Apple Unveils Tablet, Dubbed iPad, Starting at $500
By Phil Goldstein
Apple's worst-kept secret is finally out in the open.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the company's breathlessly anticipated new tablet device, called the iPad, at a media event in San Francisco. The device, which looks like a larger version of the iPod touch, will come with both WiFi and 3G wireless data from AT&T. There is a microphone on the device, but no cellular voice component. Users will be able to surf the Web, check email and watch videos on the iPad, among other features.
Hailing the device as something that could bridge the gap between laptops and smartphones, Jobs said the iPad is "so much more intimate than a laptop, so much more capable than a smartphone."
Jobs said there will be two 3G data plans from AT&T available for the iPad: $14.99 per month for 250 MB and an unlimited data plan for $29.99 per month. The services will be prepaid, allowing users to cancel at any time, and will include access to AT&T's WiFi network. Users can activate the wireless service directly on the device.
A WiFi-only version of the iPad will be available in two months, while the WiFi/3G version will be available in three months. A physical keyboard will be available separately.
The WiFi-only devices will be sold for $499 for a 16 GB model, $599 for 32 GB and $699 for 64 GB. The 3G models will run at $629 for the 16 GB model, $729 for the 32 GB and $829 for 64 GB version. Jobs said the company would detail international 3G carrier deals by June or July. The device is fully unlocked and supports GSM micro-SIM cards.
The iPad has a 9.7-inch capacitive, fingerprint-resistant touchscreen display, is 0.5 inches thick, weighs 1.5 lbs. and sports a 1 GHz processor built by Apple. The device has built-in speakers and a microphone, but no camera, and can get up 10 hours of battery life when surfing the Web on WiFi. The iPad syncs to PCs and Macs like iPhones do, and users can upload photos, videos and contacts in much the same way as they do for the iPhone.
Jobs said the device will have built-in access to Apple's App Store, and will be able to run iPhone apps out of the box. Additionally, it will have access to iTunes and a new store, called iBooks, which will deliver ebooks from from major publishers. The device also allows users to use iWork, Apple's desktop software. Individual iWork applications will be sold for $9.99 each.
"The question has arisen lately: Is there room for a third category of device in the middle, something that's between a laptop and smartphone," Jobs said. "Those devices are going to have to be far better at doing some key tasks. What kind of tasks? Well, things like browsing the Web, doing e-mail, enjoying and sharing photographs, watching videos, playing games."
Some analysts were skeptical of the market for such a device. "My question is how big of a market this is, and it's probably reasonably big," Michael Yoshikami, an analyst at YCMNet Advisors, told Bloomberg. "I'm still getting my hands around how many people are going to want something of this size.
"Others questioned whether or not the iPad could lure potential netbook buyers. "Apple might still be right that there is meaningful demand for a device that resides between the phone and the laptop, but if they are, the iPad-- despite its beauty and impressiveness as a feat of hardware and software engineering--isn't it," Forrester Research analyst Charles Golvin said. "The significant discount on 3G connectivity versus netbooks won't be enough to sway the majority of pending netbook buyers, especially considering the price premium for a well-equipped and always-on version of the iPad."
Mark Lowenstein, the managing director of Mobile Ecosystem, said there appears to be no value-added services from the wireless connectivity, other than its role as a "pipe." "The structure is actually more like the Nexus One (minus the subsidy/ contract option) than the iPhone, and shows that wireless operators are now running two businesses: a full-service retail business with their own stamp on devices, the user experience, content, and applications," he said, "and a wholesale business, where there will be myriad devices connected to their networks, each with a distinct business model."
