Folks, you all are now familiar with the apple's fast growing strategy. They have started spreading their rumors of iphone 5 (or iPhone 5G, as some are calling it) as fast as possible. Still people may have not managed to remove the nightmares they have had with their iPhone4, as it had some problems with its antennagate. While, Google Android continues to find its way into more handsets by the day, and while no one will doubt the brilliance of the Apple smartphone, delivering the goods has perhaps never been more crucial.
Talk of the 'iPhone 5' has noticeably gathered momentum in recent months, and as we anticipate how Apple will change the smartphone game once again, we've rummaged through the speculation, 'trusted sources' and patents piecing together how the iPhone 5 could take shape.
Below are some of the specifications and info of iPhone 5 as i have learnt so far:
iPhone 5: new design
The Wall Street Journal reported that its 'in-the-know' contact believes the iPhone 5 will feature a “different form factor”, adopting a brand new design following the antennagate issues that resulted in signal issues and dropped calls. Since then Engadget has spoken to multiple sources who claim that a complete redesign of the handset body is on the cards and that the device is already being tested by staff at Apple HQ. However, leaked designs and mold engineering images tell a different story, suggesting that the only aesthetic change for the iPhone 5 will be a larger display and smaller bezel.
Also on the cards for the iPhone 5 is an all-metal back, similar to that found on the original iPhone, reportedly in a bid to avoid the embarassing antenna issues experienced on the iPhone 4. The glass posterior of the iPhone 4 was also prone to unsightly cracks if treated roughly, and was rumoured to be the cause of the delay of the white model - a headache all round for Apple.
An Apple patent also points to the iPhone using smaller conductive nodes beneath the screen, allowing for the overall device to be slimmer. Tipped to also feature for the iPad 2, the new method could also use less power, giving you longer battery life from each charge of your iPhone 5.
iPhone 5: A5 processor and Qualcomm chips
The Wall Street Journal was again amongst the first to report that “people familiar with the matter” had confirmed the iPhone was to receive an overhauled chipset in order to contend with a rise in competitive high-end smartphones running versions of the Google Android operating system.
Apple is tipped to ditch the 1GHz A4 processor found inside the iPhone 4 for the dual-core A5 CPU. Apple used the same A4 chip in its iPhone 4 as in its original iPad, so repeating this trick with the A5 chip would see the iPhone 5 in line with upcoming dual-core processor powerhouses like the Samsung Galaxy S2 and the LG Optimus 3D.
On the wireless chipset providers front, Infineon may make way for Qualcomm, likely in a bid to avoid connectivity issues previously faced with the iPhone 4.
iPhone 5 screens made by Toshiba
Nikkei Business Daily announced last year that Toshiba was set to build a new factory in Ishikawa tasked with producing high-res LCD panels for Apple’s upcoming ranges of iPhone and iPod Touch devices.
The new Japanese based factory, set to cost 100 billion Yen (£757 million) and be constructed during 2011, will double Toshiba’s current monthly production capacity of 8.5 million units. Part funded by Apple, the new factory will begin production this year with the Apple iPhone 5 expected to be one of the first devices catered for.
iPhone 5: Near Field Communication (NFC)
Sucessfully trialled by 02 in 2008, the appearance of NFC in Google’s Android 2.3 update means it is likely to be on the radar for Apple as well. Benjamin Vigier, Apple’s new Mobile Commerce Manager joined the Apple ranks last year with his CV showing a lot of experience in the NFC field, having helped Starbucks create a bardcode-based way of paying for your morning coffee and even setting up Paypal Mobile.
Apple has already filed a string of patents regarding NFC appearing on the iPhone, and Vigier’s appointment could well mean the iPhone 5 will see some of the action. Its arrival would essentially mean turning your iPhone into a virtual credit card, allowing you to pay for everything from cake to clothes by waving your smartphone across a dedicated reader.
iPhone 5: integrated SIM
To make purchasing your iPhone direct from Apple’s online or highstreet stores a much easier process, reports suggest that the iPhone 5 will include an integrated SIM to do just that.
Allowing Apple to assign networks to individual handsets at customer’s request, the intergrated chip rumoured to feature on the next handset will carry subscriber identification information and ultimately see the end of the little plastic cards currently issued directly from network service providers.
With users able to pick a network provider at the point of sale, Apple could simply program the new device to that company’s service eliminating the need for shoppers to wait for networks to activate the handset or for the arrival of the corresponding SIM.
iPhone 5 FM radio receiver
Apple may bring AM, FM and Satellite radio to the upcoming iPhone 5 after the fruity tech giant filed a patent for radio mapping on its market leading handset late last year.
