My Apple October Product Announcement Predictions/Wishlist
For what it's worth these are my predictions for next week's Apple event.
Strategy
Before jumping into predictions it's worth highlighting what I believe is the strategy and goals for this product announcement. Apple will do what Apple does and push the creative and technological bounderies of what mobile devices are capable of. At the same time they need to remain price competitive and become more aggressive and put as many iOS devices in as many hands as possible. This will help them sell more digital goods (songs, movies, etc...), but more importantly it will reaffirm their status as the premier mobile platform for third-party developers.
iPhone 5
The next generation iPhone will have a completely new design, perhaps the teardrop shaped design that has been leaked to the case manufactuers. It will have most if not all of the obvious improvements the next generaion is predicted to have: better camera, A5 chip, larger screen, more RAM, voice assistant hardware, more flash memory, GSM and CDMA capable (maybe LTE), thinner, and lighter. It will be sexy as hell.
The pricing lineup will remain the same with the entry level model starting at $199 with a 2/yr contract. The iPhone 5 is the premier iPhone, but has a very specific target audience: early adopters, Apple fanboys, and people who view their phone as a status symbol.
iPhone 4(s)
The current iPhone 4 form factor will stick around for another rev to address the low-end of the market. The iPhone 4 is still the best selling and most desired mobile phone in the world. The only thing that can make it better is price and wider compatibility. I wouldn't be surprised if Apple released an entry level iPhone 4 with minor modifications (voice assistant hardware, GSM and CDMA capable, 8GB flash memory) for FREE w/2yr contract, $299-$399 unlocked.
Carriers
Sprint has gone on record saying they will have the iPhone, which will make the device available onthree of the four major US carriers. But the real growth is not in the US--it's international. By releasing high- and low-end GSM and CDMA capable phones, Apple will sell more devices into their existing global channels as well as bring on new cariers around the globe. This is the most exciting in terms of platform growth.
iPod Touch
Like the iPhone 4, there's not much they could do with the Touch besides make it more affordable. The current entry level price will drop from $229 to $199 or perhaps as low as $179. The form factor will remain the same, but they may opt to upgrade the chip to A5 to maintain excellent performance for high-end games.
iPad
I don't expect the introduction of a new model. However, I wouldn't be surprised if they either lowered their prices by $50-$100 OR eliminated the WiFi-only models and offered the 3G versions at current WiFi prices.
iOS5
Besides what was announced during the summer, there have been many rumors regarding an integrated voice UI powered by Nuance. Voice UIs typically suck, but supposedly Apple's implementation is excellent. That remains to be seen. I also wouldn't be surprised if Facebook system integration was also an unanounced iOS5 feature.
Odds and ends
Tim Cook will MC the event, but I wouldn't be surprised if Steve Jobs announced the new iPhone model. I don't expect any developments regarding Apple TV. They may announce the discontinuation of the iPod Classic and Shuffle, but these products are probably still profitable and not easily replaceable with either products in the lineup... unless the iPod touch goes 128GB.