Increased usage of system-on-a-chip (SOC) technology will drive the next generation of Apple products, including the rumoured Apple Media Pad and iPhone Nano.
In recent days, the rumour mill has been in overdrive with reports of a new round of negotiations between Apple and Verizon over the iPhone. Apple failed to reach an agreement with Verizon in 2005, resulting in the original iPhone contract going exclusively to AT&T.
And to add more grist to the rumour mill, reports of the new form factors that Apple’s forthcoming next-generation iPhone and the rumoured Media Pad device will take are also now circulating online.
It is thought that the iPhone Nano, or the iPhone Lite as it is being called, will come cheaper and smaller than the current iPhone range, due to the use of SOC technology that incorporates a range of chips into one and reduces the cost of silicon.
Reports on the form factor of the Media Pad suggest the device will come with the same functionality as the iPod touch, but will also sport high-definition video and Wi-Fi.
Reports from publications including BusinessWeek suggest Apple may drive the new Media Pad device through Verizon.
The device will be slightly smaller than Amazon’s Kindle 2 ebook reader (pictured), but will have a larger touchscreen.
This suggests that Apple is determined to move on the burgeoning ebook market that Amazon and Sony are currently focused on. It makes sense; if you can buy movies, DVDs and talking books from iTunes, why not full books, magazines and even newspapers?
By John Kennedy
Pictured: does the Amazon Kindle 2 have some competition to worry about?