The patent would see the iPhone finally receive standard AM and FM radio capabilities with an FM radio receiver added to the top right corner of the device. The Apple patent highlights the company’s plans to introduce a unique radio station mapping system that would allow users to locate available stations and make their selections via the closest or strongest signal options.
iPhone 5 video
Chinese website M8cool claimed they snapped and videoed a device which they believe will be the iPhone 5. Looking little more than an amalgamation of the 3GS and 4, the leaked iPhone 5 clone features squared-off edges with a slightly curved rear shell. You can take a look at the video below and judge for yourself if this is indeed the real deal.
iPhone 5 pictures
New design drawings of the iPhone 5 have apparently surfaced, showing off a very similar style to the current iPhone 4 model. You can check out the iPhone 5 design drawings here. More recently, Chinese rumour-peddlar idealschina.com came into a handful of mold engineering drawings that reputedly show a near-identical form factor to the iPhone 4, with the exception of an enlarged screen and reduced bezel.
iPhone 5: 3D screen
Possibly following in the footsteps of the Nintendo 3DS, Japanese blog Macotakara suggests that a series of patents filed in recent years could see the iPhone get similar 3D treatment. One of the patents refers to being able to adjust the display based on the user's position, and using the iPhone camera combined with the onboard gyroscope and other motion sensors, deliver a 3D projection. A leap too far? Possibly, but we wouldn’t rule it out for future iPhone devices.
iPhone 5 solar powered charging system
Well known for its battery issues, one patent filed by the Cupertino company suggests the iPhone 5 could well boast a battery which is rechargeable by the sun.
The patent, which details ways of recharging the batteries found in portable phones, laptops and tablets, features a new power control circuit situated between the sun sapping solar cell and the device’s battery that ensures a steady release of the absorbed power.
With the battery on Apple’s market leading iPhone devices constantly under criticism, many users would no doubt value the inclusion of a mother-nature inspired power boost.
iPhone 5 LED projector
Dreamt up not by the creative minds at Apple HQ, but designer Samuel Lee Kwon, this take on the new iPhone (which you can see more of here) suggests the device which straps to your wrist would allow uses to interact with a virtual image projected from the device’s inbuilt LED bulb projector. Although the wrist-residing unit does host a small touchscreen, most of the user functionality is carried out on the virtual palm display. iPhone 10 maybe?
iPhone 5 storage
A video of what appears to be a prototype iPhone 4 was leaked onto the web with the handset boasting 64GB of storage (twice the capacity of the top release model's 32GB). Clearly, no such device ever made it to market, but with the price of storage falling with time like everything else in the tech world, might Apple find the space for 64GB this time around, bringing the iPhone 5 in line with the iPad 2?
iPhone 5: Release date
So when will be able to get our hands on the next iteration of Apple’s smartphone beauty? A summer release would fall in place with Apple's usual cycle for its jewel in the crown, so we can most likely expect a the iPhone 5 to appear around that time. However, we've heard talk of possible component shortages pushing the iPhone 5 back until September, although honestly we'd be surprised to see Apple tripped up on something so fundamental.
Talk of the 'iPhone 5' has noticeably gathered momentum in recent months, and as we anticipate how Apple will change the smartphone game once again, we've rummaged through the speculation, 'trusted sources' and patents piecing together how the iPhone 5 could take shape.
Below are some of the specifications and info of iPhone 5 as i have learnt so far:
iPhone 5: new design
The Wall Street Journal reported that its 'in-the-know' contact believes the iPhone 5 will feature a “different form factor”, adopting a brand new design following the antennagate issues that resulted in signal issues and dropped calls. Since then Engadget has spoken to multiple sources who claim that a complete redesign of the handset body is on the cards and that the device is already being tested by staff at Apple HQ. However, leaked designs and mold engineering images tell a different story, suggesting that the only aesthetic change for the iPhone 5 will be a larger display and smaller bezel.
 |
| iPhone 5's supposed new look |
Also on the cards for the iPhone 5 is an all-metal back, similar to that found on the original iPhone, reportedly in a bid to avoid the embarassing antenna issues experienced on the iPhone 4. The glass posterior of the iPhone 4 was also prone to unsightly cracks if treated roughly, and was rumoured to be the cause of the delay of the white model - a headache all round for Apple.
