It’s one of the hottest topics right now for gadget geeks: When will Apple release its much-anticipated iPhone 5? Now, you can follow along with all of the rumor, speculation and leaked design docs.
Seattle-based Decide today is unveiling a new Twitter feed and category on its Web site that will allow iPhone fanatics to track all of the action, from rumors that the new gadget will feature voice control to possible launch dates in October. The feed — which can be found here on Twitter— includes reports from tech news sites such as Cnet, Engadget and Mac Rumors.
The iPhone 5 rumor feed is being set up in conjunction with Decide’s foray into the mobile phone arena, a category that the startup says was one of the most requested on the site.
As you may recall, Decide recently launched a service in June to help consumers decide the best time to buy cameras, laptops and TVs. Adding phones to the lineup was a natural move, especially with the upcoming release of the iPhone 5.
Decide CEO Mike Fridgen, a former executive at Seattle online travel search company Farecast, said that mobile phone shoppers often feel the pain of “buyer’s remorse” if they make a bad decision. Shoppers also will wait longer for a new phone model to be released than other consumer electronics categories. (Typically, five months).
Courtesy of Geekwire
“When you think about it, mobile phones are the gadget status symbol or our age, like wristwatches a generation ago, and making a bad purchase decision can be devastating,” he says.
That decision, of course, typically comes with the added baggage of long-term service agreements with the wireless carrier. The classic exampleis the iPhone buyer who purchased a phone on AT&T’s network without knowing that it would soon arrive on Verizon.
Decide is looking to help consumers avoid that pain by telling them when certain phone models will be released, at what price points and with what features.
Maveron led a $6 million venure capital round in Decide in April, with participation from Madrona Venture Group, former Amazon.com executive Ram Shriram; former Expedia CEO Erik Blachford; former Farecast CEO Hugh Crean and Zillow chairman Rich Barton.
Article first seen at GeekWire, Sept. 2011
