Quanta May Build European iPhone

Apple may have assigned Quanta to build a second generation iPhone with a “different outer design to fit different markets,” according to a report in China’s Commercial Times today.

“Different markets” may refer in part to European iPhone consumers, since Quanta said on its website that the 2nd gen. iPhone they may build is “expected in September 2007.”

Makes me wonder how different Apple’s European iPhone will be from the one we’ll see in June, and whether it will have more features & widgets.

Leopard Release Postponed While Apple Works On iPhone

Leopard iPhone Delay

Apple has postponed the release of its Mac OS X Leopard operating system, originally scheduled for June, to October while the Mac team helps out with prepping the iPhone for its June release.

“iPhone contains the most sophisticated software ever shipped on a mobile device, and finishing it on time has not come without a price — we had to borrow some key software engineering and QA resources from our Mac OS X team,” said Apple today in a press release.

I’m sure the news is a disappointment for those of you dying to upgrade in June, but I think it’s better they take their time than release a bug-ridden product.

“Life often presents tradeoffs,” said Apple, “and in this case we’re sure we’ve made the right ones.”

…via Engadget.

iPhone Touchscreen Built by Struggling German Company

Balda iPhone Touchscreens

Apparently it’s an “open secret in the industry” that German cell phone parts manufacturer Balda is producing iPhone’s touch screens, said BusinessWeek in the future (don’t ask me why the article is dated April 16, 2007).

But last year Balda laid off 70% of its workforce and ended the year with a 13% loss of sales. So why would Apple choose them to build the iPhone touchscreens?

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Intel to Produce Chips for iPhone Competitors

Apple & Intel

It looked like Intel and Apple were becoming pals, with Intel offering Apple its Core Duo processors for the Mac and even praising the iPhone.

But now Intel said it will be producing cell phone chips that will be marketed to phone manufacturers other than Apple.

On the one hand it looks like Apple’s been stabbed in the back. On the other it seems we consumers are going to have a lot more options in the market next to the iPhone, followed by a better iPhone v2.0 (competition- always a good thing).