The Nexus One has reportedly sold 20,000 handsets in the first week. Although not exactly labeled a ‘super-phone’ by critics, consumers are buying it to see what the perfectionist company had been up to the last year. Foreseeing a distant danger from the Nexus One, Apple has decided to launch the 4th generation iPhone in May this year. This is a deviation from their standard practice of launching a new iPhone model late June/early July.
The French-language magazine Challenges has reported that the fourth generation iPhone is all set to launch earlier this year. Citing mobile operators, Challenges reports that Apple is taking this step to stop the ever growing market of Android handsets. Apple sees a potential rival in the Nexus One and it believes that the large amount of Android handsets flooding the market can prove to a very attractive alternative. This can hamper Apple’s growth in the market and may even capture some part of its market share. Although iPhone still enjoys the status of ruling the smart phone market, other manufacturers are closing in on the gap with a steady speed- and succeeding to some extent.
From the rumor mills, there comes a report that says Apple has put in a 5 megapixel camera in it’s extremely sleek device and has also introduced an LED flash. Everyone had a good word or two, for it’s 2 megapixel camera, and this 5 MP monster can surely rock the mobile phone market. It also is rumored to have a touch sensitive case much like the Apple’s Mighty Mouse. The ‘Plastic’ covering of the 4G iPhone may be touch sensitive. That is not really a very useful feature when the user can do all the common tasks quite easily on its revolutionary touch screen. Maybe Apple has something up their sleeves and that feature may turn out be a new breakthrough in Gaming or Navigation or Music- Considering Apple’s past records, get ready to be surprised. Apple also seems to be thinking about the addition of an RFID Reader ( Radio-Frequency Identification). It has a range of uses which include the doubling up of iPhone as a payment device by simply swapping it over a payment pad.
The Apple Tablet is all set to shake the tech world from the roots with its unveiling. Apple 4G iPhone has , comparatively , received less attention than the precious versions due to the craze surrounding the tablet. Although the May launch is just a rumor, another rumor says that Apple has scheduled its annual WWDC event for the dates June 28 to July 2. It is also rumored that the WWDC kenote will take place on June 29th, coinciding with the date of the launch of the original iPhone. Apple’s contract with AT&T is also about to end in 2010 which may enable Apple to launch the CDMA version of its popular device. Final reports suggest that Apple will announce the 4th generation iPhone in May and will announce the end of the exclusivity agreement with AT&T at its WWDC keynote.
Either way, the device is all set to release this year, and will compete head-on with Google’s Nexus One. We can only wait and watch who emerges victorious in the mobile market, and also if any dark horse can claim it.