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Analyst: iPhone nano in the Works

Analyst: iPhone nano in the Works

by , 8:20 AM EDT, July 10th, 2007

Apple may already be working on a smaller sibling for its iPhone, and we could see it as early as Apple's fourth quarter, according to JP Morgan analyst Kevin Chang. Reuters reports that this smaller and less expensive and limited-function iPhone could be based on the popular iPod nano.

"We believe that iPod nano will be converted into a phone because it's probably the only way for Apple to launch a lower end phone without severely cannibalizing iPod nano," Mr. Chang said.

His information comes from unnamed sources in the Taiwan parts supply channel.

Mr. Chang expects that if Apple is developing an iPod nano-based cell phone, it will come in at US$299 instead of the $499 and $599 price points of the iPhone. If so, he predicts that Apple could sell somewhere between 30 million and 40 million units in 2008. In comparison, Apple plans to sell about 10 million of its recently released iPhone in 2008.

While an iPhone nano could help Apple grab more of the cell phone market without impacting current iPod nano sales, it could have the unwanted side effect of cannibalizing iPhone sales.

Since Mr. Chang's information is based on unnamed sources and can't be verified, we'll have to assume that -- at least for now -- the iPhone and iPod nano are safe.

Apple stock is currently trading in the pre-market at $130.21, down 0.12 (0.09%).


If you are interested in Apple's stock, join our forum members in the Apple Finance Boards, a moderated forum for Apple Investors and people who are interested in Apple's financial dealings. For other stories regarding Apple's stock activity, visit our updated Apple Stock Watch Special Report.

  

Observer Comments

Show: Subjects Only | Full Comments
Close Name:Biff Posts: 1479 Joined: 08 Apr 2004
Subject:

Biff: Analyst is smoking crack.

Close Name:Guest
Subject:

No way this will happen until they update the iPhone to 30 or 60 gig. The current iPhone is basically a nano anyways in terms of HD space and HD kind (flash drive to reduce battery strain). Touch screens also do not work well in a small form factor. The more likely near future apple product is a touch screen ipod. Or how bout a iPhone shuffle....random music, random calls

Close Name:Tiger Posts: 1018 Joined: 17 Jun 2003
Subject: what about?

What about the iPhone Tic Tac?

Close Name:Terrin Posts: 414 Joined: 29 Jan 2006
Subject:

It may happen, but I doubt it will happen by Christmas because Apple tends to update things that people will buy for other people around Christmas. Most people aren't going to buy another person a phone (parents maybe).

The iPod is due for a refresh, and the Nano last received an update around Christmas.

Close Name:Bosco Posts: 1002 Joined: 03 Jun 2002
Subject:

Quote
Biff wrote:
Biff: Analyst is smoking crack.


No dude, that is my line.

Close Name:plus Posts: 4 Joined: 15 Jun 2007
Subject: deprecated fantasy

Quote
Biff wrote:
Biff: Analyst is smoking crack.


Indeed - as should be obvious to anyone who's been paying attention. But apparently a lot of folks in the market have more money than brains, and they bid up AAPL today in response. Only now some cooler heads from the same company have woken up and more or less deprecated the original report:

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/07/10/jp_morgans_us_branch_quashes_iphone_nano_report.html

Close Name:rjackb Posts: 37 Joined: 08 Dec 2005
Subject: Nano form factor is too small for a phone

The on-screen keyboard in portrait mode on the iPhone is already too small (tho the landscape one in Safari ain't bad at all) so I don't see how Apple could possibly put an iPhone in something the size of a Nano unless they've come up with some unbelievably ingenious new way of implementing a keyboard. The battery size would be another problem. And all the other components, too. But you never know about Apple.

Close Name:Juha Posts: 6 Joined: 09 Dec 2005
Subject: Next Big Thing

In few years, some analysts will come up with a idea that Apple is working on booting up any PC computer to Mac OS X from connected iPhone / iPod. - Linux style. Apple is the only company that could do this successfully. And it would rock. What a great surprise it will be!!!

(Note: I'm NOT working on Apple, i got no insider information. - i do consulting for companies looking for the next big thing. Outsider information is enough...)

Close Name:Guest
Subject: Hmm...

Quote
Juha wrote:
In few years, some analysts will come up with a idea that Apple is working on booting up any PC computer to Mac OS X from connected iPhone / iPod. - Linux style. Apple is the only company that could do this successfully. And it would rock. What a great surprise it will be!!!


All you really need is to load the Home folder and the Applications folder. The rest of the OS stays the same enough to not worry about. (And the OS on the phone would differ from a desktop anyway.) Maybe better than mounting the iPhone would be sync-ing the home and apps folders with the desktop's local hard drive copy.

Well, about an iPhone Nano, what sort of features could it have that would make it different from an iPod Nano and not entirely a full iPhone??? All I can think of is to take the Nano as-is and then add the iPhone's contact list and phone call system. Leave out videos, leave out internet. If you want to beat my current cheapo phone, you need a 2MP+ camera too.

The touchscreen part would be sorta weird on a nano-size screen. You could use it to touch buttons and to scroll the contacts list. For a keyboard, I imagine you'd only have on in landscape mode, since anything else would be too small, and you'd only need it to enter new contacts anyway.

So they _could_ make an iPhone Nano, but I definitely do not expect one so soon.

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