Though Apple released the iPhone 4S with much fanfare, it was pretty obvious that millions were disappointed with what the iPhone 4S had to offer. Many were actually quite shocked that Apple would essentially rebrand the iPhone 4 and present it to the iPhone 4S, as both phones had the same exact design. Only the processor and the virtual assistant in Siri, made the iPhone 4S different from the iPhone 4. Even though the iPhone 4S has been a hit in terms of sales, there are millions and millions of iPhone 4 users who skipped on the upgrade, to obviously upgrade to the iPhone 5 instead of the iPhone 4S. Below, you will find a quick roundup of the specs, news and rumors that have been generated on the iPhone 5 which is due to be released for sure, in 2012.
iPhone 5 specifications (Expected)
iPhone 5 4G LTE
3G is fast becoming history, with 4G HSPA and 4G LTE networks replacing 3G at an alarming rate. 4G speeds, especially LTE speeds, can result in download speeds of up to 32Mbps which makes 3G look like something that came out in the 1970′s. Considering the fact that 4G has taken off quite amazingly in terms of popularity, Apple would be making a huge blunder if the iPhone 5 does not come with 4G LTE support. Some rumors seem to suggest that Apple actually tried to include 4G LTE support in the iPhone 4S although they just couldn’t do so because the LTE chips were just too big for a 3.5 inch iPhone. This essentially means that the iPhone 5 will get a larger screen, probably 4 or 4.3 inches, if it has to incorporate 4G LTE technology. You can read more about the probable iPhone 5 screen size in the passage below.
Will the iPhone 5 screen remain at 3.5 inches or will it be enlarged to a 4 or 4.3 inch screen?
This is quite a difficult question to answer as there are a lot of factors that might affect the answer. First off, it is public knowledge that Steve Jobs firmly believed that 3.5 inches was the perfect screen size for the iPhone 5.Steve Jobs gave utmost importance to the design element of his products and felt that the 3.5 inch screen was just the “perfect” size for a phone. Even just before his death, he expressed his opinion that he still thought that the 3.5 inch screen was the best size for the iPhone, both current and future. Jobs was also very adamant about the 3.5 inch screen as he felt that larger screens would result in less battery life. Compromised battery life just didn’t fit into Job’s idea of a cell phone as all of Apple products have been known for their exceptional battery life.
The biggest hurdle for Apple to overcome, if it wants to use a larger screen on the iPhone 5 is that it has to figure out a way to keep pixel density at about 336 pixels per square inch (the famous retina display), if the iPhone 5 screen is going to be at least of the same resolution as the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S, both of which have retina display. Considering that retina display is very difficult to implement on a screen that is larger than 3.5 inches, there is actually a very good chance that the iPhone 5 will retain the same 3.5 inch display that was featured in the iPhone, iPhone 3G, 3GS, iPhone 4 and 4S.
What will be the release date of the iPhone 5?
Apple has always been secretive about release dates for its products. Because of this, we can only guesstimate the big release date or launch date for the iPhone 5. There are thousands of people who are expecting to buy the iPhone 5 in just 6 months time, sometime in June or July of 2012. However, the Summer release date is usually reserved for the iPad models. With the iPad 3 due to come out in summer of 2012, the launch of the iPhone 5 could be delayed to October of 2012.
Quite recently, we read some very interesting rumors or assumptions that suggested that the iPhone 5 will be released on the first death anniversary of Steve Jobs, who passed away on October 5, 2011. October 5, 2012, aside from being a symbolic release date for Apple, is also a date that makes a lot of sense in terms of business. October is not too far away from the holiday shopping season and it will be prime time for releasing a high profile product like the iPhone 5.
Other interesting specs that might be included in the iPhone 5
Though the vast majority of iPhone lovers are anticipating a larger screen and 4G LTE speeds, there are also some iPhone fans who want to see a faster processor and a new OS in the iPhone 5, when it does come out. There has been some wild speculation where some people are expecting that a quad core A6 processor will be the new heart of the iPhone 5 which will also feature a brand new OS in the form of IOS6. Though these sensational rumors about a exciting new quad core processor sound very inviting, we think that the iPhone 5 will get the same A5 processor that has been used in the 4S. If anything, the RAM might be upgraded to 1GB, instead of the 512 MB that is currently being used in the 4S.
Frankly, we think that a quad core processor is unnecessary for a cell phone as there are not many applications that will require the power of a quad core procesor. So, it is likely that the iPhone 5 will retain the dual core A5 processor that is featured in the iPhone 4S. However, we do think that the iPhone 5 will run on IOS6 that may possibly include some exciting features such as NFC support, 3D camera support, facial recognition and a few other exciting features.