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Apple seen expanding Broadcom touch technology to future devices

Touch-screen technology from Broadcom currently featured in Apple's iPhone is likely to spread to additional consumer electronics devices from the iPod maker, UBS Investment Research said this week.

Analyst Alex Gauna, who on Thursday raised his rating on Broadcom to a Buy, said he foresees "a far larger opportunity" for the semiconductor firm's touch-screen technology than simply in the iPhone.

"Checks indicate application in larger screen displays, and we believe it makes sense that Apple will migrate this technology beyond the iPhone and into its broader MP3, Apple TV/iMac, and notebook offerings over time," he wrote in a note to clients.

Although early parts analyses from research firms indicate that the iPhone employs a touch-screen manufactured by Sharp, a report released by BMO Capital in December implied the handset would utilize an SoC from Broadcom to enable the onscreen touch functionality.

In its report, BMO added that the interface was likely to show up in next-generation media players as well.

Earlier this week Broadcom said it was restating financial results from 1998 to 2005 to reflect $2.2 billion in costs for its part in corporate America's ongoing options backdating quagmire. It's believed to be the largest restatement thus far by a company implicated in the scandal.



22 Comments

caliminius 19 Years · 941 comments

Where do I sign up to be an analyst? All it seems to require is the ability to state the obvious..

As my first prediction as an analyst, my checks indicate that Apple will update their lineup of computers in the future.

aplnub 21 Years · 2385 comments

Quote:
Originally Posted by caliminius As my first prediction as an analyst, my checks indicate that Apple will update their lineup of computers in the future.

As your second prediction Apple will benifit from their computer update in the future.

kemcqueen 19 Years · 9 comments

Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider

Apple will migrate this technology beyond the iPhone and into its ... Apple TV ... offerings over time.

I am really looking forward to a multi-touch screen on my Apple TV.

jeffdm 21 Years · 12733 comments

Quote:
Originally Posted by kemcqueen

I am really looking forward to a multi-touch screen on my Apple TV.

Touch screen has been done with the fanciest remotes, but you'd need a larger device instead of the little gumstick remote.

ireland 19 Years · 17436 comments

I'd love to see the existing nano get a touchscreen front, and the ability to make calls and send texts, that is all I want from iPhone junior! And then for my next trick I give you the fullscreen Video iPod, simply called iPod (this is the 6G iPod); (same aluminum as nano), just black or silver in both sizes, 40GB or 100GB. The 3rd gen nano could just get a touchscreen, and a refined design, but I believe Apple will give one no choice if they want a new nano, they must take the phone functionality too. The exisitng nano and shuffle could merge
to become a shuffle with a nano sized touchscreen.

Come Christmas 2007 here's what I expect;

1. iPhone = We all know what this does.
2. iPhone junior = Touch-screen nano-sized device, music, text, calander, clock, calculator, photos, settings etc. (no email, no internet, no video, but expect tiny camera).

3. iPod shuffle = Less volume, less price, refined design and colors.
4. iPod nano = Smaller form factor with front face touch-screen and same price. (2, 4 or 8Gigs)
5. iPod = Fullscreen iPod with video, music, photos, touch-screen etc.