Apple’s latest iPhone, the iPhone 4 or 4G has been around for months now. The phone came out with a lot of new features but it had a few glitches too. The issue with the antenna, the “grip of death” has been a thorn in Apple’s side ever since the media started talking about it. Although it had some problems, yet the iPhone 4 was able to bring in a lot of cash for the company in its initial sales. It is safe to say that iPhone 4 was a success if not a huge success. So what could make Apple launch a new phone just months after its last creation?
New iPhone
Rumors about the new iPhone 5 have been flying around ever since iPhone 4 came in the market. Didn’t take long, did it? The iPhone didn’t make quite the impact as the iPhone 3GS did but stats say that it played well nonetheless. According to a survey last year, 82% of the users of iPhone 3GS were satisfied with the phone.
These stats dropped to 72% for the iPhone 4 which are lesser but still well enough. The question that comes into mind is why would Apple be in such a rush to bring out the iPhone 5? Is Apple really bringing out a new asset? Is it possible that the “grip of death” issue in the iPhone 4 has hit Apple this hard? Rumors are that we can expect the new phone near July 2011. Yes, the rumored month has been moved from January 2011 to July 2011. These rumors are looking more like just rumors and we might have to wait a while to see the new phone but there could be some truth to them.
Revolution or Evolution?
It is difficult to say when the iPhone is hitting the market but there are other rumors as well; rumors about what we can expect in the new phone. Will it be some sort of a revolution in the smart phone industry or will it be an evolution of the iPhone 4, like 3GS was from 3G? These rumors seem to be closer to truth but only time will tell. Having said that, let’s take a deeper look into the realm of features of the iPhone 5.
We can surely expect a jump in the memory, processing power and the storage. The iPhone 5 is expected to have a new antenna which may be fitted as an internal part to avoid a similar case like to iPhone. It will also have a 1.2 GHz processor and a larger screen of 3.7” will be replacing the current 3.5” screen. It is also expected to have a massive graphical boost with the help of a dual-core GPU. There is also some talk about Apple using Near Field Communication (NFC) technology in the iPhone 5, in order to make it a sort of credit card or a digital wallet. Another rumor states that iPhone will have LTE support which is a new technology for using super fast mobile broadband.
Upgrades and Features
- Form Factor: It has been reported that the iPhone will have a new form factor. It will adopt a brand new design because of the antenna issues and the call droppings because of the antenna. It is also rumored that Apple has already tested a new design that will replace the iPhone 4’s design. The iPhone 5 may also use smaller conductive nodes beneath the screen making the phone slimmer plus allowing the phone to long run longer since lesser battery will be used by the smaller nodes. This rumor also includes the iPad2 having a similar design.
- A5 processor and Qualcomm Chips: Apple is going to replace the 1 GHz A4 processor with the new and powerful A5 CPU. This multi-core chip will make the iPhone 5 a part of the current dual-core powered smart phones. A5 processor is a Cortex A9-based multi-core chip. This will enable the phone to perform faster and make it better at rendering video content. The rumor about Apple using Qualcomm chips has been floating for a while now. This will enable the iPhone 5 to use CDMA technology rather than GSM. Qualcomm produces chipsets that are GSM/CDMA which will work on both networks.
- May Lose the Home Button: This has been seen in the iPad. Multi-touch gestures of the iPad have so far replaced the use of the home button but it cannot be said for sure if the new iPhone will also lose the home button. Since the iOS 4.3 is still in beta testing, this might just turn out to be a just a rumor.
- The New iPhone 5 Screens made by Toshiba: It was announced last year the Toshiba will build a new factory in Ishikawa where they will produce high resolution LCD panels for the new iPhone 5 and iPod touch. The Japanese factory costs about 100 billion Yen and it is expected to double Toshiba’s current monthly production of devices of 8.5 million units. The factory is partly funded by Apple and it will begin production this year. It is rumored to be the creation house of the screens of iPhone 5.
- Near Field Communication (NFC): As mentioned above, Apple is rumored to use Near Field Communication (NFC) technology in the new iPhone. This technology came out in Google’s Android 2.3 update and it has proved quite successful. So it is very likely that Apple has NFC under its radar as well. Its presence will make the iPhone in a virtual credit card or a digital wallet. People will be able to pay for everything by simply waving the phone over a dedicated reader device.
- Integrated Sim: This technology will allow Apple to assign networks to every handset at the customer’s request. Users will be able to pick the network at the time of sale. This way, users won’t have to wait for the network to enable the service.
- FM radio Receiver: Apple may also integrate FM and AM radio receiving service to the iPhone 5. This will allow the phone to receive standard FM and AM signals.
Verdict
The rumors are endless to be honest but sooner or later we will surely see the new iPhone. What remains to be seen is the reaction of the people to the new phone. Only time will tell the outcome and the impact of the iPhone 5 on the market.
