Rumor mill: iPad, iPhone, Apple TV and T-1000 updates in 2011

There are hints this week that the iPad, iPhone and Apple TV will be updated in early 2011. It's isn't really a risky guess, since they're all likely to be updated within the next nine months (heck, September is nearly here, so let's toss in the iPod, too). Still, here's what the crystal ball revealed this week.

First, the tea leaves have predicted that an iPhone bearing Verizon branding will soon be upon us. Manufacturer Pegatron* is supposedly poised to mass-produce the new handsets in December for an early 2011 rollout. The CDMA phones will feature a metallic back and internal antenna, according to DigiTimes.

Additionally, it's been suggested that a spiffy new 9.7-inch iPad will emerge with the ARM Cortex-A9-based processor and 512MB RAM. Both DigiTimes and iLounge also suggest that a 7" iPad is forthcoming, which makes our iPod touches say, "You might as well just use me."

Don't discount the idea of an Apple-branded killer robot from the future, either. Macrumors cites the Baltimore Sun reporting that Apple now has a distribution deal with Liquidmetal Technologies to use the California firm's 'amorphous metal' technologies in consumer electronics products. Just be careful not to accidentally create Skynet, guys.

Of course, the long-neglected Apple TV is rumored to be getting the huge revamp Engadget first tipped to back in May, with "a user interface similar to the iPhone" (that means iOS on board, one would think), no hard drive and lots of support for the social networking sites that the kids like so much these days.

Will these products be updated within the next nine months? Yes, probably...and you didn't even need mystical powers to figure that out.

[Via Macsimum News]

*Which totally sounds like it belongs in a 1950's Japanese sci-fi movie.

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Source: http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20100809VL202.html

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There are hints this week that the iPad, iPhone and Apple TV will be updated in early 2011. It's isn't really a risky guess, since they're...

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mkvirt

I agree with the suggestion to ban Verizon iPhone rumors from TUAW, at least until Gizmodo can prove they bought the prototype which will accidentally be left behind in a California bar some time after New Year 2011.

August 10 2010 at 7:56 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Aaron Walters

Why is there a picture of some really terrible Mexican marijuana at the top of this story?

August 10 2010 at 2:20 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

iPhone user

I wouldn't be surprised if the rumors of a metal-backed iPhone were actually about the next-gen iPod touch. And maybe all those CDMA chips are for a Verizon iPad for next spring.

Oh, and Skynet *will* be created. It will be a free iOS app...

August 09 2010 at 7:28 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

pimpdaddyhawaii

Why don't you people read about what's going on and make actual informed decisions? The new chipset slated for use in verizon iPhones is made to fall back on the standards of before just incase verizon can't upgrade all of there towers to 4g.... That's why verizon is testing iPhones in the Boston area first...

August 09 2010 at 6:47 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Adam

"We'd like to introduce Apple's new Senior VP of Devices Hardware Engineering, Miles Bennet Dyson, Jr."

August 09 2010 at 5:37 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

maokh

Not to insult any Verizon fans, but making a CDMA only phone would have made a lot more sense a year or two ago. As it stands now, CDMA is a complete dead end, LTE markets will (hopefully) be available on verizon by fall/winter, and the amount of subscribers available to upgrade will be limited. I'd be shocked if they even would break even, and probably left in the dust as some of the first android LTE handsets start debuting shortly afterwards.

August 09 2010 at 5:07 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Rego

"First, the tea leaves have predicted that an iPhone bearing Verizon branding will soon be upon us."

While at some point in the future their will be an iPhone on a Verizon network It won't have Verizon branding (logo) on it! It will have a neat clean Apple logo only!

August 09 2010 at 3:39 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

djgigante

I could use an iPod Classic with more capacity.

August 09 2010 at 3:18 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Alexandre Strube

People forget how apple always introduces new stuff in the ipod shuffle. Have a look at the next one for what apple is planning for the next years.

August 09 2010 at 3:04 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Drake

Metallic back? Apple's been there. Done that. I think they like the glass much better. Isn't it cheaper too?

Internal antenna? HA! That's a good one. If they were to put an internal antenna in the new one, then they basically admitted to a faulty design by putting an external antenna on the phone.

CDMA? Why would Apple back-peddle in features? You can't use voice/data at the same time with CDMA networks. We *just* got multitasking in iOS 4 so why would they get rid of a large example of multitasking just for a new (albeit better) network?

I have a feeling we'll be waiting until June again for a new iPhone.

August 09 2010 at 2:51 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

2 replies to Drake's comment

FearlessFreep

I think Apple basically admitted faulty design when they sacked the head of engineering.

August 09 2010 at 3:41 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

tbayrgs

"CDMA? Why would Apple back-peddle in features? You can't use voice/data at the same time with CDMA networks."

This argument is getting so tired and overstated it's ridiculous. If such reasoning held true, Verizon and Sprint couldn't exist because it wouldn't be worthwhile for any manufacturers to produce phones with CDMA radios. Obviously, this isn't the case--HTC, RIM, Samsung, LG, and others all produce handsets using both GSM and CDMA, so why shouldn't Apple?

I agree though regarding the inability to use data and voice simultaneously--really limits the functionality of the device.

August 09 2010 at 4:42 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply