gap between your iTunes and your TV in a wireless way, the Apple TV features its own Intel processor, a 40 GB hard drive, 802.11n networking, and does 720p high def video. Plus, it’s scheduled to ship in February.
Lastly, Apple secretly updated their Airport Extreme Base Station to 802.11n specs and changed the form factor to a more Mac Mini style. Very sneaky.
Overall, some great stuff, though some definite shockers. No iLife update? No cameras in the monitors (Is that one really that hard to include)? I did like what I saw though, and Apple definitely managed to show that the first 30 years were just the beginning.
So with Macworld fast approaching (get ready for an Earth shattering keynote at 9 am PST), I thought I’d do my part and make some predictions for what is “only just the beginning”. Though these are completely guess based and rely on no inside information or fact gathering what so ever, none of the other predictions are going to get very close either so I might as well see how good I am with a crystal ball.
No iPhone. It’s just too good to be true. Any time everyone gets their hopes up for an Apple vaporware product, Steve pulls something brand new out of his back pocket that shocks and awes and most of all surprises. The iPhone has everyone guessing and predicting and gambling, but I think it’s all based on hopes and dreams and not an actual product. Though Apple will probably eventually come out with a phone (and not just a Moto Razr add on), I don’t think tomorrow is the day.
Apple TV. No, not the iTV, but an actual TV made by Apple. They’ve already announced the iTV, and wet the palette for everyone looking to spread some Apple joy beyond their computer, so why not make a TV to plug the iTV directly into. It could even have special functions when connected to the already mentioned iTV. A 30” monitor (which Apple already makes) isn’t much different from a 42” TV, so I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to imagine Apple in the living room. Throw in a camera, add Front Row integration, and you’ve got yourself a multitasking, multimedia, multifunction powerhouse.
New monitors. They’re going to have iSights built right in, better specs, probably a wider range of sizes, and if we’re really lucky, freaking laser beams.
No new Airport. Though I would love to see one, everyone is still trying to hash out the exact specs for the next wireless band. Until everything gets sorted out, I don’t see Apple taking any gambles with maybe it will maybe it won’t technology.
Smaller MacBook/MacBook Pro. They have an untapped market for those who need/want an ultra portable, and the MacBook brought the sexy back to smaller, so why not continue the trend and offer a sub 12”er?
iLife update. Given.
Something to do with games. Since iTunes now lets you download and play games on your iPod, why not integrate some sort of gaming feature into the iTV? Especially with Intel now on board, Apple has got to go the way of the game.
New iPod. This was all anyone could talk about the last time Apple decided to make a special announcement, but has gotten swept under the rug this time as everyone salivates over the thought of an iPhone. Add a full body widescreen, change the way you press and click and twirl, add battery life/storage space/brightness/etc., and you’ve got yourself a hit. The iPod has always been the bread and butter of the Apple lineup, so why not assume they’re going to keep it so fresh and so clean, clean?
So there you go, the DYH Macworld ’07 Predictions. Though they’re about as likely to come out of the Steviness as anyone else’s predictions, it’s worth a shot. Just remember, if any of these come true, you saw it here first (and I have magic Mac powers).
As 2006 draws to a close, and 2007 draws near, DYH is going to make the first in a series of annual predictions for the upcoming year. What’s going to be hot, and what’s not? Here’s what I think:
Television is going online. More and more shows are going to be available on demand, streamed directly and instantly into your computer. There’s a reason Google paid more than enough for YouTube, and I think it’s because they plan on using the service to distribute full-length television shows. Instead of ads being a part of the show, users will be able to watch their show uninterrupted, and advertisers will make money through AdSense or a similar service. With the growing popularity of DVR services and place shifting technology (ala Slingbox), it’s pretty obvious that people want to watch their programming when they want, where they want, and without commercials, so it’s up to companies to figure out how to advertise differently. Put it online, add a little viral marketing, make it free, easy and customizable, and you’ve got yourself a winner.
Do it all phones will be the must have gadget. With the Moto Q, Palm, HTC and many more developing phones that are as much computer as they are communicator, the phone that does much more than just talk and photograph is going to rapidly gain in popularity.
Apple is going mainstream. With Intel finally on board, and Apple able to run Windows programs, it’s time for a change. Plus, Vista is looking more and more like a disappointment. Thus, it’s going to be the year of the fruit.
Web 2.0 is going to be ubiquitous. As everything goes social, interactive, user based and community oriented, even Time has acknowledged that people run the Internet now. The Internet is going to become a place where people share their ideas and their opinions, and information is going to be spread to more people in more places than ever before.
So there you have it. Some may be right, most will probably be wrong, but I’ve given it a shot. What do you think? Totally off base or spot on? In a year, it’ll be time to look back and look forward again, but until then, I can’t wait to see what the world brings.
