iPhone/Zune/iPod & More Prediction Thread
- Thread starter Arun
- Start date
Ike Turner
Veteran
Nope. They are just dropping Direct3D support from Windows Mobile, nothing else.
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I would put my bets on Tegra because:
1. since Tegra has been announced, it's been said to support WM (Android came much later)
2. a few days ago, nVidia said they had high hopes for Tegra ("ref")
3. OMAP3 is ARMv7; QCOM 8k also is IIRC.
Ike Turner
Veteran
No need to bet on anything in this case. These are just the some of the minimum specs to run WM7. Tegra,SnapDragon,OMAP3, MS doesn't care cause all three are good enaugh. And we are going to see many more SnapDragon devices/Phones than Tegra anyway.
Just tweeted something that seems very relevant here: http://twitter.com/ArunDemeure/status/1782918819 - I don't think anybody else caught this quote ("Apple is also talking about other devices"), which is nice because it's a very reliable confirmation, although it shouldn't exactly be a surprise either. Also the fact they're implying Infineon is in a good position to win those sockets kinda makes me think my MSM6290 prediction was too hasty 
IF there will be an iPhone 2 in June AND an iPhone PRO in Q4, do you think Apple will announce the PRO at WWDC? Because if Apple doesn't even mention the iPhone PRO then a lot of enthusiasts/early adopters of the iPhone 2 will be very pissed when Apple releases a better iPhone less than 6 months later.
I think Apple should at least mention that a more expensive PRO version is coming in Q4 and highlight some of the biggest differences. For example "PRO in Q4, starts at $299, hardware keyboard, up to 64GB storage, 5MP and 720p HD video recording."
I think Apple should at least mention that a more expensive PRO version is coming in Q4 and highlight some of the biggest differences. For example "PRO in Q4, starts at $299, hardware keyboard, up to 64GB storage, 5MP and 720p HD video recording."
They rarely announce a new product in advance, especially when they're hawking new products in the market.
That would be undercutting anything they may intro in the summer.
The original iPhone intro in January and then shipping at the end of June was an exception but then they didn't have an existing product to worry about.
That would be undercutting anything they may intro in the summer.
The original iPhone intro in January and then shipping at the end of June was an exception but then they didn't have an existing product to worry about.
Microsoft Handheld (Not Zune Phone)
OK, TeamXbox posted a pretty extensive rumor filled feature today about a "Microsoft Digital Entertainment Handheld". Here's the jist of it...
http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/19639/Microsoft-Working-on-Digital-Entertainment-Handheld/
Interesting. Would love to finally have a Live Anywhere device.
Tommy McClain
OK, TeamXbox posted a pretty extensive rumor filled feature today about a "Microsoft Digital Entertainment Handheld". Here's the jist of it...
- It's not a phone! It won't compete with Windows Mobile partners.
- xYz(the letter 'Y' was highlighted by the original source) device sits BETWEEN Xbox & Zune; The device has a mix of each platform making it unique.
- “think of a mashup of the Sony Mylo, the PSP, and the iPhone… errr, the iPod Touch; [the MS handheld] doesn’t need access to a phone network.”
- Large WVGA touchscreen & “hardware features not found on any handheld on the market.”
- “This is a Live Anywhere device”...“There will be a single online marketplace; the lines between the Zune, Xbox Live and Sky marketplaces will blur when the handheld launches.”
- the graphical interface found in the New Xbox Experience will make its way onto the Microsoft handheld. The NXE user interface will be even easier to use on the handheld than on the Xbox 360, the source claimed.
- May support WiMAX
- Might be based on NVIDIA Tegra platform
http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/19639/Microsoft-Working-on-Digital-Entertainment-Handheld/
Interesting. Would love to finally have a Live Anywhere device.
Tommy McClain
True, but they normally also don't release a totally new high-end product just a few month after a product in the same category was released. Just imagine there's no MacBook Pro and never has been. Then in June they release the new MacBook and then suddenly out of the blue in October/November a MacBook Pro that was never even mentioned before. I think that would create bigger problems than announcing a product (with a significantly higher price point) a few months in advance.
It's a bizarre leak, doesn't really tell you much that's new or unpredictable if you understand the other ones, see for example LiveSide.net - except for the WiMax part, which is kinda insane and full of misconceptions sadly.
