iPhone 5 : Everything We Think We Know, A TechPinas Insider-Info Round-up on the Next Generation iPhone!

Just listing down a few supposed leaks and insider info on the next-generation iPhone that we all should take with a grain of salt.

(Because if there's anything we should know by now about unreleased iDevices, it's that we won't really know how they'll look or what new features they'll have until Apple officially unveils them.)

1. Name - Apple fans are already calling it iPhone 5. If Steve Jobs were still alive, I bet he'd call it just that.

But we all know how Apple currently names its products. Frankly, I think they'll just call this one "the new iPhone" or plain "iPhone". Again, I don't know if that's plain arrogance or complete disregard for the power of good product nomenclature. But under Tim Cook, that's how it goes.

2. Taller Screen - During the launch of the first iPhone, Steve Jobs said that Apple had spent much time figuring out the ideal screen size for a full touchscreen smartphone and that's 3.5-inch. Heck, he even said then that it's already "very large."

But obviously, the smartphone scene has changed much since 2007 and other companies have come up with their own handset lines whose screens just keep getting bigger every year. For instance, Samsung Galaxy S3 released a month back already has a massive 4.8-inch display. Also, the smartphone-tablet hybrid Samsung Galaxy Note launched late last year has an unbelievable 5.3-inch screen and its 2012 follow-up is said to flaunt an even bigger 5.5-inch display.

But will Apple join this seeming trend? Well, according to some sources, Apple will indeed augment the iPhone's current screen size to 4-inch representing around 30 percent increase in viewing area - that's assuming Apple keeps all other dimensions in proportion.

Recent 'leaked product shots' - such as those from 9to5Mac - seem to support this claim. However, they also show that the increase in display size will only affect the height of the phone and not its width; Making the handset taller while retaining the familiar 'grasp' that users have on the iPhone 4S.

iphone 5

3. Unibody Metal Case - In 2008, Apple introduced notebooks having a unibody enclosure, which made them thinner and lighter. Some sources are now saying that the company also intends to bring the same technology to the iPhone allowing a less bulky and more-lightweight design.

Having a metal body might cause an antenna issue but according to them, Apple will avoid this by molding the antenna into the metal back plate itself, which will even improve call reception.

iphone 5

4. Smaller Dock Connector and Bigger Speaker - By decreasing the size of the iPhone dock connector, Apple can have more space for a bigger loud speaker at the rear of the handset, which is all good. But this also means that we won't be able to use our current iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch connector cable with the next-gen iPhone. Aww.

5. A New Spot for FaceTime Camera - As seen in the 'leaked' images, the front-facing FaceTime has been migrated to the center, right above the earpiece. Some sources are saying that is because more space inside the phone would have to be provided for new components like LTE and NFC chips.

6. NFC and LTE Connectivity Support - iPhone is already lagging behind its main competitors when it comes to this. While NFC and LTE connectivity support are currently - well - useless in a lot of territories around the world, it would be nice if Apple could on the next-generation iPhone just to future-proof the device.

7. Nano-SIM Card - According to Financial Times, several handset carriers in Europe have placed mass orders of nan-SIM cards in preparation for the arrival of the new iPhone. I haven't seen one in the flesh but nano-SIMs are said to be around 40% smaller than microSIM cards that iPhone 4S supports.

8. iOS 6 - This one's pretty much a given. The next iPhone will run iOS 6, the latest version of Apple's mobile operating system. iOS comes with a slew of new features including Apple's very-own Maps app with photo-realistic 3D views, new Siri with Eyes-Free mode, Facebook integration, improved Safari, and Facetime over cellular network, among many others.

So when's the release date? While various insiders and 'Apple experts' seem to agree on a lot of the new iPhone features mentioned above, few would give you the same projected release date for the iDevice. Some are saying that iPhone 5 is already set to arrive this month - to shock the competition. Others are saying that the official announcement will be done in August or September as dictated by Apple's business cycle. Well, if you ask me, I think the next iPhone will hit store shelves sometime in October after the expiration of iOS 6 Developer Beta 3 on September 30, 2012.

Let me know your thoughts on iPhone 5 by leaving your comments below. Are you getting one?

No comments:

Let me know your thoughts on this TechPinas article.