iPhone-next; a big update or minor ?

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Zorachus

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I know this topic is discussed a million times, but since we are getting closer to an official announcement in the next couple months or so, what is the most recent buzz about the iPhone-next ? At this stage the phone should be pretty close to final design and features ?

- Will it be named the iPhone5 or iPhone4S ?

- Larger screen or not until iPhone6 ?

- Radical redesign of the body, like that tear dropped shaped picture going around, that looks awesome, or just the same form factor as current iPhone4 ?

- iOS5 to have a lot more to offer than was just first previewed ? Maybe Widgets will be revealed ?

- I heard rumors of super crazy battery, best in class for any smartphone ?

- White version at release, or 10 months later ?
 
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Nobody knows until it's announced. Everything else is just speculation.
 
My guess. Japan nuclear disaster slowing down some of the third party component development and production line.

I'll take a stab.

September announcement.
A5 iPad2 cpu or derivative, dual-core etc, downclocked a tad for battery/thermal considerations
same form factor
new camera, maybe 8mp
new flash, relocated.
new iOS/icloud features for a 5.1 software release.
3.7" lcd rumor, 4" would drop out of 'retina' 300dpi status or yet again require altering of OS/app artwork.
5ghz 802.11N
new transceiver IC
iPhone4 has best in class battery, still, no doubt iPhone5 will continue that trend.
 
Menelmarar said:
My guess. Japan nuclear disaster slowing down some of the third party component development and production line.

I'll take a stab.

September announcement.
A5 iPad2 cpu or derivative, dual-core etc, downclocked a tad for battery/thermal considerations
same form factor
new camera, maybe 8 maybe still 5mp
new flash, relocated.
new iOS/icloud features for a 5.1 software release.
3.7" lcd rumor, 4" would drop out of 'retina' 300dpi status or yet again require altering of OS/app artwork.
5ghz 802.11N
new transceiver IC
iPhone4 has best in class battery, still, no doubt iPhone5 will continue that trend.
Click to expand...

Thank you,
I think you're 99% spot on :cool: And the Japan disaster is a major part of the delays, will need to put a Geiger counter next to the new iPhone, make sure it's safe to have around me.

Fukushima: It’s much worse than you think
http://www.prisonplanet.com/fukushima-its-much-worse-than-you-think.html

“Fukushima is the biggest industrial catastrophe in the history of mankind,” Arnold Gundersen, a former nuclear industry senior vice president, told Al Jazeera. Scientific experts believe Japan’s nuclear disaster to be far worse than governments are revealing to the public.
 
Meh, I've *heard* that it won't be a major redesign and will mainly just be upgraded internals. Then again, these rumors baffle me because of all of the problems Apple's had with the antenna situation. Perhaps same design but internal antenna? The A5 is definitely coming, I think.

Also wondering what's going on with the iPod touch. That's on its same base design since the 1st gen. Will they update that to look more like the iPhone?

Zorachus said:
will need to put a Geiger counter next to the new iPhone, make sure it's safe to have around me.
Click to expand...

Better yet, have one built in!
 
JMahon said:
Meh, I've *heard* that it won't be a major redesign and will mainly just be upgraded internals. Then again, these rumors baffle me because of all of the problems Apple's had with the antenna situation. Perhaps same design but internal antenna? The A5 is definitely coming, I think.

Also wondering what's going on with the iPod touch. That's on its same base design since the 1st gen. Will they update that to look more like the iPhone?



Better yet, have one built in!
Click to expand...

AntennA gate is welcome addition, reception is incredible compared to others lg, sammy, htc.
I mocked it until i kept getting schooled, then i joined the party!
 
All rumors I've heard point to "iPhone 4GS" if and only if it's announced. There is talk that apple will simply delay untill Q1 and release the iPhone 5 instead (my bet is on the former though, that way people will "simply HAVE to upgrade" to the "latest-and-greatest" when the 5 comes out and apple can milk people for 2 phones instead of 1)

I'm going to agree with Menelmarar, that it's all internals that will change. Personally I dont see apple enlarging the display anytime soon, though I for one would love to see it happen.

JMahon said:
Also wondering what's going on with the iPod touch. That's on its same base design since the 1st gen. Will they update that to look more like the iPhone?
Click to expand...

the iPod Touch already looks like the iPhone, the only difference is the mic/speaker placement and the fact it's thinner (which seems to be apple's eternal goal - they wont be satisfied till all apple devices can be 1-atom thick... personally I liked the original Touch/iPhone sizes... there is such a thing as too small because you sacrifice durability)
 
Ashton,

The A5-based "IPhone 4GS" is what developers (and Sprint testers) have today. Although it is just my opinion, I highly doubt that internal name will remain for the released product. Apple will sell far more of the phone if they call it "IPhone 5."
 
Zorachus said:
- Larger screen or not until iPhone6 ?
Click to expand...

I don't think the iPhone have a larger screen size for a long time if ever. It will break existing apps, will lose the recognizable "iPhone" design, and just isn't something I think Apple will do.

- Radical redesign of the body, like that tear dropped shaped picture going around, that looks awesome, or just the same form factor as current iPhone4 ?
Click to expand...

Radical redesign? Unlikely - Apple doesn't do radical redesigns.

- iOS5 to have a lot more to offer than was just first previewed ? Maybe Widgets will be revealed ?
Click to expand...

No and no. If you want widgets, give up on iOS.

- I heard rumors of super crazy battery, best in class for any smartphone ?
Click to expand...

