Forbes Post About Apple And T-Mobile Makes Sense

Source:  Forbes.

It used to be that any mention of Apple, the iPhone, and another carrier other than AT&T would have sparked a click frenzy.  It's like gallon of blood dropped into a pool filled with sharks and piranhas.  And this was especially true if the carrier was T-Mobile because it was the only other major GSM carrier in the United States other than AT&T.  As history would show, both T-Mobile's CDMA competitors, Verizon Wireless and Sprint, got the iPhones and T-Mobile is still on the outside looking in.

So, let's see if this Apple, iPhone, T-Mobile post will generate interest on par with what it was like a couple of years ago, before AT&T lost the iPhone exclusivity.

So, this Forbes post suggested the obvious: Apple should deal with T-Mobile.  I admit I haven't thought about T-Mobile for a long time since the merger with AT&T failed. And I had gained a bad taste for T-Mobile as its customer service quality waned.  Still, I thought Apple should deal with everyone.

However, I do think that Apple can pretty much dictate any terms to T-Mobile and it would have to accept it.  And with an added competitor with the iPhone, any thoughts of cutting iPhone subsidies by AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint be would met with pause.

I would like to go a step further in any Apple-T-Mobile deal.  Not only should Apple give T-Mobile iPhones for its post-paid customers, it should off customers the option for prepaying for the iPhone and favorable rates to go along with it.

The favorable rates would be a discount from post-paid rates since T-Mobile would not be subsidizing the purchases of iPhones for prepaid customers.

If this happens, it would not only be an important development but a historic shift from post-paid to pre-paid markets.  It would for the other major carriers to answer with their own options.  And with T-Mobile's 3G now faster and not much slower than LTE, AT&T and Verizon would have to think twice about simply relying on LTE as a marketing vehicle to gain/retain subscribers.

I would even suggest that Apple could flood the market with prepaid iPhones with a cheaper price and make it back with a cut of the monthly plans.

The mere fact that I can think of going down this route suggests that Apple has as well and more than likely have better plans to pad the huge pile of cash it already has.  And this all could start with a T-Mobile deal.

As an iPhone fan, I think it's time that Carly has an iPhone to go with her skin tight biker outfit.

iOS Mapping Has Great Chance Of Coming To the Mac - But As App Or Web or Both?

Source:  Appleinsider.

Looks like Apple is going to hit Google on the desktop too.  At least, on OS X. The weapon of choice could be Maps, Apple's newest app that could only be found on the forthcoming iOS 6.  What interest about this discovery by Technically Personal is that Apple could be sending the market a message.  It means to own more of the mobile and computing experiences.  The evidence is in the coding.  

Seriously, after Maps, what else?

What we don't know is if Maps will be just an app or can it be access online via a browser like other mapping services like Mapquest or Google's own map.  It is also entirely possible that Maps service will only go as far as iMovie and iPhoto where geo-tagging is used prevalently.  If that's the case, there may be no Maps app, either as a standalone app and/or browser-based, for OS X.  

Personally, I love to have Maps come to the Mac.  We've seen many iOS apps making the migration and Apple is looking to hurt Google and Microsoft by denying critical geo data from them.  

And another thing.  Siri.  You can bet that it's going to make the same jump from the iPhone to the Mac just as it has done to the iPad.  So, having Maps at least as a service on OS X makes a lot of sense.  

7" Tablet From Apple Like a 7" iPod touch

7" iPad Is Likely 7" iPod touch

There is talk over the weekend that the speculated 7" display tablet from Apple could have a similar form factor as the iPod touch.  And if you look at the iPad touch, not much has changed since the beginning.  And frankly, I find this form factor to be idea.

It'll be interesting to see just how Apple is able to get it work as an iPad because many folks will try to use it in that manner.  It's likely that Apple will market the device purely as a media tablet even if it can do everything the iPad can.

Though it's just a naming in terms of marketing, it could have an effect on some people.  Aside from likely being called an iPod, who will buy this?  I mean a lot of folks will.  It will have a devastating effort on the Kindle Fire and the Nexus 7 sales but I'm talking about the demographics and how it will be used.

