Updated iPhone AND iPad Could Debut

Apple just released the iPad 2 last March, but the device expected in September wouldn't be completely new, reports say, but a high-definition version of the current model with double the screen resolution, or 2048 by 1536 pixels.

Geared Toward Professionals

Citing inside sources, Joshua Topolsky of ThisIsMyNext described the relationship between the two devices as similar to that of the MacBook and MacBook Pro, geared less to ordinary consumers than to professional users. The "iPad HD" would suit video Relevant Products/Services and photo production, possibly with a special iPad version of Final Cut filmmaking and Aperture photo editing software, he said.

That report is backed up by a research note by FBR Capital Markets analyst Craig Berger, who hears that Apple has put out a request for price quotes from Chinese manufacturers for components for an "iPad Plus."

Rolling out both a newer iPad and an iPhone 5 would be a great way for Apple to show off its latest mobile operating system, iOS 5, which is due in the fall with some 200 additional features. And the new HD tablet could mark a shift in the company's marketing strategy.

"Rumors of a 'professional-grade' version of iPad don't seem too far-fetched," said mobile devices analyst Jeff Orr of ABI Research. "The company has a loyal following in the entertainment and content creation industries. However, creating a product focused on content interaction and editing seems a distraction from the greater need for a professional media tablet that cuts across job descriptions in the enterprise Relevant Products/Services today. "

Orr noted that Apple's financial briefings have stressed the corporate response to iPad, while its marketing focuses on the ordinary consumer.

"Building a rugged, reliable and secure solution for the workplace appears to be a much bigger opportunity," said Orr. "Allowing a movie director to review the digital dailies on a media tablet is 'cool', but not essential. The ability for a media tablet to enhance existing workflow in the media industry will be the measuring stick for success."

An Even Thinner iPhone

The Wall Street Journal reported this week that, according to its sources, the iPhone 5 will launch by the end of September with a more powerful, eight-megapixel camera and a thinner and lighter design -- but still only a moderately different version of the current iPhone.

A person familiar with the matter told the Journal that Apple would include the Qualcomm chips it installed in the Verizon Wireless version of the iPhone 4, released in January, in the iPhone 5, rather than the Intel Relevant Products/Services processors used in previous versions.

Apple usually releases new iPhones in early summer but reports said the company couldn't have the fifth-generation model ready in time.

Source

Apple Plan to Launch Small SIM for iPhone and iPad

Paris: Apple has proposed a standardised SIM card smaller than those it currently uses in the iPhone and iPad to be able to produce thinner devices, an Orange executive told media on Tuesday.

The move by Apple to work with operators is symptomatic of warming relations as Apple, no longer a new market entrant, depends on mobile carrier subsidies to help it maintain high volumes of iPhone Accessories sales.

A spokesman for European telecoms standards body (ETSI) confirmed Apple had made the proposal for the new standard for SIM cards, but decision on starting the standardisation work, which can take more than a year, was not yet made.

"This process may take some time, up to a year or more, if there is strong disagreement between industry players. However, when there is broad consensus among the companies participating in the standards committee, the process can be accelerated to a number of months," he said.

Orange said it, and other operators, welcomed the move. "We were quite happy to see last week that Apple has submitted a new requirement to ETSI for a smaller SIM form factor -- smaller than the one that goes in iPhone 4 and iPad," said Anne Bouverot, Orange's head of mobile services.

Related: Lenovo launches Apple iPad rival LePad

"They have done that through the standardisation route, through ETSI, with the sponsorship of some major mobile operators, Orange being one of them," she told the Paris leg of the Reuters Global Technology Summit.

She said first devices using such SIM cards could come out next year. If the smaller SIMs become standardized, other phone makers are also likely to adopt them.

"At some point other vendors will follow as size and weight will be crucial for smart phones," said analyst Francisco Jeronimo of technology research firm IDC.

Apple was not immediately available for comment. Apple was a divisive force in the mobile industry when it launched its first iPhone in 2007, releasing the coveted device only through selected partners and effectively forcing operators to offer unlimited data plans.

Bouverot said: "As long as it supports the requirements that we have for the SIM card, which is a very important asset for operators, which we absolutely want to continue to support, then we're happy that this is a development."

"It's certainly showing that they're willing to work with the standardization bodies and with the operators, which we welcome," Bouverot added. "We're discussing how to improve our relationship."

Apple shares were down 0.3 percent at 1724 GMT. France Telecom shares closed down 0.4 per cent.

Article Source