iPhone 5 seen in Wild

iPhone 5 (or the iPhone 5G, as some are calling it) rumours are flying thick and fast already.

Will there be a rush release to erase memories of the iPhone 4's antenna problems?

Will the 5th generation iPhone deliver ultra-fast mobile internet? Will it ever end up on Verizon in the US?

Let's raid the iPhone 5 rumour fridge to find the tomatoes of truth amid the stinky stilton of baseless speculation.

The iPhone 5 isn't the Verizon iPhone, and vice versa

The Verizon iPhone rumour has been around forever, and one day it'll come true - but it won't be the iPhone 5. The Wall Street Journal said a Verizon iPhone was nearly ready back in October, and we'd take that one seriously: the WSJ is the paper Apple tends to share its secrets with.

It says that "the [Verizon] phone would resemble the iPhone 4 currently sold by AT&T, but would be based on an alternative wireless technology used by Verizon, these people said." Which people? "People familiar with the matter".

The iPhone 5 will have a different form factor to the iPhone 4

WSJ: "Separately, Apple is also developing a new iPhone model, said people briefed on the phone. One person familiar said the fifth-generation iPhone would be a different form factor than those that are currently available… it was unclear how soon that version would be available to Verizon or other carriers."

This has since been backed up by reports from Engadget we reported on 17 January 2011, which state the design will be a 'total rethink'.

The iPhone 5 specs will be evolutionary, not revolutionary

According to the Chinese Economic Daily News (via AppleInsider), with the exception of Qualcomm chipsets - which would replace the current Infineon chipsets in the iPhone 4 - Apple's sticking with the same suppliers for the 2011 iPhone 5G components.

We'd expect the basics of the iPhone 5 specs to get a bump - more memory, faster processor, more storage - but DVICE quotes a single insider who claims to have handled Verizon prototypes.

The specs? A new antenna, 1.2GHz processor and a larger screen: 3.7" instead of 3.5". The iPhone 5 may also be made from a new kind of alloy, or maybe meat.

However, we're also hearing word of a multi-core design, in keeping with the rest of the mobile world, as Apple looks to improve both battery life and performance.

The iPhone 5 will also get a massive graphical boost as it moves to a dual-core GPU - this could herald true 1080p output from the new device.

The iPhone 5 specs may include a digital wallet

There's been some speculation that Apple might include Near Field Communication (NFC) technology in the iPhone 5G, turning it into a kind of credit/debit card. However, as Techeye.net notes, "Apple has looked into NFC before" so this might not be imminent.

PAY PHONE: Apple patents show how a near field communication-equipped iPhone 5 could act as a kind of credit card

The iPhone 5 release date will be in the summer…

Apple's established a rhythm with iPhone releases, with new models appearing in late June or early July each year. It's a safe bet that the iPhone 5 release date will also be late June or early July.

As Beatweek magazine points out, Apple's A-Team can't be everywhere at once; by staggering the releases of the iPad 2 and the iPhone 5, they get to work their magic on both devices.

…or maybe the iPhone 5 release date will be earlier

iLounge said its source reckoned Apple would push the iPhone 5 release date forwards - possibly to January 2011 - because of the iPhone 4 antenna problems, although iLounge itself said the claim was "hard to believe". The source could be confusing the Verizon iPhone and the iPhone 5.

The usual July release date was mentioned by Engadget's source too in January 2011 - meaning the standard release cycle looks set to continue.

The iPhone 5 specs may include LTE support

At least one analyst thinks the iPhone 5 will support LTE, super-fast mobile broadband, in the US. That would make the iPhone 5G a 4G phone, which won't be confusing at all. LTE is certainly coming - AT&T plans to roll out its LTE service in 2011 - but an LTE iPhone has been rumoured for a while. USA Today floated the idea of an LTE iPhone on Verizon last year.

The iPhone 5 price won't change

If the iPhone 5 is an evolutionary step like the move from the iPhone 3G to the iPhone 3GS then we'd expect the price to stay more or less the same, although in the UK higher VAT rates may well mean a higher price tag.

by techradar

iPad 2 Hands on

Apparently mass production is to begin on the next generation Apple iPad, the iPad 2 in February of this year; however it appears that the iPad 2 isn’t the only iPad that may surface in 2011.

According to an article over on Slash Gear, DigiTimes has outed the iPad 2 suppliers which apparently suggests a Q1 release. But the big news here is that there may be another iPad making its debut in 2011 as well.

 

iPad 2 at CES 2011

Apparently AllThingsD quotes Brain Blair and analyst for Wedge Partners as sating Apple has selected Qualcomm’s multi-mode GSM/CDMA modem for what is being called a “World iPad,” which could play nice on both the Verizon and AT&T networks.

Here’s what Blair said…“Recent checks … suggest Apple is going to be ratcheting down production of the existing 3G iPad over the next two months in anticipation of ramping up a new World iPad that is powered by Qualcomm and will run on both GSM and CDMA based networks around the world.”

And what would this new iPad look like? Blair reckons…“We … understand the new iPad is thinner than the existing model and is essentially made from one piece of metal with no pins needed. We understand it requires a new type of manufacturing process as a result, similar to the company’s unibody approach seen in MacBooks”

Now the thing is this, will people rush out and purchase the Apple iPad 2 if they know a newer World iPad will be coming along later in this year?

by phonesreview