Friday Movie: Dinosaurs Versus Aliens

Source:  Blastr.

Sometimes, you wonder if Hollywood (or anyone else) is running out of ideas.  There's a lot of "been there, done that" movies and TV shows.  I think it's why superhero movies are so popular because they're one element of the media (comics) that has not been properly explored and only recently has technology enabled such awesome special effects and 3D.  And if you want original stuff, well, sometimes, you cringe a bit at the idea.

Check out this Dinosaurs versus Aliens project that could result in both a comic and a movie.  I don't know...what do you think?

The idea behind this project is that what if dinosaurs had more brains than we expected and could stand up against an alien invasion.  So, yeah, they somehow fought off aliens but forgot that big rock in the sky that ultimately wiped them out sixty-five million years or so ago.

So, if you're a comic book writer and artist and has come 3D or video kung fu, you could be in high demand should something like this take off.

Jobsian Exceptionalism Slipping at Apple

We talk about American exceptionalism all the time.  I happen to think America is pretty special but not in an arrogant way.  Well, in mobile and computing, I think Apple is also very exceptional.  The iOS devices like the iPhone and Macbooks – not just the design.  Not just the software.  And not just the corporate culture.  You have to take in all of that and look at it as a whole.

And it is very special.

Yes, there is a “however”.  While Apple remains impressive compared to its peers and competitors, I don’t know if Apple done much in the last year to make itself much more distinguished.  Don’t get me wrong.  Apple is still number one when it comes to getting a smartphone that is greatly designed, easy to use, and provides an over all awesome user experience.

However, in the smartphone market, I see a lot of companies do things that I wish the iPhone could do.  While iOS has been ridiculously easy to use, it has gotten a bit boring.  I’ve heard it from other people, both on- and off-line. In the tablet market, well, there is no one that is really pushing Apple forward.  We’ll have to see if Microsoft’s Surface really can light a fire under Apple’s feet.

Obviously, Apple has it’s way of doing things and I think any UI change would have to be in such a way that doesn’t compromise the experience while jazzing up the look and feel.  It’s the same for the hardware and software.

Frankly, I have no suggestion for Apple what it can do.  Right now, I think it looks fine.  Microsoft’s Metro is definitely different and the jury is still out on whether this is what the market wants.  Still, love competition and maybe we’ll see something spectacular from Apple.

We know that Apple has patented some 3D UI.  So we’ll see.

Apple remains exceptional.  No doubt.  But its competitors like Samsung are also looking pretty good too.  Having said that, it’s time for Apple to do something to remind folks just what an innovator the company is by putting more innovative and insanely great tech between its products and wannabes.

Trojan Horse In Apple’s App Store? You Betcha – Also In Google Play Too

Source:  Macworld.

This is the first time where a Trojan Horse has slipped into Apple’s walled-garden iOS app store.  Apparently, this app uploads your contact list, with your permission of course, and then processes to text your friends with a malicious link.

According the Macworld, the app is still up but I wasn’t able to find it so I think it’s probably not there anymore in Apple’s iTunes store.  Nor is it in Google Play.

However, I am not sure how many folks are really affected. It’s seems to be a Russian developer and I don’t know how many folks out there really download that many apps from an unknown Russian developer.

This is why app discovery is cool and all but I generally recommend that folks stick with better known developers rather than obscure ones.  That isn’t to say that you should go looking around for cool apps that fit your needs.  Just do a bit of research before you download, install, and use it.

BTW, Find And Call had only one star from Google Play reviewers.  So like I said, I doubt many folks were using it.  Still, I’m surprised Apple’s reviewers allowed it in their store.

Apple's 7" (or 8") iPad Could Be Priced Competitively But Will Performance And User Experience Suffer?

I think it's safe to say that a sub-9.7" iPad is on the way. Those who take Steve Jobs' words as mobile gospel will be in utter disbelief but they'll just have to life with this. This is now Tim Cook's Apple and Steve Jobs did say that the execs should not try to ask themselves "what would Steve do" when making a call.

