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Analyst: Low-end iPhone to drop Wi-Fi

By | March 31, 2009, 3:02pm PDT

Summary: A research report published by analyst Daniel Amir for Lazard Capital Markets claims that Apple is expected to begin production on a high-end iPhone with 32GB of NAND beginning this spring. According to the report production is anticipated to begin in April, ramp up in May with an announcement in June. Probably the worst kept [...]

No WifiA research report published by analyst Daniel Amir for Lazard Capital Markets claims that Apple is expected to begin production on a high-end iPhone with 32GB of NAND beginning this spring. According to the report production is anticipated to begin in April, ramp up in May with an announcement in June. Probably the worst kept secret in Silicon Valley.

The interesting part of his report is that Apple is also working on a “low-end” 3G iPhone for announcement at the same time. Amir reports that the low-end iPhone may only be available in the fast-growing, emerging markets of Brazil, Russia, India, and China (the so-called BRIC countries). He also notes that the low-end model may dispense with some features, like Wi-Fi, in order to cut costs.

Previously rumors have swirled of a $99/8GB iPhone that would help Apple capture market share with price sensitive buyers not willing to shell out the $200-300 that the current iPhone commands.

Tip: CNet News.com

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Topics

Apple iPhone, Apple Inc., Wireless LANs, 3G, Wi-Fi, Wireless And Mobility, Cellular Phones, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Jason D. O'Grady

Jason O'Grady is a journalist and author specializing in mobile technology. He has published six books on Apple and mobile gadgets and his PowerPage blog has been publishing for over 15 years.

Disclosure

Jason D. O'Grady

Jason D. O'Grady is the creator and editor of O'Grady's PowerPage, which has been publishing mobile technology news since 1995. He maintains an advertising relationship with the following legacy advertisers on the PowerPage:

  • Amazon Associates
  • Google Adsense
  • Tekserve

    • Advertising on the PowerPage is brokered by a third-party agency (BackBeat Media) and he recuses himself from these negotiations.

Biography

Jason D. O'Grady

Jason D. O'Grady developed an affinity for Apple computers after using the original Lisa, and this affinity turned into a bona-fide obsession when he got the original 128 KB Macintosh in 1984.

He started writing one of the first Web sites about Apple (O'Grady's PowerPage) in 1995 and is considered to be one of the fathers of blogging. He has been a frequent speaker at the Macworld Expo conference and a member of the conference faculty. He also co-founded the first dedicated PowerBook User Group (PPUG) in the United States.

After winning a major legal battle with Apple in 2006, he set the precedent that independent journalists are entitled to the same protections under the First Amendment as members of the mainstream media.

O'Grady is the author of The Nexus One Pocket Guide, The Droid Pocket Guide, The Google Phone Pocket Guide, and The Garmin nuvi Pocket Guide (Peachpit Press), the author of Corporations That Changed the World: Apple Inc. (Greenwood Press), and a contributor to The Mac Bible (Peachpit Press). In addition, he has contributed to numerous Mac publications over the years, including MacWEEK, Macworld, and MacPower (Japan).

When he's not writing about Apple for ZDNet at The Apple Core, he enjoys spending time with his family in New Jersey.

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RE: Analyst: Low-end iPhone to drop Wi-Fi
~Obelix~ 1st Apr 2009
Great then you'll never get on the interwebs...
3G is bad enough how it'll switch for 3G to Edge to no signal without even moving... plus if they drop wi-fi how do you get large apps, since att won't allow it over 3g?
View in thread
0 Votes
+ -
32GB of storage!!11!1!one1!!!
NonZealot 31st Mar 2009
So innovative!!
0 Votes
+ -
cristall ball bs?
bannedfromzdnetagain 31st Mar 2009
how is any cristall ball looking called an "analysis". This isn't
eighter "research" or "channel checking" or something else this is
just guesswork and stupid by the way. apple will NEVER drop a
feature in a NEW model. they never did and they never will. this
idiot has no insight whatsover. i am amazed that you still give
these people a forum.

if you could at least give us a disclaimer. what is the TRACK
RECORD of this "analyst". did he know something in the past. were
he right or wrong with his predictions? oh wait, i know this would
mean doing some work or research before publishing their bs. and
there is no time for these basic journalist rules in these blogging
times anymore.

so just publish the garbage from anyone who is calling himself an
analyst though he is claiming something that goes against any
principle on which apple is doing business for more than a decade
now. oh wait, knowing this would mean you know something
about the company. but it's not necessary, daniel was switching
over to this apple job a week ago from covering procter and
gamble and that he doesn't know a thing about apple is not so
important. jason from zdnet will publish it anyway.
0 Votes
+ -
Never!!!
Yalius 31st Mar 2009
"apple will NEVER drop a
feature in a NEW model. they never did and they never will."

Excuse me a moment while I plug my Firewire cable into my new Macbook.

Oh, wait...
0 Votes
+ -
No WiFi because China Law bans WiFi for cellphones?
Davewrite Updated - 1st Apr 2009
Barron's article about Wedge Partners analysis of iPhone for China.

"Wedge finds several sticking points, but other points of
agreement:

Apple's reluctance to disable WiFi; China has a law that bar
WiFi in mobile phones.
China Unicom's insistence on installing its own software,
including an iTunes clone."

-----
(copy entire link for it to work)

http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2009/03/30/ap
ple-hitch-seen-in-potential-china-unicom-deal/
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Analyst: Low-end iPhone to drop Wi-Fi
dannyrocks@... 31st Mar 2009
Will an official iPhone in China come with WiFi? If
the Ministry of Industry and Information
Technology (MIIT) bends to the will of consumers
and China Unicom, then we may get our wish. But
alas, don?t underestimate China?s tendency to
make non-economic (political) decisions that stifle
progress in the interest of maintaining control
(?we?re watching you?) and promoting ?ingeniously
innovated? technologies.

http://idannyb.wordpress.com/2009/04/01/wifi-
on-an-official-iphone-in-china/

0 Votes
+ -
Pressure from service providers
terry flores 1st Apr 2009
Since WiFi is being used as a "bypass" for phone use and data transfer, I would imagine that the service providers like ATT would like for WiFi to disappear.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Analyst: Low-end iPhone to drop Wi-Fi
~Obelix~ 1st Apr 2009
Great then you'll never get on the interwebs...
3G is bad enough how it'll switch for 3G to Edge to no signal without even moving... plus if they drop wi-fi how do you get large apps, since att won't allow it over 3g?

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