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More Apple media pad grist to the rumour mill

Posted: 28 Apr 2009 03:51 AM PDT

Following earlier rumours last week talk persists surrounding new mobile devices that Apple may or may not currently have at the prototype stage. The iPhone lite would broaden the appeal of the iPhone range even further and the Apple Media Pad would answer at least two years of consumer pressure and speculation.

iPhone Lite

The rumoued diminutive iPhone will be both smaller and thinner than the current 3G model and be built on a SoC (system on Chip) reducing the bulk of the components and hence the form-factor of the device. It will also be cheaper than the current iPhones and intended as a dedicated phone rather than the ‘everything under the sun’ range of uses of the 3G model.

Media Pad

The Media Pad is said to be smaller than the Amazon Kindle’s 8″ x 5.3″ and would have a proportionally larger screen which may mean that in absolute terms the Apple device will have a bigger screen than the Kindle.

Like the iPhone and iPod Touch expect the touchscreen to be a capacitive panel and host an interface to navigate music, photos and movies. Some game-play and app-running ability will also be present if, as is likely, the system is opened to third-party developers.

The Media Pad will likely support VOIP over its WiFi connection and may be based on the same SoC as the iPhone Lite.

The Media Pad is likely to be the recipient of the capacitive panels ordered by Apple in the last few months. Earlier rumours speculated that these were for a netbook device but the latest information suggests that they are intended for the Media Pad which may also receive the 5-megapixel camera, also rumoured earlier this year.

Roll out

Given the exclusivity contract between AT&T and Apple which lasts until 2010 it is likely that the Media Pad will be launched first but this depends on the terms of the AT&T agreement. If Apple can make a good claim that the iPhone lite is a different product to the iPhones and not subject to the exclusivity terms both could appear this year with the iPhone Lite available to a much wider range of users that the currnt iPhone.