Apparently, with or without Steve's blessings, Apple has decided to release 7" to 8" iPad with a target day for fall of 2012 – just in time for the Holiday seasons. The reason is obviously as I believed Bloomberg was leaked information about it. My culprit is Apple.

I started on this post Tuesday morning but the fact that WSJ came out with their own piece suggests not only is a sub-9.7" iPad or bigger screen iPod touch coming, Apple could be worried about an improved Kindle Fire and the Nexus 7 but it also wants to avoid giving anyone else momentum like Amazon got with the Fire. Just as Google mean to stamp out any Fire" with the Nexus 7, Apple wants to put a stop to any encroachment to its tablet market with a smaller screen iPad.

Obviously, there is a chance that one of its competitors is spreading rumors to freeze iPad sales and when the rumored $250-$300 iPad is a no-show, the disappointed tablet buyer would look to $150 to $200 Kindle Fire or Nexus 7. As improbably as that is, it's not impossible.

Money is still on Apple releasing such an iPad. However, pricing issue aside, we have to focus on the user experience. And we have to ask ourselves if Apple will see this as a 7" iPad or 7" iPod touch.

And then there is performance. How well will Apple's iOS and apps work compared it its larger iPad siblings. For kids, there is no need to file their fingers down because their fingers are pretty small already. And we know that adults already navigate pretty well on 3.5" iPhones and iPod touches so that won't be an issue. What would be an issue is whether the apps will have the looks and feel of a tablet app or iPhone app.

Remember that before iPad apps were plentiful, users were told that they can maximize the iPhone apps to fill the screen of the iPad. Workable at the time because users knew that it would only be a matter of time before developers optimize apps for the iPad or completely develop new ones.

And what about the hardware. Specs, design, and feel of the 7" iPad (or touch). Will Apple have to make compromises to maintain margin and cut some corners. For instance, will Apple go back to the VGA cameras like the iPod touch and the iPad 2 in lieu of the 5MP camera in the new iPad? This will save millions but it would also degrade the experience. It's like that people will use their 7" iPad to capture pictures and videos than the regular iPad. If Apple does give the 7" iPad a subpar camera, it would degrade the experience entirely.

If Apple manages to solve all of the above concerns thorough to level of mobile experience it has achieved with the iPhone and iPad, there is also the issue of how mobile it is. I'm not talking about the weight but something more important and dear to me: the battery life. Also, how about battery life?

I like the 10-12 hours of battery life that I get from the iPads. I only wish the iPhone battery life would be longer. So, for these devices to be considered iPads, Apple would have to make sure it can optimize the system to give a 7" tablet sufficiently long battery life as well. I settle for 8-9 hours but keeping up with the iPad would be ideal. Such expectation isn't out of the question. Apple will likely be using smaller and more power efficient parts than what they are currently using for the new iPad. The newer iPad 2 actually has a chip that is smaller and more efficient than last year's iPad 2 – delivering battery life closer to 12 hours.

However, if Apple is only able to give users something closer to what its competitors are delivering, 6-7 hours, than I reckon we'll see this 7" tablet be called an iPod more than an iPad.

All of the concerns I have are very legitimate and I reckon Apple will deal with them with innovation or through clever marketing to address potential shortcomings.

Now about how much a smaller screen iPad will cost. At $250 for a 7-8" iPad, it's a steal and a no-brainer for anyone looking for a tablet but are put off by the $399 iPad 2. At $300, the choice becomes more confusing because $100, more you can get the iPad 2. However, one can say why would anyone wanna buy the iPad 2 when the new iPad cost $100 and you get a Retina Display, better camera, and Siri.

Ideally, I am looking for a 7" iPad with 1024x768 screen (nope, I am neither greedy or unrealistic), 8 GB, 5MP camera, and 10 hours of battery life. I hope there are options for 16 as well but 32 GB models are likely out of the question. However, such a model isn't likely to cost just $250.

What do you think? Will Apple make compromises to a 7" or 8" iPad and cost closer to $250 or will you be willing to play more to get better specs?