Apple introduced the iPad two days after its posted a record quarterly profit. Apple shares were up $2.94 to $208.88 per share in late-afternoon trading. [FierceWireless]
Pictures and Specs: Apple's iPad
Pictures and Specs: Apple's iPad
Source: Apple
Pictures and Specs: Apple's iPad
--Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
TV and Video
--Support for 1024 x 768 with Dock Connector to VGA adapter; 576p and 480p with Apple Composite A/V Cable, 576i and 480i with Apple Composite A/V Cable
Mail attachment support
--Viewable document types: .jpg, .tiff, .gif (images); .doc and .docx (Microsoft Word); .htm and .html (web pages); .key (Keynote); .numbers (Numbers); .pages (Pages); .pdf (Preview and Adobe Acrobat); .ppt and .pptx (Microsoft PowerPoint); .txt (text); .rtf (rich text format); .vcf (contact information); .xls and .xlsx (Microsoft Excel)
Languages
--Language support for English, French, German, Japanese, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Russian
Source: Apple
Pictures and Specs: Apple's iPad
Battery and Power
Input and Output
External buttons and controls
Mac system requirements
--Internet access
Source: Apple
Google: Apple Rejected Google Voice App
By Phil Goldstein
Google said that Apple rejected its Google Voice application for the iPhone, contrary to Apple's statements last month to the FCC that it was still reviewing the offering. Google's assertion that Apple rejected the app is contained in the company's own letter to the FCC, also filed last month but made public by Google and the FCC today.
When Apple released its letter on Aug. 21, it said that the application had not been rejected outright. "Contrary to published reports, Apple has not rejected the Google Voice application, and continues to study it," Apple said. "The application has not been approved because, as submitted for review, it appears to alter the iPhone's distinctive user experience by replacing the iPhone's core mobile telephone functionality and Apple user interface with its own user interface for telephone calls, text messaging and voicemail."
Google said in its letter, also dated Aug. 21, that Apple representatives told Google that the application had been rejected because "Apple believed the application duplicated the core dialer functionality of the iPhone. The Apple representatives indicated that the company did not want applications that could potentially replace such functionality."
In its letter, Google said that it had no contact with AT&T Mobility on the topic. Google did say, however, that it had a series of meetings, phone calls and emails with Apple between July 5 and July 28, 2009, to discuss the application, which was submitted to Apple's App Store for approval on June 2. Google said its primary points of contact between the two companies were Alan Eustace, Google's senior vice president of engineering and research, and Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide product marketing. In a phone call that took place on July 7, Schiller told Eustace that Apple was rejecting the application, according to Google's letter.
Apple also rejected Google's Latitude application. The company said it did not currently have any other applications pending approval with Apple.
When Google initially filed its letter with the FCC last month, it asked the FCC to redact certain portions that involved "sensitive commercial conversations between two companies," according to Richard Whitt, Google's Washington telecom and media counsel. In a post on the company's public policy blog, Whitt said Google decided to release the full contents of the letter.
"Several individuals and organizations submitted Freedom of Information Act requests with the FCC seeking access to this information," wrote Whitt. "While we could have asked the FCC to oppose those requests, in light of Apple's decision to make its own letter fully public and in the interest of transparency, we decided to drop our request for confidentiality. Today the FCC posted the full content of our letter to their website."
Added Whitt: "We continue to work with Apple and others to bring users the best mobile Google experience possible. "
"We do not agree with all of the statements made by Google in their FCC letter," an Apple spokeswoman told FierceWireless. "Apple has not rejected the Google Voice application and we continue to discuss it with Google." [FierceWireless]
Apple Premieres New iPhone 3G S at WWDC 2009
By Jason Ankeny
As widely expected, Apple formally announced the new iPhone 3G S in conjunction with the kickoff of its annual Worldwide Developers Conference. Promising improved speed and performance, longer battery life, a 3 megapixel camera, video recording and hands-free voice control, the iPhone 3G S (the "S" is for "speed") boasts Apple's new iPhone OS 3.0 and more than 100 new features including Cut, Copy and Paste, MMS, Spotlight Search and landscape keyboard. Of course, users will also have access to Apple's App Store, which the computing giant announced now tops more than 50,000 iPhone and iPod touch applications.
