More Apple iPhone News and Rumors

Is the Apple iPhone a Smartphone?

This is a very interesting question to consider because there are some rather intriguing arguments for both possible answers. On the one hand, the iPhone will do a lot more than the average cell phone, adding in iPod MP3 playing capabilities, WiFi-based internet surfing, and so much more. On the other hand, some have said that a key ingredient to being a smartphone is that you must be able to install third-party software onto the handset as an aftermarket affair. For example, HTC Smartphones are usually powered by Windows Mobile, and as such, any applications designed for that platform should work on a compatible HTC handheld. The same may or may not be able to be said about the Apple iPhone.

It is possible that Apple will allow (and encourage) the installation of "widgets" that they design, much like the additions that people install onto their Apple computers (MacBook, iMac, etc.). In this way, this could be considered "aftermarket application installation", but again, this is up for debate. Whether you consider the iPhone a smartphone or not, it will certainly be an attractive and highly functional unit.

The Lawsuit in a Nutshell

In case you haven't heard, there is a whole brew-ha-ha over the use of the name "iPhone" by Apple, because Cisco apparently owns the trademark. In fact, Cisco -- the parent company to Linksys, among others -- released an iPhone line of VoIP (voice over IP, IP telephony, or "internet phone") products shortly before Apple's subsequent announcement at Macworld 2007. Neither Apple nor Cisco is willing to back down, although the latter did offer to come to some sort of agreement wherein Apple would pay Cisco for use of the "iPhone" name. Time will tell how this turns out.

Verizon Could Have Had It

Verizon Wireless apparently passed on a deal two years ago wherein they could have been the exclusive carrier of the Apple iPhone. According to techwhack, Apple was asking too much of Verizon and as such, the latter said no. Some of these terms included "a percentage of the monthly cellphone fees and a say over how and where the iPhones could be sold."

iPhone Nano and iPhone Shuffle

Shortly after the iPhone was announced in January 2007 at MacWorld, people started to speculate whether the iPhone was too expensive and too large for the average person, just as the original iPod was a little too pricey and a little too bulky for Joe Public. As such, rumors immediately started to circulate about the possibility of an iPhone nano and iPhone shuffle, which -- like their iPod equivalents -- would shrink the device down to a more manageable (physical) size at the expense of a few lost functions. For a fun mockup of the iPhone Shuffle, check out ipodhacks.com wherein they tag the handheld with "Life is Random."

Copycats and Clones

There are an abundance of "Apple-inspired" music players out there that "borrow" much of their styling from the ubiquitous Apple iPod. It was only a matter of time before the same could be said about the iPhone, but it seems that the clone may even beat the real thing to market. The Meizu M8 is a Chinese-made cell phone that looks nearly identical to the Apple equivalent, including a touchscreen display, the same set of icons, and an integrated camera. In fact, it has a 3 megapixel camera (the real iPhone has a 2MP). The M8 even has Apple's signature glossy white appearance.

The Apple Phone of 1982

Steve Jobs and the rest of the team in Cupertino have apparently been working on a cell phone for quite some time. In fact, according to mobilewhack.com, they filed for and received a patent for an Apple-shaped phone way back in 1982. Of course, this one didn't have a touchscreen, iPod capabilities, or an accelerometer. Regardless, it never got beyond the concept stage and it took Apple another 25 years before they actually brought a cell phone to market.