Apple already has this crown, doesn't it? Battery life is incredibly subjective anyway - it all depends on how and where you use your phone. I've got a Nexus S sitting next to me that after 5 days is still at 50% battery life. It's pulling that off because it is a spare phone which means I rarely use it and it has no accounts syncing to it. As soon as iOS starts syncing everything to the cloud like Android has been doing for a long time, battery life is going to take a *major* hit.

I expect the next iPhone to mainly just be a spec bump. Down clocked A5 (perhaps with half the GPU horsepower - a single SGX543 instead of the dual core SGX543MP2 in the iPad 2), perhaps an update to the front and rear cameras, maybe a little thinner and lighter - that sort of thing. That's pretty much been how every new iPhone has been. Those expecting big changes must have very short memories.
 
kllrnohj said:
I don't think the iPhone have a larger screen size for a long time if ever. It will break existing apps, will lose the recognizable "iPhone" design, and just isn't something I think Apple will do.
Click to expand...
They could do a small bump, say 3.7, edge to edge, and still have a good size and maintain a recognizable design without feeling huge. But not necessary, 3.5" has proven to be plenty, the next worthwhile jump IMO is to a tablet.

Radical redesign? Unlikely - Apple doesn't do radical redesigns.
Click to expand...
They do, iPhone4 was a significant departure from past designs, mechanically, physically. Thinner, squared edges, stainless steel ant frame, glass back, etc.
iPod shuffles drastically changed over time, same with nano's, same with imacs.

No and no. If you want widgets, give up on iOS.
Click to expand...
Not an android user, but there are new widget type API thing in the new notification drop down for iOS5. It's really clever, though only have built in stock ticker and weather right now.

Apple already has this crown, doesn't it? Battery life is incredibly subjective anyway - it all depends on how and where you use your phone. I've got a Nexus S sitting next to me that after 5 days is still at 50% battery life. It's pulling that off because it is a spare phone which means I rarely use it and it has no accounts syncing to it. As soon as iOS starts syncing everything to the cloud like Android has been doing for a long time, battery life is going to take a *major* hit.
Click to expand...
iPhone mail/contacts/calendars/notes has synced to cloud for ages.
Iphone iCloud backup only occurs when your plugged into power outlet and phone is locked. Non issue.
The only questionable impact the new cloud service will have is when taking photos, when those photos sync to the online photo stream.
 
Menelmarar said:
Not an android user, but there are new widget type API thing in the new notification drop down for iOS5. It's really clever, though only have built in stock ticker and weather right now.
Click to expand...

Yeah, Android has rich notifications too - that isn't what people mean when they talk about widgets, though. Hard to call it clever when it's a ctrl-c, ctrl-v from source.android.com :p

iPhone mail/contacts/calendars/notes has synced to cloud for ages.
Iphone iCloud backup only occurs when your plugged into power outlet and phone is locked. Non issue.
The only questionable impact the new cloud service will have is when taking photos, when those photos sync to the online photo stream.
Click to expand...

iOS 5 adds more syncing than just photos, there is also app backup and device settings as well as music. You mention contacts has synced to cloud for ages, but that was something "new" that Apple was talking about with iCloud? Not doubting you, I'm not an iOS user, so I'm just going off of the keynote. Also, where did you read it only happens when plugged in? That would be a silly restriction. Wireless syncing when plugged in? Kind of defeats the whole point.
 
kllrnohj said:
iOS 5 adds more syncing than just photos, there is also app backup and device settings as well as music. You mention contacts has synced to cloud for ages, but that was something "new" that Apple was talking about with iCloud?
Click to expand...
Apple previously offered such functionality with MobileMe, which was a pay service. With iCloud, it is free. Many (most?) people just used Gmail, which offered much of the same functionality -- email, contact, calendar sync -- for free. iCloud is Apple's response to Google's free cloud-based services.

kllrnohj said:
Also, where did you read it only happens when plugged in? That would be a silly restriction. Wireless syncing when plugged in? Kind of defeats the whole point.
Click to expand...
It make sense to perform full backups when plugged in. The iPhone will continue to wirelessly sync email, contacts, calendar, etc. when on the go.
 
kllrnohj said:
No and no. If you want widgets, give up on iOS.
Click to expand...

I dont see why people are crying so much for widgets... I have an android phone, and it came will all kinds of widgets. Do you know what I did? Delete-delete-delete. The only widget I still have is Overclock Widget, which lets me dynamically set the speed of the CPU (which is a REQUIREMENT for the EVO) needless to say that wont be needed for an iPhone.

Menelmarar said:
But not necessary, 3.5" has proven to be plenty, the next worthwhile jump IMO is to a tablet.

They do, iPhone4 was a significant departure from past designs, mechanically, physically. Thinner, squared edges, stainless steel ant frame, glass back, etc.
iPod shuffles drastically changed over time, same with nano's, same with imacs.
Click to expand...

If you want a bigger screen, do what I did and buy an iPad. my EVO has a bigger screen, and I rarely take advantage of it - it's still too small to really do much on...

Oh yes, and how can you forget the brightly colored PowerMac line? Never seen before and never seen again. I wouldn't call the iPhone such a radical redesign, it's still very similar to the older iPhones... now the Nano, yes, that was radical (and kinda awesome too with the watchbands and whatnot)
 
incremental updates, most likely they will go to a 4 inch screen. If they do a 4 inch screen the 4 and the 4GS will sell side by side.

I think taking the screen resolution up to 4 inches will not be horrific at the same resolution, as others think....it might not make the retina marketing criteria, but it will be just fine
 
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