WWDC (World Wide Developers Conference) is quickly approaching, and Apple is bound to make a few announcements. Here is a list of speculation that Wired posted earlier today. I will run through the list and break down their predictions.
1. 3G iPhone
We expect this one at least to come true. The stock of current iPhones has dried up. Even the Mothership has run out, and orders are being filled with by a combination of rationing (AT&T is limiting orders to one per customer) and recycling (AT&T is selling reconditioned handsets). The rumors are whirling around us like trailer park dogs in a twister, and seemingly every telco in the world is announcing deals with Apple, bringing the potential market of the iPhone to 500 million.
What to expect? Well, 3G is all but certain. GPS would be nice, although it isn’t a standard part of the Infineon chip (pdf) expected to power the iPhone 2.0. The software we mostly know about because the SDK is out there in use and leaking new information almost daily. A proper camera is essential: The crappy 2 megapixel camera in the current iPhone is not much more than an afterthought; the new one should at least have video.
A month ago we asked you what you would like to see and you came up with some crackers: Radio (never), Bluetooth for headphones (maybe), MicroSD slot (yeah, right) and a real keyboard (never!)
Likelihood: 10/10
10/10 is probably right. If it doesn’t come out at WWDC it will definitely surface before then. Needless to say, one way or another, we will all have our 3G announcement before WWDC has concluded. The recent shortage in phones makes one wonder whether the announcement is leaning toward pre-WWDC, but its hard to pass up the press surrounding a now sold out conference.
2. Proper New MacBook Pro
Up until we broke the news of the MacBook Air (one day before it first slid from a manilla envelope), many people were predicting a new 12″ MacBook Pro to replace the beloved 12″ PowerBook of old. Apple refreshed the aging pro notebook line in February, but apart from some multi touch love under the hood, there wasn’t much change. In fact, the MacBook Pro is almost exactly the same in looks as the original PowerBook G4, announced back in January 2001. It’s time for a change.
We expect a big multi touch trackpad, the new chiclet-style keyboard, an almost bezel-less screen (which should bring the overall size down despite still having a 15″ screen) and perhaps some 3G connectivity (Apple has so many deals with cellphone networks now that an international rollout of an always-on connection is feasible). We’ll probably see a version without an optical drive, too, perhaps with a second hard drive filing the space. And after all the whining about the MacBook Air being a little wussy in its specs, it could be time for Apple to drive home a powerful, well endowed twelve-incher.
Likelihood: 8/10
More like 6/10. While I agree that the MacBook Pro line is in need of an overhaul, and I would love to have a nice 12″ pro laptop (because who really wants to carry around a 17″ machine anymore). However, WWDC isn’t MacWorld, so I don’t know how many hardware announcements we are going to see. If there is another one besides the iPhone, though, it would be this one or maybe the next.
3. Aluminum MacBook
This rumor has been drifting in the background for a while. If true, expect nothing more than a new case and a multi touch trackpad. White plastic used to be the marker that set the consumer goods apart from the pro gear, but ever since the iMac went all brushed aluminum and the iPod lost its iconic white case, that’s no longer so.
Likelihood: 4/10
I would say probably 5/10. Honestly both the MacBook and MacBook Pro lines are due for a major upgrade, so while the pro upgrade seems more called for, I cant say I would be surprised to see either both or neither.
UPDATE: Taiwan’s top two flat-panel makers by revenue, have obtained flat-panel orders for Apple Inc.’s new MacBook, the Commercial Times reported Friday, citing industry sources.
Sop there you go. These things will not be seeing major updates at WWDC.
4. Internet Tablet
Steve Jobs said that Apple would never make a Tablet Mac. He also said there would never be a video iPod. A Kindle-sized iPod Touch would certainly be a great toy, but would anybody buy it? The iPod Touch is popular because it is a regular sized iPod with a slew of killer features, and people are used to the size. But a MacBook Touch would be a whole new product: too big to fit in a pocket and too small to do any real work (not to mention the lack of a real keyboard). But then, if anybody can take a flailing (read: all current tablet PCs) category and make it attractive, it’s Apple. Remember the iPod?
Likelihood: 1/10
Try 0/10. Unfortunately I don’t think Apple has this thing far enough along yet. While they will almost definitely head in the direction of a “TouchBook” or something someday in the near future, Apple just wouldn’t have been able to get a product like this developed and ready without the blogosphere getting some kind of info leaked. No company is that sneaky anymore. Yes, there has been wild speculation about a touch screen something coming from Apple, but nothing hard enough to warrant a release of said mystery device within the next month. Sorry.
5. Touch Screen Nano
Why not? Ever since Apple got all touchy-feely with the iPhone, touch is showing up everywhere. We don’t expect a full on mini iPod Touch, but an iPod of the current Nano’s size which is all screen on one face is certainly possible. Apple could leave out email and Maps (and the Stocks application – who ever uses that apart from Jobs himself?), but Wi-Fi would be likely, if only for buying tracks from the iTunes Store.
Likelihood: 5/10
1/10. I will tell you why not. The current Nano isn’t good for video as is. Yes, it can do it, but most people are not happy with that small of a display to watch any kind of video. So even if you make the whole front surface of the nano a screen, you still have too small of a viewing area. Plus the dimension are all wrong for widescreen playback like the iPhone and iTouch can do. If they did bring something like this to market, it would be a mistake and unless it was absurdly well priced, most people who want video on their iDevice will opt for the larger screen with more memory.