Here's my point of view: the logical "solution" would be to have a 3G SKU that's data-only; i.e. no voice support. However operators are dead scared of VoIP and will not allow this possibility in this timeframe unless there is essentially no way to install any VoIP application on the phone. Therefore, this is only believable if there was no generic application ecosystem for the Zune HD - and as I indicated earlier, I suspect that's a likely possibility and that the only SDK would be for gaming along with a controller specialized App Store. Other services, such as weather, productivity, and social networks, might be provided by Microsoft who'd probably invest quite a bit of money in these apps - with the goal of perhaps giving them away (with source code) to partners for WM7...
I would expect, however, that the first Zune HD announcement will focus on an WiFi-only SKU.
As for pre-announcing the iPhone HD, I don't buy it. However I wouldn't be surprised if they hinted at there being an OpenGL ES 2.0 device with more focus on gaming sooner rather than later, and this would be enough to make sure the most knowledgeable (aka bitchy) enthusiasts decide to wait if they want to.
Here's my point of view: the logical "solution" would be to have a 3G SKU that's data-only; i.e. no voice support. However operators are dead scared of VoIP and will not allow this possibility in this timeframe unless there is essentially no way to install any VoIP application on the phone. Therefore, this is only believable if there was no generic application ecosystem for the Zune HD - and as I indicated earlier, I suspect that's a likely possibility and that the only SDK would be for gaming along with a controller specialized App Store. Other services, such as weather, productivity, and social networks, might be provided by Microsoft who'd probably invest quite a bit of money in these apps - with the goal of perhaps giving them away (with source code) to partners for WM7...
I would expect, however, that the first Zune HD announcement will focus on an WiFi-only SKU.
As for pre-announcing the iPhone HD, I don't buy it. However I wouldn't be surprised if they hinted at there being an OpenGL ES 2.0 device with more focus on gaming sooner rather than later, and this would be enough to make sure the most knowledgeable (aka bitchy) enthusiasts decide to wait if they want to.
Isn't wimax dead?
For the life of me, I can't understand what you're trying to say. Is this good or bad? If it means that games have to be made so that you can save anywhere rather than at specific save-points, isn't that a good thing? (Forcing the player to trudge through long parts of a game because he/she had to stop playing at an inconvenient time easily ranks one of the top ten most annoying games design choices.)
And from the view of a potential games designer, isn't it good that a good arcade style gaming idea can reach a large audience and reap nice revenue? And for that matter that there is a large still untapped market for strategy games (YES to Civ on the iPhone!), adventure games, role-playing games, networked racers, MMOs of various flavours, .....
That people can only devote rather short stretches of continous time to gaming is the norm. Most people have lives that don't revolve around gaming.
This is quite healthy.
I'm saying that the platform doesn't lend itself to the longer-form games with a lot of production values like those on dedicated handheld systems.
Apple could put in the 3D hardware and maybe even offer a usable control scheme.
But it appears the center of gravity in the iPhone games market is around casual, short games which are at best a few bucks.
EA would probably prefer to charge $30 for their iPhone Tiger Woods game rather than $10, so that the pricing is more in-line with versions on other systems. But even at $10, is it selling?
Or are iPhone gamers more than satisfied with Flight Control for 99 cents or whatever they're charging?
Apple could put in the 3D hardware and maybe even offer a usable control scheme.
But it appears the center of gravity in the iPhone games market is around casual, short games which are at best a few bucks.
EA would probably prefer to charge $30 for their iPhone Tiger Woods game rather than $10, so that the pricing is more in-line with versions on other systems. But even at $10, is it selling?
Or are iPhone gamers more than satisfied with Flight Control for 99 cents or whatever they're charging?
There is the question. However 2 points.
I think game distributors are quickly coming to the conclusion that where Apple is at the moment is only the starting point, and that there are going to be various Apple products that will all be compatible with the App store, perhaps tablets, perhaps more dedicated gaming devices. nobody knows what exactly, but most generally beleive that the product base will grow AND diversify. The potential is there for all to see, 1 Billion downloads from the current user base, what will it be once there is an entire family of app-store compatible products ? Appleinsider is conjecturing that Apple made $45M to date from the app store (with a reasonable assumption of free->paidfor ratio), which translates into $150M in total sales from a brand new distribution system, impressive.
The wholely digital distribution system, effecting cutting out the traditional distributor and retailer, and resulting in zero media and packaging costs is extremely appealing. Zero wasted stock. I also would not be surprised if the "majors" negotiate better splits with Apple.
Ike Turner
Veteran
Is that the official site?
Price and specs?
What's with the dock thing for outputting to HDTV?
Ike Turner
Veteran
Yes it's the official site.
The dock isn't anything new (look @ the 50€ iPhone/iPod tv-out cable..)