According to Apple, iPhone 3G S offers speeds averaging up to twice as fast as iPhone 3G, enabling faster web page rendering and quicker application launches--the device also supports 7.2 Mbps HSDPA for faster networking speeds. In addition, it takes advantage of the OpenGL ES 2.0 standard for 3D graphics, improving mobile gaming and other graphics-heavy applications.
Apple will release a 16GB edition of the iPhone 3G S at $199 and a 32GB version priced at $299--in addition, it will slash the price on the current 8GB iPhone 3G to $99. iPhone 3G S will arrive June 19 at Apple and AT&T retail stores in the U.S, as well as Best Buy and Wal-Mart locations--Apple notes that the smartphone will ultimately roll out in more than 80 countries in the weeks ahead. The iPhone OS 3.0 software update will be available June 17 as a free software update via iTunes 8.2 or later for all iPhone customers--iPod touch customers will be required to pay $9.95.
Apple first announced the iPhone OS 3.0 beta in mid-March, promising developers more than 1,000 new APIs, including support for apps to communicate with hardware accessories attached to iPhone or iPod touch devices. The update will also include the long-promised Apple Push Notification service, which offers programmers a channel to alert users of new information, even when your application isn't running--developers may now send text notifications, trigger audible alerts or add a numbered badge to their application icon.
Additional features confirmed Monday include expanded parental controls for TV shows, movies and apps from the App Store; a new Find My iPhone feature that works in concert with MobileMe so users can locate a lost iPhone on a map, send a message that will appear on the screen or generate an audible signal even if set to silent mode. (If the iPhone doesn't turn up, the new Remote Wipe feature allows users to erase all data and content.) And as previously reported, iPhone 3.0 software will expand over-the-air iTunes premium content downloads to movies and television programs--students may also wirelessly download learning materials via iTunesU [FierceDeveloper]
Apple's 'Biggest iPhone Yet Coming in June'
By Dawn Kawamoto
Apple is expected to begin production on a high-end iPhone with 32GB of flash memory and a low-end 3G version this spring, according to a research report released Tuesday by Lazard Capital Markets analyst.
Production is anticipated to begin in April and ramp up in May, and the new phones could be announced in June, Daniel Amir, a Lazard Capital Markets analyst, said in his report.
He noted, however, that the low-end version may only be available in the fast-growing, emerging markets of Brazil, Russia, India, and China, while the high-end version is expected to make its way to North America and Europe.
The low-end version is expected to run on a 3G network, rather than on wi-fi, while the high-end version is anticipated to double its storage capacity from 16GB to 32GB of NAND flash memory and feature improvements to its camera, Amir noted in his report, citing checks with Apple's iPhone channel partners.
Meanwhile, Amir predicts, iPhone unit shipments for the first and second quarters could be higher than Wall Street's current forecast. He expects iPhone shipments to come in around 3.8 million to four million in the first quarter, while Wall Street is anticipating three million to 3.5 million units.
In the second quarter, iPhone shipments could reach seven million to eight million units, a threefold to fourfold increase over last year's second quarter performance, he asserts. Apple's new iPhones are expected to account for about three million of these figures, Amir said. Wall Street, meanwhile, is expecting Apple to ship 6.5 million to seven million iPhones in the second quarter.
Apple was not immediately available for comment.
Reports of an Apple flash-memory buying binge surfaced in February, with one analyst from Think Equity Partners noting that Apple had virtually cleaned out one large supplier and was hitting up two others for more flash memory.
Amir told silicon.com sister site CNET New that the February rise stemmed from increased production for the iPhones that shipped in March. In order to meet its needs for a 32GB iPhone, Apple will hit up its suppliers up toward the end of next month, he said.
Amir noted in his research report:
- About 20 percent of all NAND capacity goes to Apple, and its impact on the NAND market should not be underestimated...
