UPDATE
In the last couple of days, it has emerged that Sony CEO Howard Stringer had let slip that Sony are to supply the iPhone 5’s camera sensors, to add further speculation that the iPhone 5 will sport an 8MP camera. He’d apparently leaked this information quite unintentionally, but this has naturally got the tech bloggers chomping at the bit to get this news out there first!
It also adds weight to the rumour that there will be a delay releasing the iPhone 5 from the usual June release after WWDC due to factory damage in Japan following the earthquake and tsunami, meaning the supply chain would have been affected. Time will tell, but this could well be a likely scenario. I shall update again as and when new information is released.
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After the recent announcement of the new iPad 2, and the massive surge in demand in the US, it appears the rumour mill is firmly centred on the next instalment in iPhone technology. The new iPad has had some nice tweaks to the technology, sporting a whole new design, being even thinner than the current iPhone 4. One big leap forward is the major hardware installed, namely the ‘A5’ processor chip, giving even greater performance in speed and graphics rendering.
Well, the code monkeys spared no time getting to work deconstructing the new iPad hours after purchasing it, looking at each of it’s components in great detail; and the one thing that is pretty much guaranteed is a small piece of code confirming the new iPhone will also have the same A5 chip when that’s released, probably around the end of June (with its announcement expected early June at the WWDC conference, 7-11th June, San Francisco).
This news doesn’t really come as much of a shock, as the new technology in the new guise of the iPhone is undoubtedly going to be improved in many ways, and most likely will be processing capability, and probably increased storage and battery life. (Or, at least the same battery power as we have now with the undoubted increased processing power).
Other speculation includes a possible larger screen, getting rid of the ‘home’ button favouring new touch-screen technology; or even what has been reported, owner-recognition unlocking utilising the front facing camera. This rumour comes after Apple bought a company specialising in camera-based facial recognition software a few months ago. Guesses are that if you simply look at your iPhone’s screen after picking it up, the camera will recognise it’s official owner and unlock without you having to press/slide anything. Seems pretty sci-fi but it could well be a reality; only time will tell.
Given previous history, it’s unlikely they’ll be going for a whole new design, handset wise, this time round, but possibly a slightly larger screen, internal improvements, software enhancements and potentially move the antennae to elsewhere within the phone. After the controversy of ‘Antenna-gate’, it’s quite possible they’ll move the location of the GSM phone signal antenna, possibly to locate it within the Apple logo itself on the back of the phone (after again, Apple having bought a company that specialises in such practices a while back). Whatever they do, they’ll certainly have learned their lesson from the problems iPhone 4 had (not that we all suffered them, I and everyone I asked with an iPhone 4 had no signal issues whatsoever.) and improve on it further.
Further enhancements to the camera will always be welcome, even higher resolution stills and 1080p HD video recording are quite likely I imagine, certainly given the new processor chip.
Well, as an Apple convert since January 2007 (my ‘awakening’ :o), it’s highly likely I shall be upgrading when the new handset arrives as I like to make sure I’ve got the latest tech in my hot little hands, so when the time comes, expect a full review!