Apple snapping up flash memory for new iPhone?
A surge in Apple's orders of flash memory may signal that a new iPhone is on the way.
(Credit: CNET)It's been clear for a while that Apple seems to have settled into midyear iPhone refresh cycles as it closes in on the two-year anniversary of its debut, but more signs are pointing to a summer launch.
Think Equity Partners put out a report this week, spotted by AppleInsider, that says Apple has essentially cleaned out Samsung's supply of flash memory in recent weeks. Apple has also asked Toshiba and Hynix to step up with more flash memory, according to Think Equity, as it prepares for an iPhone launch.
Apple has a contract in place with the three companies, as well as Intel and Micron, to supply flash memory for Apple's products through 2010. But Apple tends to launch new iPods in the second half of the year around a September music event, making it much more likely that this buildup has a new iPhone in mind.
In January, Apple senior vice president of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller hinted that Apple has settled on a midyear refresh cycle for iPhones, after launching the original iPhone in late June and the iPhone 3G in July. The spring parade of iPhone rumors has not fully blossomed as of yet, but one persistent rumor is that Apple has some sort of low-cost iPhone in the pipeline, based on CEO Steve Jobs' comments about price umbrellas during an earnings conference call and a recent report suggesting a $99 iPhone is on tap.
Apple COO Tim Cook, however, has dismissed talk of Apple playing in the entry-level phone business, so as usual, it's hard to tell exactly what Apple has in mind. But even if all Apple did was double the storage capacity of the iPhone to 16GB and 32GB, it would need a lot more flash memory chips.
Tom Krazit writes about the ever-expanding world of Internet search, including Google, Yahoo, online advertising, and portals, as well as the evolution of mobile computing. He has written about traditional PC companies, chip manufacturers, and mobile computers, spending the last three years covering Apple. E-mail Tom. 
when I think back on what my phone was when I first got it to what it does now, it just makes me laugh.
I have video, night camera, I can zoom in on pictures, crop and edit them afterwards, I can listen to music while I'm on the internet (i.e. run TWO applications at the same time), you can put your apps in folders, you can Hide your folders and apps. Oh and one of the cool things is that you can access all the music on your computer from your phone, which means that you don't need a 16GB phone to have a lot of your own music, OR someone else's (if you choose to share your library) right at your fingertips.
The iPhone can be amazing when it's hacked.
Yeah! They'd need, like, TWICE as many, man!
While Mac sales have outpaced Windows PCs for months, January saw the reverse at U.S. retailers, including Apple Stores, NPD Group said Thursday. Mac sales fell 6% in terms of units sold compared with the same month a year ago, and 11% in terms of revenue.
Windows PC sales on the other hand were up 13% in terms of units, while revenue was flat as consumers sought out less-expensive models.
NPD analyst Stephen Baker said Apple sales fell for two reasons: price and the fact that the iMac desktop has not seen a refresh since April.
Bottom line is Apple Sux ! And it will get worse for Apple.
BTW , Sprint was up 20% today...Apple down 5% Bwahahahahahaha!
but the software and implementation of these features will always be years behind
but all Nokia fanboys will tout features and
keep saying that Nokia makes the best phones known to mankind
but when compared to Japanese/Korean phones they'll loose out even on the features front
So it's hard to say ? depends on wat your looking for in a phone
if it spec sheets then N97 is better but on the usability front nothing holds a candle to the Iphone , atleast among touchscreen phones !
IMO the best way is to actually use the 2 and decide for yourself !
but it can be blender... see it here
http://zthinkz.info/2009/02/21/blend-it-baby/
- by artistjoh February 22, 2009 6:33 AM PST
- Since new iPhones are very likely that is a reasonable suggestion. iPod Touch is also a very likely culprit but there are 2 more possibilities that no one seems to be considering. Firstly a game optimized variant of the Touch. Secondly a netbook could easily be being secretly prepared, possibly as a larger screened variant of the iPhone/iPod Touch form factor. The repetition of the phrase "interesting ideas" in regard to a netbook is unusual terminology for Apple, and makes me think they have something up their sleeves.
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