We’ve got this from three independent sources close to Apple: expect a large screen iPod touch device to be released in the Fall of ‘09, with a 7 or 9 inch screen. Prototypes have been seen and handled by one of our sources, and Apple is talking to OEMs in Asia now about mass production.
Apple has been experimenting internally with large form tablet devices for years, one source says, but there was concern that users wouldn’t like the device. The difference now is the iTunes app store, which has thousands of games and other applications that are perfect for a touch screen device with an accelerometer. Apple says more than 300 million applications have been downloaded since the App Store launched in July 2008. Combine the App Store, iTunes and a browser and you have one heck of a device.
We don’t have any information on pricing. The current iPod touch, with a 3.5 inch screen, starts at $229. The 32 GB model is $399. We expect the price on the larger iPod touch to be significantly higher.
Apple rumors, particularly Apple tablet rumors, tend to come and go. I’m not saying Apple is definitely launching a large form iPod Touch. But sources I trust are saying they are currently planning to, and one source has actually held the device.
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Ouch. If this is going to be $1,000 and not have 3G, it’ll be lavished with praise, then get beaten to death by the netbook and tablet markets, then poorly cloned by Asus for half the price.
At this point I’d rather see a 7- or 9-inch screen that slots a Touch or iPhone and costs $200-$300 than an all-new device. It’s too late for Apple to roll out a third tier of touchscreen mobile devices – everybody who wants one already has an iPhone or Touch, or can’t afford either one of those and surely won’t be able to afford an iPhone Fatass.
i can say that apple ipod touch has been dominating the apple iphone with multiple features ingredient in it,now its turn to improve the size of the screen ,with thousands of games and applications this ipod touch gonna rock
regards
aartha
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I’ve only had my 16GB touch for 2 days and would definitely go for a large screen version! I’m sure the high price tag will be a problem for some folks, but man what an awesome gadget!
I love the Transformers/Stan Bush reference.
Well played.
If they decide to go in this direction, they’d probably be better off trying to market it as a competitor to the Sonos audio system or something. If they try to market it as some sort of tablet netbook, they’ll probably take a beating but if they market it as a multi-room audio system with iTunes streaming or something plus sweetened with all the iphone/touch apps and capabilities, you’d have a winner.
Get a life, fanboys.
A larger iPod Touch that must still be pocketable. No tablets or laptops or netbooks. I want a wallet Mac that I have with me all the time, everywhere we go.
Imagine what an anywhere, anytime Mac can feature as services! And all of these revenue flows for Apple alone.
Also, no one should have to buy more than one Mac. So the “MacTROU” (for The Rest of Us) must be untethered, like the Kindle, using EVDO. And a hundred times better than the Kindle, this gizmo connects to all your files on MobileMe.
Apple can charge whatever it needs to for the mobile Mac, for the connectivity, and for a subscription to MobileMe. And it can collect for purchases of software, music, video, whatever, which would reside on MobileMe, always available to the MacTROU
It’s all about selling solutions, not simply gizmos. If Apple plays its cards right, it can replace the wallet and the credit card.
I just had the opportunity to check out a 13.3″ penbased convertible notebook for some days.
Pro: no physical keyboard in the way when used in tablet mode.
Con: too big, too heavy, no capacitive touch screen, case cluttered with ports and buttons, no appropriateOS, inconvenient dock.
If Apple ever manages to expand the iPhone Firmware to support a similar device with a bigger screen size while keeping all the nice hardware features, I am sold.
While it would be a perfect device for in-house use IMHO, it would also become a nice companion for travel, if not serious work.
this thing can’t just be a bigger ipod touch – it needs a better trick up its sleeve! i think mouse support should be added, a well as an i-sight camera – effectively making it a video phone too!
are you listening apple?!
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so much better with all the apps
I’ve been waiting for something like this for yeeeears. Laptops are still unwieldly for how I want to watch stuff and surf the Net, and read ebooks, and all that. Phones are too small and PDFs don’t display well enough on them. I’m so glad someone is finally going for the ideal device. Hope they don’t let anyone talk them out of it.
I would love to see apple do a 15 inch touch with a full OS X. Modbook is cool and all but I want to see apple do it. I’m sure apple would make a dock for it to convert it into a workstation. With firewire, USB, 160 gig flashdrive, 8 gigs ram, graphics card, a fast intel processor, and an external wireless keyboard and mouse. All for under 2,000 USD. Oh, please don’t wake me from this dream. zzz zzz zzz.