The Next iPhone - The Big 5?

The Next iPhone - The Big 5?

Welcoming the Next iPhone Rendition

Admittedly, it has been a busy period for the mobile industry with major phone manufacturers playing their cards from late August to early September. The ball started rolling with Samsung unveiling its much anticipated GALAXY Note II and Windows Phone 8 (WP8) powered ATIV S; Nokia pitching in with two WP8-powered Lumia 920 and 820 juggernauts; Sony Mobile announcing a horde of Xperia devices, including a tablet and the 4.55-inch Xperia XT; LG showcasing the Optimus Vu II and quad-core powerhouse, LG Optimus G. The question really is if there space for another huge phone announcement? Well, if it's from Apple, it's about time they're giving their smartphone an upgrade. 

Of course, Apple's decision to hold a media event on the 12th of this month is not news to us - the date has previously been reported, on numerous occasions no less, by iMore and Jim Dalrymple of The Loop who has a proven track record of confirming launch dates for Apple's products. Previously rumored to be launched alongside the new iPhone, the iPad mini is now alleged to be unveiled at a separate event in October. It's also timely that most of the major mobile device vendors have made announcements of their upcoming devices prior to Apple's announcement of it's new gem.

Other speculations - and there are many - have also caught most of us in a bind - Will the next-gen iPhone - most likely, the iPhone 5 - move from its traditional 3.5-inch screen size form factor and move into 4.0-inch and beyond territory (alleged video evidence here)? Will it come with LTE connectivity, in turn facing Samsung's wrath? With the massive amount of information collated over the months, we have managed to use it to cross-reference with the iPhone 4 and 4S. A word of caution though as always - do take the legitimacy of the next-gen iPhone 5 specs at this point of time with a pinch of salt; nothing is official until Apple reveals its flagship device on the 12th September morning (US time).
 

Taking a Look at iPhone 4, 4S & 5(?)

As mentioned earlier, the next-gen iPhone is said to come with LTE connectivity as well, though there's no word on which frequency band the new iPhone will be using for LTE network support, we do hope that it won't share the same problem as the new iPad did, which uses the 700MHz and 2100MHz spectrum that's not supported in certain countries.

Of course, rumors about how the next iPhone 5 will look like have given us a good idea of how the device might turn out to be. Amongst some of the more ludicrous allegations, here are some that might actually come to pass (or are really close to that):-
 
 

• Longer Front Panel

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Japanese blog Macotakara has managed to get its hands on its front panel and compared both phones, the next-gen iPhone and the iPhone 4/4S. These photos allude at a longer 16:9 style body to fit the alleged bigger 4.07-inch screen.
 

• Revamped Back Plates

The new iPhone's back plate might showcase both metal and glass materials, with a large part of it made out of metal and framed by black or white glass trims.

 

• Smaller 19-pin Dock Connector and Relocated Audio Jack

Both Reuters and TechCrunch have confirmed that Apple's next-gen iPhone will definitely drop the bigger 30-pin dock connector in favor of a smaller 19-pin one. The latter mentioned that the introduction of a smaller dock is due to Apple's concern with "space savings inside each device." These matched previous rumors about the new iPhone, including the smaller dock connector and the relocated 3.5mm audio jack.
 
 

• Nano SIM Tray

The iPhone is also said to come with a nano SIM tray instead of the micro SIM variation. The former is said said to be 40% smaller than the current smallest SIM card design which will allow manufacturers like Apple to make smaller and thinner smartphones.

 

• Redesigned Unibody Earphones

There are also rumors of Apple revamping its existing Apple iPhone earphones. We are not quite sure whether these unibody-designed earphones will replace the free ones that Apple bundles with their smartphones or the company's premium in-ear earphones.

 

Other Devices - iPad mini, New iPods & 8GB iPhone 4

The iPhone is not the only iOS device getting special attention of course - the rumored iPad Mini has gotten quite a fair amount of speculation on its end. There have been many conflicting reports about its form factor with earlier reports pointing to 7.1- and 7.85-inch form factors. According to iMore, the scaled-down 7+-inch tablet, priced between a competitive US$200 and US$250, will feature a design quite like the iPod touch. While we do not rule out the possibility that the iPad mini might -make its appearance on the 12th of September, we have received reports that Apple will only announce its smaller tablet option during the first or second week of October.

Additionally, 9to5Mac believes that the iPhone will not be the only device making its mark on the 12th and will be sharing the stage with "a string of new iPods" that includes at least two updated iPod versions and possibly a third. Previously, Japanese blog Macotakara has reported that the next-gen iPod touch will be featuring a 4-inch display instead of a 3.5-inch one, just like the iPhone 5. The device will also take a leaf out of the popular iPhone 4S as its 'internals' will be based on it. However, the exterior case will include a "buffed aluminum" rear shell instead, rather than the glass back of the iPhone 4S or the mirrored stainless steel of the current iPod touch.

It is also said that Apple will very likely drop the iPhone 3GS once the company introduces the iPhone 5 next week and could possibly also add the 8GB version of the iPhone 4 into the lineup as the primary entry-level iPhone.
 

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