An Apple patent also points to the iPhone using smaller conductive nodes beneath the screen, allowing for the overall device to be slimmer. Tipped to also feature for the iPad 2, the new method could also use less power, giving you longer battery life from each charge of your iPhone 5.
iPhone 5: A5 processor and Qualcomm chips
The Wall Street Journal was again amongst the first to report that “people familiar with the matter” had confirmed the iPhone was to receive an overhauled chipset in order to contend with a rise in competitive high-end smartphones running versions of the Google Android operating system.
 |
| Apple's A5 processor |
On the wireless chipset providers front, Infineon may make way for Qualcomm, likely in a bid to avoid connectivity issues previously faced with the iPhone 4.
iPhone 5 screens made by Toshiba
Nikkei Business Daily announced last year that Toshiba was set to build a new factory in Ishikawa tasked with producing high-res LCD panels for Apple’s upcoming ranges of iPhone and iPod Touch devices.
 |
| Home Screen of iPhone 5 |
The new Japanese based factory, set to cost 100 billion Yen (£757 million) and be constructed during 2011, will double Toshiba’s current monthly production capacity of 8.5 million units. Part funded by Apple, the new factory will begin production this year with the Apple iPhone 5 expected to be one of the first devices catered for.
iPhone 5: Near Field Communication (NFC)
Sucessfully trialled by 02 in 2008, the appearance of NFC in Google’s Android 2.3 update means it is likely to be on the radar for Apple as well. Benjamin Vigier, Apple’s new Mobile Commerce Manager joined the Apple ranks last year with his CV showing a lot of experience in the NFC field, having helped Starbucks create a bardcode-based way of paying for your morning coffee and even setting up Paypal Mobile.
Apple has already filed a string of patents regarding NFC appearing on the iPhone, and Vigier’s appointment could well mean the iPhone 5 will see some of the action. Its arrival would essentially mean turning your iPhone into a virtual credit card, allowing you to pay for everything from cake to clothes by waving your smartphone across a dedicated reader.
iPhone 5: integrated SIM
To make purchasing your iPhone direct from Apple’s online or highstreet stores a much easier process, reports suggest that the iPhone 5 will include an integrated SIM to do just that.
Allowing Apple to assign networks to individual handsets at customer’s request, the intergrated chip rumoured to feature on the next handset will carry subscriber identification information and ultimately see the end of the little plastic cards currently issued directly from network service providers.
With users able to pick a network provider at the point of sale, Apple could simply program the new device to that company’s service eliminating the need for shoppers to wait for networks to activate the handset or for the arrival of the corresponding SIM.
iPhone 5 FM radio receiver
Apple may bring AM, FM and Satellite radio to the upcoming iPhone 5 after the fruity tech giant filed a patent for radio mapping on its market leading handset late last year.
The patent would see the iPhone finally receive standard AM and FM radio capabilities with an FM radio receiver added to the top right corner of the device. The Apple patent highlights the company’s plans to introduce a unique radio station mapping system that would allow users to locate available stations and make their selections via the closest or strongest signal options.
iPhone 5 video
Chinese website M8cool claimed they snapped and videoed a device which they believe will be the iPhone 5. Looking little more than an amalgamation of the 3GS and 4, the leaked iPhone 5 clone features squared-off edges with a slightly curved rear shell. You can take a look at the video below and judge for yourself if this is indeed the real deal.
iPhone 5 pictures
New design drawings of the iPhone 5 have apparently surfaced, showing off a very similar style to the current iPhone 4 model. You can check out the iPhone 5 design drawings here. More recently, Chinese rumour-peddlar idealschina.com came into a handful of mold engineering drawings that reputedly show a near-identical form factor to the iPhone 4, with the exception of an enlarged screen and reduced bezel.
iPhone 5: 3D screen
Possibly following in the footsteps of the Nintendo 3DS, Japanese blog Macotakara suggests that a series of patents filed in recent years could see the iPhone get similar 3D treatment. One of the patents refers to being able to adjust the display based on the user's position, and using the iPhone camera combined with the onboard gyroscope and other motion sensors, deliver a 3D projection. A leap too far? Possibly, but we wouldn’t rule it out for future iPhone devices.
iPhone 5 solar powered charging system
Well known for its battery issues, one patent filed by the Cupertino company suggests the iPhone 5 could well boast a battery which is rechargeable by the sun.
The patent, which details ways of recharging the batteries found in portable phones, laptops and tablets, features a new power control circuit situated between the sun sapping solar cell and the device’s battery that ensures a steady release of the absorbed power.
With the battery on Apple’s market leading iPhone devices constantly under criticism, many users would no doubt value the inclusion of a mother-nature inspired power boost.
iPhone 5 LED projector
 |
| The proposed LED projector |
iPhone 5 storage
A video of what appears to be a prototype iPhone 4 was leaked onto the web with the handset boasting 64GB of storage (twice the capacity of the top release model's 32GB). Clearly, no such device ever made it to market, but with the price of storage falling with time like everything else in the tech world, might Apple find the space for 64GB this time around, bringing the iPhone 5 in line with the iPad 2?
iPhone 5: Release date
So when will be able to get our hands on the next iteration of Apple’s smartphone beauty? A summer release would fall in place with Apple's usual cycle for its jewel in the crown, so we can most likely expect a the iPhone 5 to appear around that time. However, we've heard talk of possible component shortages pushing the iPhone 5 back until September, although honestly we'd be surprised to see Apple tripped up on something so fundamental.