- NAND prices should move up further off the Apple orders. We believe that with the new iPhone design which could include 32GB NAND, Apple is setting the stage for another potentially big flash order starting in April. With the potential for 3 million units to be shipped in 2Q, we believe the magnitude of such an order could enable prices of NAND components to move up an additional 20 percent in the (first half) of 2Q. [Silicon.com]
Apple Sells 4.4M iPhones in Q1
Apple bucked the trend facing technology companies and posted solid results for its fiscal first quarter, which ended Dec. 27, and said it sold 4.4 million iPhones in the quarter. Apple's net income for the quarter was $1.61 billion, up from $1.58 billion in the year-ago period. The firm sold 4.4. million iPhones in the quarter, down sequentially from the 6.9 million it sold in its fiscal fourth quarter--the first quarter impacted by the release of the iPhone 3G--but up 88 percent from the year-ago period.
The company is facing a probe from the Securities and Exchange Commission into Apple's disclosure about the health of the company's founder, Steve Jobs, who stepped down temporarily as CEO last week. Jobs had said earlier in January that his health problems were related to a hormone imbalance and that he would remain as CEO. Then, last week, he said his health problems were more complicated than he thought and he would take a leave of absence until June. Apple's chief operating officer, Tim Cook, is handling his day-to-day duties while he is away.
Cook, while saying that competition was a good thing to have in the mobile space, issued a pointed warning, aimed perhaps at Palm, whose recently announced Pre smartphone device shares many of the iPhone 3G's features. "I'm just making a general statement that we think competition is good; it makes us all better. And we're ready to suit up and go against anyone," he said in the earnings conference call.
"However, we will not stand for having our [intellectual property] ripped off and we'll use whatever weapons we have at our disposal. I don't know that I can be more clear than that." [FierceWireless]
Apple Approves Third-party iPhone Web Browsers
By Jason Ankeny
Apple has quietly begun approving third-party mobile web browsing applications for the iPhone, introducing a series of new browser apps via the App Store virtual storefront. Browser applications previously fell under the "duplication of functionality" restrictions cited as Apple's rationale for blocking certain iPhone downloads--while the move does signal some new leniency in App Store approval policies, it should be noted that the new applications are all based on the iPhone's existing Safari browser technology, meaning it's still unlikely that rival browsing engines like Opera Mobile or Firefox will earn Apple's thumbs-up anytime soon.
According to MacRumors, the submission dates on the new browser apps originate as far back as October 2008, with the flood of approvals suggesting that there were a significant number of browsers receiving consent in one fell swoop, similar to how Apple endorsed other new categories of iPhone applications.
Some of the new browsers include Edge Browser, which promises no loss of screen real estate to the address or navigation bars; Incognito, which enables history-free web browsing; WebMate:Tabbed Browser, which queues up all the links a user clicks on, then lists them for viewing one-by-one; and Shaking Web, which includes an algorithm to compensate for hand-shaking. [FierceMobileContent]
Gartner: Apple Improves Marketshare, Now 3rd Largest Smartphone Maker
Research firm Gartner said 36.5 million smartphones were sold in the third-quarter this year, an 11.5% increase from last year, but a slowdown from the 15.7% annual growth seen in the second quarter.
Roberta Cozza, Gartner’s principal analyst, said that sales of the higher end devices are affected by the current negative economic climate. She added that the growth of smartphone device market should be expected to continue to move at a slower pace.
Speaking of market leader Nokia: “The company introduced solid Nseries products with top features, but its lack of a commercial touch-screen device in its smartphone portfolio prevented Nokia from capitalising from consumer demand for this feature. The recently announced N97 is a much needed evolution for the n9x series of products. It is unfortunate that the device will not be available before the first half of 2009 as this is a competitive product in today’s market.”
Apple, on the other hand, improved its market share to 12.9 per cent in the third quarter of 2008 with a shipment of 7 million units. The increase in the company’s sales reached to more than four times compares to the same period in 2007. The success of the iPhone 3G sales is due to its wider geographical availability, new business model, and lower pricing as opposed to Microsoft’s lack of a competitive user interface.
