und am Ende kommte eh was völlig unerwartetes
CHICAGO (Exclusive) – A picture can tell a thousand words.
Leaked to the right place at the right time, some pictures of some products can even tell a story of a new venture by an unsuspecting company that has decided to silence the word. Well, at least for now.
Such is the case with Apple Computer – known usually for making computers and MP3 players and software – regarding pictures of a new Apple cell phone that have been disclosed to ePrairie. As seen on the right, they sport the grace and colorful styling you're used to from Apple's computers but in a decidely more mobile fashion.
Upon confronting Apple with the discovery, Nathalie Welch, a spokeswoman for the company, wasn't interested in revealing any details. In fact, she wasn't even interested in confirming its existence.
"I can neither confirm nor deny the rumors that Apple is developing a cell phone or discuss unannounced products," Welch said in an e-mail to ePrairie.
Representatives from Motorola – a local company that has been known for working closely with Apple – also declined to confirm or deny whether or not the Schaumburg, Ill.-based powerhouse was or will be involved in developing the phone's chipset. But several analysts, who say Motorola would be a logical partner, also say the release of a cell phone would make sense for Apple.
"It would fit with Apple's whole digital universe strategy in which the PC is the hub of your digital universe and the iPod (Apple's mobile MP3 player) is a peripheral," said Kevin Hunt, a research analyst at Thomas Weisel Partners who covers Apple but hadn't heard of a cell phone in the works.
He added: "Apple has been very vehement that they wouldn't get into handhelds because they think handhelds will go away and blend into a cell phone, so it would make more sense to come out with a cell phone." The phones look much like Apple's older iMacs in terms of the vibrant colors, prompting Hunt to say: "They do have some of the coolest-looking products."
Other analysts, though, are less convinced: "I've talked to some component manufacturers that say Apple's going to do this and some that say they won't," said Dan Niles, an analyst that covers Apple at Lehman Brothers who has heard conversation of an Apple cell phone.
He added: "I'm not sure how this fits in Apple's current business strategy. I don't view it as synergistic as the iPod. Yes, you can transfer your contact list [from your computer] with a cell phone, but it hasn't necessarily been proven that people are using the data capabilities of their phones anyway."
Hunt says that Motorola and IBM have banded together to develop chips for Apple's power PCs (the G4), and because Apple wouldn't make its own cell phone chips, Motorola would be a likely vendor. He adds that the cell phone would probably be a combination device that has much of the same functionality as a handheld.
From Motorola's vantage point, the sense is similar to what Apple is saying but with the added notion of a sensible synergy.
"I can't comment on rumors," said Amy Halm, director of communications for Motorola's networking and computing group, "but I can say that Apple is one of Motorola's most valued customers and has been for a very long time. Apple's customers are some of the most passionate customers in the world. Every time Apple introduces a new product, they have the most loyal following of any company I've ever seen."
In terms of the chances for success in the marketplace, Hunt says this would be a very new market for Apple that would complement its own product line rather than try to compete with the big cell phone makers.
He says Apple – one of the most "tightlipped" companies he's ever covered in terms of speaking about products before they're ready to ship – would likely begin talking about the phones in the middle of 2003 in anticipation for the next Macworld trade show. Hunt says the price point for the combination device might be between $300 and $500, or that of a higher-end phone.
The pictures obtainded by ePrairie named the phone the Applele hiPhone R4 and were dated with a September 2002 time stamp.
Grüße Max
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