iPhone rumor from 2002
January 9th 2017
John Markoff connecting some dots on a rumored Apple phone back in 2002.
Furthermore, the cost of adding phone capabilities to palmtop computers is falling rapidly.
''It's easier and easier for a company like Apple to go to a Taiwanese manufacturer for wireless telephone components,'' said David Carey, chief executive of Portelligent, a technical market research company based in Austin, Tex. He said the parts required for adding advanced cellular capabilities to a device now cost as little as $50.
Of course, that is why Mr. Jobs's greatest challenge with an iPhone might be elbowing his way into a crowded marketplace, where other companies already have supplier and manufacturing relationships in place.
''There's no question that Apple could design a cool phone,'' said Andy Neff, a Bear, Stearns analyst in New York. ''The key is being able to build an infrastructure.''
The infrastructure that Apple assembled to support its yearly cycle manufacturing is likely as important a product than the iPhone itself.
