Awaiting Apple's iPod Phone, One Week to Go

Bloggers And Analysts Buzz About Rumored Announcement for January's Macworld Expo


Apple Computer Inc. CEO Steve Jobs at a previous keynote addresses. Jobs often uses the Macworld Expo keynote speech to introduce innovative new technologies to analysts and Apple aficionados. (Paul Sakuma/AP Photo)

By DAN ARNALL

Jan. 4, 2007 — You probably don't realize it, but next week might just be the beginning of something new for your pocket or purse.

Rumors are flying in cyberspace that Apple Computer is set to introduce a new iPod that won't just deliver music and videos, but will take phone calls as well.

For months, blogs and technology analysts have been buzzing that Steve Jobs and company will unveil a phone/video/music device in early 2007. With the company's annual expo about to begin, anticipation is high.

"We will definitely see an Apple wireless phone product introduced this year," said Kaan Yigit, president of Solutions Research Group, a Toronto-based technology consulting firm. "Whether it's introduced next Tuesday or not is a big question. If I were guessing, I'd be very surprised if they didn't introduce it then because there's no new frontier that they could break with their existing product lines."

It seems to most Apple-watchers that this month's Macworld Expo, scheduled to run from Jan. 8 to Jan. 12 in San Francisco, would be the perfect stage on which to introduce the device because the conclave has nearly always delivered an innovation at this annual event.


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Tim Bajarin, principal analyst at Creative Strategies, has been going to Macworld since the event began in 1985, and knows the Apple Computer buzz machine as well as anyone outside the company.

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