North America was the fastest growing market with a 68 per cent increase; 56 per cent in Latin America; and 14 per cent increase in the sales in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). The markets in Asia/Pacific and Japan, however, posted an 11 per cent and 23 per cent decline respectively. [Cpmmsday]
Apple, AT&T Sued Over iPhone 3G
By Sue Marek
Another angry iPhone 3G user has filed a lawsuit but this time it's directed at both AT&T and Apple with the bulk of the complaint against AT&T's network. The San Diego-based lawsuit filed by William Gillis accuses Apple and AT&T of overselling the iPhone 3G and promising fast speeds. The lawsuit says that by overselling the iPhone 3G, there are too may customers using the device, which causes the network to get bogged down.
Gillis is particularly critical of AT&T--claiming that the carrier says the iPhone 3G performs well on its 3G network when in reality the handset requires too much power. That coupled with the high volume of iPhones sold, has caused the network to kick users down to the EDGE-based 2G network even when 3G coverage is guaranteed, Gillis says in his lawsuit.
Neither AT&T or Apple have commented on the lawsuit, which is the second lawsuit directed at the iPhone 3G concerning performance issues. [FierceWireless]
Apple Plans to Make 40M iPhones in Next Year
By Sue Marek
Business Week has learned Apple plans to build 40 million to 45 million iPhone 3Gs in the 12 months through August 2009. The company boosted its production plans when the initial sales proved stronger than the company expected. However, much of the company's ability to reach that 40-million-plus goal is hinged upon the successful introduction of the phone in several countries by year end. And, perhaps more important, its ability to address complaints over the phone's performance. [FierceWireless]
Apple Releases iPhone 3G Fix
Responding to a slew of news reports and customer complaints about dropped calls and spotty 3G wireless network coverage, Apple released an iPhone software update that it says improves communication between the iPhone 3G and wireless networks.
However, the company refused to provide specifics about what the software update fixes, instead a spokeswoman only would say that "it improves communication with 3G networks." There has been no definitive information about what is causing the iPhone 3G problems. Last week, a highly regarded Swedish technical publication said that it was a problem in the iPhone antenna and the amplifier. [FierceWireless]
“No Comfort Zone” for Mobile Device Vendors in the Future
Mobile devices are the biggest-selling consumer electronics products in the world, with more than one billion shipping every year. However, the market is in a state of rapid flux. “Three or four years from now, no mobile device vendor – no matter what their market position today – will be in a ‘comfort zone’,” says ABI Research vice president and research director Stuart Carlaw, in a new webcast available on the firm’s website.
Developed and developing markets for these devices are being shaped by divergent forces. Developed markets in particular are typically highly saturated, highly competitive and highly segmented, with strong product innovation.
Carlaw adds, “The advent of wider mobile broadband access, the drive to maximize data revenue, the desire to push smartphone operating systems down into mid-tier handsets, and rapid innovations in user interfaces will all make the mobile devices of 2010 radically unlike those of today.”
As the technologies evolve and market trends emerge, we will see the user interface advances pioneered by Apple’s iPhone continue, with wider use of accelerometers and the addition of haptic feedback to touchscreens. Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) will become an important market segment, and vendors will increasingly look to diversify their product and service offerings.
“The mobile device market is expanding, not consolidating,” notes Carlaw, “and shows increasing micro-segmentation. Disruptive influences abound.”
In an illustrated audio webcast available on ABI Research’s website, Carlaw delves into the trends that will determine the mobile device market’s future shape and direction, including a feature set explosion, the effort to drive "smart" operating systems into the mid-tier, and specialization in handsets’ basic designs.
He examines the impact of mobile broadband and of advanced user interfaces. He concludes by highlighting the future importance of Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) and the trend for vendors to diversify their business models. [ABI Research]
App Store Downloads Exceed 60M in First Month
By Jason Ankeny
Consumers have downloaded more than 60 million iPhone applications in the month since Apple opened the App Store, the computing giant's CEO Steve Jobs revealed in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. While a majority of the applications were free, Jobs said that Apple still sold an average of $1 million a day in iPhone apps, generating about $30 million in sales so far--if sales continue at their current pace, the company is poised to earn at least $360 million in new revenue from the digital storefront.
