With the World Wide Developers Conference set to kick off on Monday we thought we would do a roundup every piece of news, hearsay, whisper and prediction we've been peddling over the last 6 month with regards to Apple’s iPhone 5.
Were still no clearer to knowing whether we'll see the new handset on Monday as Steve Job's takes to the stage - but if he does have a svelte new handset in his back pocket, we've got a good idea what it might be.
Price
We all know that Apple love to refresh their products and part of this need to refresh at Apple is mainly down to cost. If they can improve the design and manufacturing process it means that they sell the handsets for cheaper. So everyone wins.
We've got a sneaking suspicion this is what Apple has planned with their new handset there are already iPhone 5 rumors suggesting that the new device may be cheaper in terms of cost.
The word is that Apple wants to attract consumers who are more budget-conscious. Of course that would be a great thing for many people, but would it sacrifice the item's quality in the process?
But also part of their strategy is to keep everyone guessing until they're ready to unveil it to the world. It's all part of Apple's aggressive strategy to keep sales going up.
Screen
The iPhone 4 Retina display has been without a doubt the biggest success story of the latest handset - and we can't see Apple changing it drastically, other than trying to make it cheaper. They had a whole 12 months to perfect the pin-sharp display and could feasibily produce them cheaper than they have done before.
The only other rumour we've come across is that they might want to make the screen bigger. A lot of the Android handsets had had massive success with 4-inch screens. And this is something Apple will certainly consider whether it makes it into this year effort is unclear - but don't be surprised if they do up the screen size. The days of small is best in Mobile Communication is long gone.
Camera
We had some interesting predictions from, Ming-Chi Kuo of Concord Securities, who reckons the new iPhone 5 will come with a 8 megapixel and will go into production in September. Pointing to WWDC unveil if you look at the timings.
Kuo has did some checks with supply chain sources which has led him to suggest the new handset from Apple will not feature an all-new-design, but rather only "slight modifications" from the iPhone 4. A iPhone 4S if you will, and the major changes will come from the software side with iOS 5.
Kuo reckons that Apple will go for a major upgrade of the processing power and will include the same A5 processor already found in the iPad 2, as well as a significantly improved 8 megapixel rear camera.
In January, Kuo correctly claimed that Apple's iPad 2 would feature the same 1024 x768 display as the first-generation iPad.
NFC
NFC is something that all the major phone companies have been talking abour for months, to be honest we don't really see the point. But if Apple wants to make a digital wallet who are we to object. It's not exciting tech, but could be a game changer further down the line.
In a similar way to Bluetooth, it's a new fangled way for devices to communicate with each other – we have seen it working in practice and opens up a world of possibilities.
Imagine you were going to a nice hotel, as you step through the door your phone would trigger the front desk to let them know that you had arrived, they would message your phone and you would be able to open your door with your phone - we know it doesn't sound too exciting, but there are some merits to the technology.
Looks
The latest picture showed the bezel shrunk to tiny proportions as the screen has been stretched to 4-inches the most Apple has ever attempted, no one knows whether the pictures are an artist impression or the actual phone.
The only concerning detail is the fact that the phone has 6 rows of apps rather than the standard 5 - so an artist impression is very likely.
The iPhone currently has a 2:3 screen ratio (320×480). The iPad has a 3:4 screen ratio, or, rotated, 4:3. I suspect the wider screen on the supposed iPhone 5 is a move to the same screen ratio as the iPad.
Sim-less
News hit the net a few weeks ago from a fairly reliable source. France Telecom Head Stephane Richard let it slip during an interview that the new phone will be more petite thanks to a new smaller SIM card. Well, this is not the first time we are hearing about a tinnier SIM, right. France Telecom happens to be the second biggest iPhone carrier, after AT&T.
He also claimed that earlier Apple was considering using an e-SIM but the idea was shelved on the insistence of wireless carriers. Again, it is not the first time, Apple had to change its plans following objections from its partners. Last year, there were rumors about Apple working on an embedded chip in order to eliminate its dependence on mobile carriers. But again, major companies threatened to withdraw their product subsidies and Apple had to backtrack.
Conclusion
We are no closer to knowing when we’ll see the new iPhone – if they do show off a new iPhone in Monday we think it will be a more cost effective 4S version – an evolution rather than a revolution. But a cheaper iPhone with improve camera and super snappy processor would do wonders for the phone. Throw in a new and improved version of iOS 5 and you’ve got quite an impressive handset.
WWDC kicks off on Monday and we should no where we are with regards to the the new iPhone 5. We be reporting all the breaking news so stay tuned to see how accurate our predictions really are.
One thought on “iPhone 5 Roundup: Price, Looks, Specs, Features & Release”
your forgetting 4G