iPhone 'definitely' on its way

Posted on 24 Mar 2006 at 10:03

An iPod phone is definitely coming, according to sources in Taiwan. The Australian online technology magazineSmarthouse says that it has received confirmation that Apple is currently negotiating with Taiwanese suppliers to build the as yet un-named and unannounced iPhone.

The report quotes an un-named BenQ executive as saying 'An iPod phone is definitely coming. BenQ will not be making it as we are in competition with Apple however several of our suppliers have been approached to manufacture parts. Among manufacturers in Taiwan it is common knowledge. The issue for many is the availability of parts if the phone takes off'.

It is understood that Taiwanese manufacturer Hon Hai Precision has landed the contract, whilst another local manufacturer, Taiwan Green Point Enterprises which makes the plastic cases for the iPod is negotiating to join the project.

There have been rumours of an Apple mobile phone circulating for at least two years and it would come as a surprise to nobody if Steve Jobs pulled one out of his bag of tricks in one of his keynote speeches.

The mobile phone business is huge and one that Apple would certainly like a piece of. According to analysts Gartner some 810 million handsets were sold world wide in 2005. If Apple could take even a small percentage of that market, it would be an enormous revenue earner.

If true, and it could just be yet another story swirling around the Taiwanese manufacturer's rumour mill, it would be a serious blow to Motorola who launched its first iTunes compatible phones called the ROKR in September last year. If the iPhone becomes a reality, the chances are that the ROKR and other Motorola iTunes phones would be dead in the water. If the iPhone also takes off, it could also put a serious dent in Motorola's finances which is the biggest indigenous manufacturer of mobile phones in the United States - likely to be Apple's prime target market.

Author: Steve Malone