New iPhone On Sale Next Week

 It looks like the folks at Apple made another big announcement this week.  Leading  media and technology analysts were invited to the Cupertino, California Campus of Wall Street’s digital darling to learn about a new version of the iPhone.

The iPhone has been a gold mine for Apple, selling millions around the world and creating billions in revenue for the company.   At this writing Siri, the built in assistant available on all new iPhones, speaks nine different languages.  But Apple is always looking for new markets for the device.  Monday’s press announcement shows how Apple will address an untapped market for a new modified iPhone V.1.

While it might seem that most everyone on the planet has a mobile phone, there is a segment of the population who does not.  In most Amish communities, the use of telephones is permitted but the individuals are not allowed to have the phones installed in their homes.  Often you will see phones in small outbuildings or phone booths and in many cases the Amish family will have the phone booth installed on a neighbor’s property.   

The need for communication even among the Amish surpasses the capability of an old dial up phone line so Apple is marketing to this target group an entirely new smartphone that is weather proof, has a special recharging system that does not use commercial electricity and comes only in black.  It is called the ThyPhone, since in reality it will never be located on the Amish family’s property but on the non-Amish neighbor’s land.

The ThyPhone comes with a special USB charger that is connected to a wind generator that can be positioned on the top of the phone booth and can supply enough power to keep the phone charged using no regular electric utility power.  In areas with little wind, a solar option was to be available early next year but since the chargers were being manufactured by Solyndra, Apple has to find another supplier and has delayed the release of this option.

According to sources inside Apple, they are working on a Pennsylvania Dutch version of Siri which will only be available for the ThyPhone.  The phone will also be able to switch from a male to female voice corresponding to the sex of the person talking.  So an Amish woman will have a female Siri named Hannah, and an Amish man will converse with a male Siri named Zeke.

The ThyPhone went on sale only in Apple Stores beginning Monday, April 1^st

 

To watch the companion video - http://youtu.be/jnHY760eHig