"This thing's going to crest a half a billion, soon," Jobs said. "Who knows, maybe it will be a $1 billion marketplace at some point in time. I've never seen anything like this in my career for software."
But Jobs said Apple stands to derive minimal direct profits from the App Store, claiming the 30 percent of application proceeds the firm retains are just enough to cover operating expenses. Jobs said iPhone application earned about $21 million during the first month, with the top 10 developers raking in roughly $9 million. He declined to update sales totals on the iPhone 3G itself. [FierceMobileContent]
iPhone Nano: Fact or fiction?
Apple's game will keep us guessing...
By Natasha Lomas
It has probably not passed you by that Apple-flavoured rumours have (re)surfaced this week. Specifically that the Mac maker is apparently lining up a slimmed down version of its iPhone mobile device - to be known, in line with iPod branding, as an iPhone nano.
This time the blogosphere can't take the blame for resurrecting buzz around a gadget that does not (yet) exist. Step forward UK tabloid the Daily Mail - and take a bow for repackaging the rumour in a nano-sized five-paragraphs, which cite an unnamed 'industry source' as their authority.
A simple search on Google Trends illustrated how the concept of 'iPhone + Nano' has whirred through the rumour mill before. For instance, there was a big spike in iPhone nano-based chatter in 2007 - the year Apple filed patent 20070103454, which describes an electronic device that uses separate surfaces for input and output.
A bottom-dialling, front-facing mobile phone surely sounds more like something limping apologetically off a Microsoft drawing board than Jobsian 'it just works' genius to me.
And sure enough, the last paragraph of the Daily Mail's article - which is otherwise unsurprisingly nano-esque when it comes to details - reads: "One expert suggested the nano phone would have a touch wheel on the back and display on the front so that numbers would be dialled from behind."
A bottom-dialling, front-facing mobile phone surely sounds more like something limping apologetically off a Microsoft drawing board than Jobsian 'it just works' genius to me.
There have been other iPhone nano hype spikes too. Photoshop cowboys have long made merry with Apple myths, distributing images online of dinky iPhones or dainty flip versions - another rumour fuelled by yet another Apple patent (of which the company files many, most of which are considered 'defensive' and never see the light of day as actual products. But then it would be a lesser company if it allowed every madcap invention to escape into the wild).
Earlier this year, Wired Magazine mocked the whole mock-up concept by coming up with a fantasy line-up of iPhone 2.0s - prior to the real device's launch - in this photo feature, including the now legendary iPhone Shuffle, which 'has just one button' and 'calls random people from your address book'. Genius.
Read more - Silicon.com
Carriers Counter iPhone with High-End Handset Launches
By Rhonda Wickham
Following the long-awaited launch of Apple’s iPhone 3G, both Verizon Wireless and Sprint hope to steal a little thunder with high-end phone introductions of their own that will hit store shelves this weekend. (In an ironic twist, the triad of devices share a nod to the number 3 – iPhone 3G, Verizon’s Chocolate 3 and Sprint’s Treo.)
Verizon Wireless will launch the LG Chocolate 3, the third generation of the popular Chocolate music phone. The new flip-style device supports all of the latest features in mobile music technology, including V CAST Music with Rhapsody subscription music service. The device will be available in black or light blue and will allow customers access more than 5 million songs, create playlists and load songs on their phones.
The LG Chocolate 3 sports a built-in FM transmitter so customers can play music through a car or other stereo system, dual speakers and Bluetooth headset for wireless stereo sound. The device also includes a 2-megapixel camera and camcorder and supports VCAST Video and ESPN MVP.
