While most of the hype surrounding Apple’s January 27 event is focused on the introduction of the Apple tablet, iPhone users should be excited to take an early peek at a possible refresh of the iPhone’s software. According to sources speaking to Fox News, the event will cover three topics, the new tablet, iLife ‘10, and the next generation iPhone OS.
Many are curious to see how the operating systems of the tablet and the iPhone are related, although ties between the two devices go back to before the introduction of the iPhone. According to a New York Times article from 2007, the iPhone was originally born from Apple’s efforts to create a “Safari pad” to surf the web.
Mr. Jobs seized on the multitouch technology after Apple product designers proposed it as a “safari pad,” a portable Web surfing appliance. Instead, he saw the technology as something that could be used for a similar purpose in a cellphone, a former Apple employee said.
With the introduction of a tablet, one drawback for iPhone users could be the fragmentation of Apple’s talent working on the iPhone. In the past, Apple’s narrow product line has been considered a strength, as it allows for a focused approach. Juggling three multitouch devices—the iPhone, iPod touch, and now the tablet—will surely complicate matters for Apple, but I wouldn’t put it past Steve Jobs and company to find a way to keep the platforms unified.
