The iPhone rumors are non-stop today.
The iPhone supposedly will have more features than Steve Jobs announced in January but get this, Microsoft has a new patent with which to challenge the iPhone and possibly block its path to market.
Yes folks, Apple’s iPhone might be at the mercy of a patent just granted to Microsoft… judging by U.S. Patent 7,225,409, “Graphical User Interface For A Screen Telephone,” which was awarded to Microsoft on Tuesday.
More potential worries for Apple: The patent isn’t just for a phone but for the underlying software and the patent document even includes a helpful flowchart.
It gets better. Now reports claim that the iPhone II, the European version of the iPhone, is about to begin production.
According to the rumors, Quanta Computer has been awarded a contract manufacture the second-generation iPhone. Quanta will reportedly make five million iPhone units starting in September 2007.
The deal, however, may not be closed:
Although the company would not confirm the rumors citing confidentiality agreements with their clients, Quanta is the largest contract manufacturer of notebook PCs in the world. A conflicting report in DigiTimes states that Quanta has not yet won the G2 iPhone but is currently bidding on the contract.
Quanta has manufactured many of Apple’s notebooks, including the PowerBook.
What do you think? Will Quanta make the iPhone II? And is the iPhone II ready for production?
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Some patents are just evil. Software patents are super evil.
I should just go ahead and patent binary…
“GUI for a screen telephone” don’t all screen telephones have screens? so they had an idea for some GUI, I’m sure Apple didn’t base any of it on Microsoft’s plans.