Leaked images purporting to be the iPhone 6 are common on the Internet, but confirmation that it is actually going to be launched soon is not. Photo from Chinese social media site Weibo.
By Terry Fredrickson
It didn't take long for Internet users around the world to notice the announcement by the NBTC that it had approved distribution applications for two new Apple phone models, information that appears to confirm that the iPhone 6 will soon be on the market.
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NBTC spills beans on iPhone 6
Public announcement of 2 phone models could delay Thailand launch
Bob James
NBTC secretary-general Takorn Tantasith /photo from twitter
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission all but confirmed the existence of Apple Corp’s as-yet-unannounced iPhone 6 when it publicly announced approval of distribution applications for two new models of the trendsetting smartphone.
NBTC secretary-general Takorn Tantasith announced this week that the agency has approved Apple's application to distribute two models – identified only by number – and then, on Aug 12, tweeted the news.
With every new iPhone, speculation runs rampant as to specifications, model numbers and launch markets. But very rarely have any official suppliers, retailers or government agencies divulged pre-launch information, partly because Apple – well known for zealously guarding its secrets – has been known to retaliate against leakers.
Accordingly, the Internet reacted with shock to the NBTC's revelation.
"If accurate, it's both interesting and remarkably indiscreet," wrote the Apple rumour site iMore.com. "Either way, (Mr Takorn) likely is not going to get a New Year's card postmarked from (Apple headquarters in) Cupertino any time in the next ever."
According to government regulations, NBTC approvals must be announced publicly, even if the agency kept details of the iPhone specifications secret. Finding himself in the spotlight, Mr Takorn explained his revelation in a follow-up post Thursday.
"To make the people of Thailand aware of the recent certification of the iPhone 6 is to protect consumers. It is to give consumers the confidence to buy phone accessories."
But Apple blog MacRumors.com noted that a distribution application filed a month before the iPhone's official launch was unusual, suggesting that, for once, Thailand might actually be on the list of countries getting the next iPhone on Day One.
Thailand didn't get the iPhone 5s and 5c until Oct 25, 2013 and didn't receive the iPhone 4s until November of 2011, well after the smartphone's launch in the US and Europe.
If Thailand was on the launch list, it may no longer be, if history is any lesson. Apple has, in the past, postponed release dates in Eastern Europe after leaks or simply allocated countries such limited quantities it was effectively unavailable.
Bob Jame's story contains more technical details on the new phones in his full story and you can read it here: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/426720/nbtc-spills-beans-on-iphone-6
Vocabulary
accessory: an extra piece of equipment that is useful but not essential - ตัวประกอบ, อุปกรณ์
accordingly: for that reason - ตามนั้น, ดังนั้น, เช่นนั้น
accurate: correct, exact and without any mistakes - ถูกต้อง, แม่นยำ
allocate: to officially give out an amount of or share of something - แบ่งส่วน
application: a formal request for permission to do or have something - การขอ
approval: official permission - การอนุมัต
aware: to know that something exists, or to have knowledge or experience of a particular thing - ทราบ
certification: the process of giving someone an official document stating that they have passed an examination or have achieved the qualifications necessary to do something - การรับรอง
common: ordinary; not unusual or special - ที่เกิดขึ้นทุกวัน, ธรรมดา
confidence: being certain of your abilities or of having trust in people, plans, or the future - ความมั่นใจ
confirmation: a statement, letter, etc. that shows that something is true, correct or definite - การยืนยัน
consumer: someone who buys and uses goods and services - ผู้บริโภค
delay: to make something happen at a later time than originally expected - หน่วง, ซื้อเวลา, ยืดเวลา
distribution: the process of giving something out to many different places - การแจกจ่าย
divulge: to give somebody information that is supposed to be secret - เปิดเผยความลับ
effectively: in reality - ตามความเป็นจริง
existence: the state of being a real or living thing, or of being present in a particular place, time, or situation - การดำรงอยู่,การมีอยู่,การมีชีวิตอยู่,ความเป็นอยู่
government agency: a government department that provides a particular service - หน่วยงานรัฐ
identified: named, said to be - ระบุ, ระบุชื่อ
image: a photograph, painting, or other work of art that represents a person or thing - รูปภาพ
indiscreet: not careful about what you say or do, especially when this embarrasses or offends somebody - ซึ่งไม่รอบคอบ, ซึ่งไม่สมควร, ซึ่งไม่ระวัง
launch: an event held to announce or start selling a new product or service to the public - การเริ่มปฏิบัติการ, การออกตัวของสินค้า, การเริ่มวางขาย
launch: to start selling a new product or service to the public - เริ่มวางขาย
leak: to tell private or secret information to journalists or to the public - ทำให้รู้ความลับ
National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC): the independent government agency which oversees and regulates the Thai telecoms and broadcasting industry - สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกิจการกระจายเสียง กิจการโทรทัศน์และกิจการโทรคมนาคมแห่งชาติ
postpone: to delay; to decide that something will be done at a later time - เลื่อนออกไป
protect: to make sure that somebody/something is not harmed, injured, damaged, etc - ป้องกัน,อารักขา,คุ้มกัน
public: open to people in general; intended to be seen or heard by people in general - อย่างเปิดเผยให้รู้
purport: to say that something is real or true, but which is not yet proved to be real or true - อ้างว่า
quantity: a particular amount of something - ปริมาณ, จำนวน
rampant: existing, happening or spreading in an uncontrolled way - รุกลาม อาละวาด กำเริบ รุนแรงจนควบคุมไว้ไม่ได้
rarely: not happening often - นานๆ ครั้ง, ไม่บ่อย
react: to behave in a particular way because of something that is happening around you or something that someone is doing to you - ตอบสนอง, เกิดปฏิกิริยา
recent: happening or starting a short time ago - เร็วๆ นี้
release: the act of making something available to the public - การนำออกแสดง, การออกวางจำหน่าย
retailer: a person or company that sells goods directly to the public for their own use - ผู้ขายปลีก
retaliate: to do something harmful or unpleasant to someone because they have done something harmful or unpleasant to you - ตอบโต้ แก้แค้น
revelation: a previously unknown and often surprising piece of information - การเปิดเผย
secretary-general: the person who is in charge of the department that deals with the running of a large international or political organisation - เลขาธิการ, เลขาธิการใหญ่
shock: a strong feeling of surprise as a result of something happening, especially something unpleasant; the event that causes this feeling - ช็อค, ความสะดุ้ง, อาการช็อค
specifications: a detailed description of how something is, or should be, designed or made - ข้อมูลจำเพาะ (มักปรากฏท้ายคู่มือผลิตภัณฑ์ต่างๆ เช่น เครื่องใช้ไฟฟ้า)
speculation: ideas or discussion about what might happen or has happened or why something has happened without having complete information - การคาดการณ์
trendsetting: of a person/product that starts a new fashion, technology, etc. or makes it popular -
unavailable: not able to be contacted or used - ไม่สามารถใช้ได้ ไม่สามารถหาได้
zealous: showing great energy and enthusiasm for something, especially because you feel strongly about it - กระตือรือร้น,ขยันขันแข็ง,ปรารถนาสูง