The LG Chocolate 3 is the first Verizon Wireless phone to feature Dashboard, a graphically rich portal powered by Adobe Flash Cast technology. Dashboard delivers personalized multimedia information and entertainment services directly to the phone. It features 13 channels – Mobile Web, VZW Showcase, Get Channels and Search, as well nine more to customize the wireless experience. Verizon Wireless customers can select from News, Community, Comedy Central, MTV News, IGN.COM, FOX Sport, Tones & Extras, Sports, ESPN, Music, Entertainment, Weather, Business, and Games channels to appear on their phones.
Sprint plans to launch the latest Treo smartphone, the 800w, on Sunday. The device will feature EV-DO Rev. A data speeds,Wi-Fi with a 1-touch dedicated key, GPS navigation, a 1.3-megapixel camera, Windows Mobile 6.1 and Live Search for Windows Mobile.
Matt Thornton, telecommunications equipment analyst at Avian Securities, said the new Treo 800w is likely to face tough competition at Sprint stores from Samsung’s Instinct and RIM BlackBerry’s Curve and Pearl. [WirelessWeek]
Apple CEO: iPhone Represents Launch of Personal Computer
By Lynnette Luna
When Apple puts the iPhone 3G on sale tomorrow it will simultaneously open its online App Store, which is akin to Apples iTunes Store for music. The App Store will sell mobile applications such as games, reference guides and other software. For Apple, the move represents an ambitious effort to turn the iPhone into more of a personal computer.
"There's been nothing on a mobile phone a fraction as good as what's on PCs," Apple CEO Steve Jobs told The Wall Street Journal. He also said that the iPhone represents a rare launch of a new computing platform.
Of course, rivals such as Microsoft take umbrage to a remark like that. Microsoft says it has developers who have created more than 18,000 applications for handsets using Windows Mobile operating systems. Still, the level of interest in making software for the iPhone is what Gartner Group's Ken Dulaney characterizes as "white hot." A handful of startups have entered the mobile market with the purpose of making applications for the iPhone, and we could see more.
In an interview with The New York Times, Jobs said the App Store will initially feature more than 500 applications including educational programs, mobile commerce and business productivity tools, with games representing about a third of the first-wave apps.
According to Jobs, 25 percent of the first 500 applications at the store will be free, with roughly 90 percent of the premium applications priced at $9.99 or less. Jobs insists Apple will not rely on the App Store as a source of significant revenue, in much the same way iTunes music sales have contributed little to the firm's bottom line: "We are not trying to be business partners," he said. The goal is to "sell more iPhones." [FierceWireless]
Apple Gives Out First iPhone Applications Awards
By Jason Ankeny
The annual Apple Design Awards, given during this week's Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, for the first time recognized development for the iPhone mobile platform. The awards, which according to Apple recognize technical excellence, innovation and outstanding achievement in software development, were bestowed upon the following iPhone applications:
- Best iPhone Entertainment Application: AOL Radio. AOL Radio delivers over 200 AOL and 150 CBS streaming radio stations, determining a user's location to offer the nearest local radio stations from a nationwide footprint.
- Best iPhone Social Networking Application: Twitterific. The Iconfactory's Twitterific integrates geographic location and communications tools to enable users to easily find their friends, family or co-workers.
- Best iPhone Game: Enigmo. Pangea Software's Enigmo for iPhone is a 3D puzzle game enabling players to construct mechanisms to direct lasers, plasma, and water to toggle switches, deactivate force-fields and lead them to their final destination.
- Best iPhone Web Application: Remember The Milk for iPhone & iPod touch. Remember the Milk is an online task management service targeting both the consumer and business markets and available in 24 languages.
- Best iPhone Productivity Application: OmniFocus. The Omni Group's OmniFocus promises efficient creation and management of tasks, projects and contexts on-the-go while also recommending things to do nearby.
- Best iPhone Healthcare & Fitness Application: MIM. MIMVista's MIM for iPhone medical imaging application provides multi-planar reconstruction of fused data sets such as PET/CT, enabling physicians to retrieve patient images via iPhone or iPod touch.
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