You can count on it. At least once a year the rumor mill starts churning out news of the mythical Apple “iPhone”. Ever closed-lipped about unreleased products (notwithstanding their recent preview of the “iTV” set-top box), Apple hardly ever adds any fuel to the fire. Rumor websites hungry for hits, tech reporters looking for the spectacular scoop, financial analysts trying to manipulate stock prices, and wishful-thinking bloggers fan the flames, sometimes on the flimsiest of evidence.

Recently, however, evidence of the impending introduction of the iPhone seems to be more substantial. In fact, the last time there was this much buzz about the iPhone, something close to it actually came to market.

It was a little over a year ago, in September of 2007. Apple partnered with Motorola and Cingular to put a version of iTunes on a Motorola ROKR phone. The ROKR held but 100 songs, cost $250, and required a two-year service contract with Cingular. Neither the ROKR nor the more recent RAZR phones with iTunes have been hugely successful, certainly not sharing in the success of their iPod cousins.

Since then, other phone and smartphone manufacturers and cellular providers have gotten into the act, under the assumption that either an iPod-like device with a phone attached or a phone-like device with an iPod attached could supplant the iPod in the minds of consumers. However, go anywhere where travelers are traveling, and you’ll see travelers removing one of their iPod earbuds to talk on their cell phones. So far, at least, people seem happy carrying both devices.

Let’s get back to the latest iPhone evidence. Just this week, the Taiwanese financial daily, Commercial Times, reported that the Taiwan-based company Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd. is building the iPhone. Interestingly, this is the same company that reportedly “spilled the beans” on Apple’s use of touch-screen technology on the new video iPod (which hasn’t happened so far). Some analysts believe that Apple’s patented touch-screen-control has been destined for the iPhone all along.

Actually, the whole touch-screen idea makes sense. Apple’s traditional disdain for a myriad of physical buttons (evidenced by their mice and remote controls) would certainly prevent an Apple smartphone from having the face of a Palm Treo or Motorola “Q”. However, if the iPhone’s face bore a screen that could change from phone to iPod to PDA control with the spin of a thumb, the device could be both functional and elegant.

Most likely too late for this year’s holiday shopping binge, the iPhone’s debut could come in early January at Apple’s MacWorld tradeshow in San Francisco. Only time will tell.

Not wanting to be rumor mongers, let’s look at the iPhone strictly from an “academic” point of view. Merging an iPod and a cell phone poses many challenges. One is battery life. Although using flash RAM memory instead of a small hard drive certainly would increase battery life, the combination of iPod and smartphone duties (especially if the duties include wireless connectivity with other devices) would certainly go through battery charges quickly. An iPhone would almost certainly require an easily removable and replaceable battery, unlike iPods. Where a dead iPod battery might be merely an inconvenience, a dead iPhone battery could be a life-and-death matter in an emergency. You know, like a stalled car in a blizzard, or, even worse, calling your spouse when you forget what to pick up at the grocery store.

Then there’s the issue of who will provide the phone service. Perhaps Apple will make a phone that isn’t tied to one provider, but would be programmable to adapt to different providers, even in different countries.

We can always dream, can’t we?

© 2006 Peter F. Zimowski