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Posts tagged with "iphone 5"

Bloomberg: Next iPhone To Feature A5 Processor And 8 Megapixel Camera

According to Bloomberg, which has decided to enter into the iPhone 5 rumor mill, the next iPhone will feature a more powerful chip and a more advanced camera. Their report of the iPhone 5 including the A5 chip corroborates what is largely expected – it is the chip that is currently included in the iPad 2.

The report also claims that the “more advanced camera” will feature an 8-megapixel sensor, something that Sony’s Howard Stringer had said earlier this year. It’s an increase from what is currently used in the iPhone 4, which is a 5-megapixel camera. Similarly there have been previous reports have an 8-megapixel camera throughout this year.

The next iPhone will, according to this Bloomberg report, be similar in design to the current iPhone 4. It comes after yesterdays report from BGR which backed up an article from This is my next earlier this year which claimed the iPhone 5 would feature an all new design.

Bloomberg’s sources, not identified, also claim that Apple is trialling a new iPad that includes a higher resolution display – one that would be similar to the Retina display in the iPhone 4. Apparently the display will have roughly one-third more resolution than the current iPad and also have increased touch responsiveness.

The report ends with a somewhat bizarre suggestion that Apple is “working to finish a cheaper version of the iPhone” that would be targeted to developing countries. Bloomberg says that it would use similar chips to what is included in the current iPhone 4 but would be smaller in size.

[Via Bloomberg]

iPhone 5 Major Design Change? Announcement in August?

According to BGR – which has a good track record with Apple rumors – the next-generation iPhone, dubbed iPhone 5, won’t be a minor hardware refresh as many have speculated and reported until today. According to the website, in fact, a source close to Apple’s operations has confirmed the new iPhone will bring major changes especially in case design, which BGR calls a “radical” change. No other details have been posted on the alleged iPhone 5 specifications, though it needs to be mentioned that, among rumors of minor hardware updates and spec bumps, This is my next reported months ago the iPhone 5 would be a major update with a completely new design and a “tear drop” case / screen. The same report also detailed how Apple could implement a thinner design and an update Home button, capable of doubling as “gesture area”.

BGR also claims an iPhone 5 announcement could come in August, with a release a few weeks later, although it’s not clear how this would play out with Apple’s usual music event in the first week of September:

According to our source, Apple may hold an event in the beginning or middle of August to announce the new iPhone, with availability to follow in the last week of August. We’re not sure if that means the iPod event will be moved up slightly, or if this will be an iPhone-specific event.

Speculation is running wild at this point as to whether the iPhone 5 will be similar to the iPhone 4 and only feature a faster processor (likely A5) and better cameras, or be a major change from the existing iPhone hardware with a bigger screen, different Home button, and perhaps NFC capabilities. Several rumors in the past claimed Apple would announce and release a new iPhone in September, shifting its usual release cycle from summer to the fall. As for recent rumors, whilst many publications reported the iPhone 5 (or “iPhone 4S” due to the rumored nature of minor update) wouldn’t be a significant upgrade spec-wise, others claimed a curved glass screen and GSM/CDMA dual-mode could be part of Apple’s announcements. Other noteworthy reports from the past months also indicated the “iPhone 4S” would go into mass production in August (thus backing up BGR’s theory of a late August release) and that Apple was testing an A5-powered iPhone 4 prototype running on T-Mobile network.

Last week, it was reported the iPhone 5 reached the final testing stage, for a September 2011 launch.

Update: Aside from BGR’s speculation, it’s worth considering that Apple might want to ship the new iPhone model with iOS 5 already pre-installed, rather than forcing users to manually update to iOS 5 when it comes out a few weeks later, likely in September. In fact, Apple confirmed that iOS 5 is coming out “this Fall” after a beta period for developers this Summer. As several bloggers and tech pundits were already claiming months ago iOS 5 would come out in September, that might be the reason why many believe the iPhone 5 is set for a Fall release too, shortly after iOS 5 comes out. For example, when Apple released the iPhone 4 on June 24 last year, the device was running iOS 4 out of the box – the OS was publicly released on June 21.

iPhone 5 Reaches Final Testing Stage, Launching In September

Several rumors in the past months indicated that Apple wasn’t ready to launch a new iPhone model this summer, and the WWDC confirmed speculation of Apple focusing on software (with iOS 5, Lion, and iCloud) to save the next-generation iPhone for a Fall launch. We’ve already discussed why this would make sense for a number of reasons. 9to5mac is now reporting the new iPhone has reached the final “AP” testing stage, and is being carried around by high-level Apple executives. Apple is apparently also working on a deal with Verizon to launch FaceTime over 3G, something that was spotted in the first beta of iOS 5 and suggested the company was playing around with settings to enable video chat on mobile operators by the end of the year.

Although this has been assumed since the no-iPhone-at-WWDC-rumors broke, the current plan is for a September launch for the next-generation iPhone.

Apple and Verizon have yet to strike a deal regarding FaceTime over 3G for the Verizon network. Keep in mind that 3G and 4G aren’t the same thing. < Don’t read into that too much. Or maybe do.

The website has also done a little digging into the iOS 5 SDK and discovered codenames for two unreleased iPhone devices, N93 and N94. The current-gen iPhone was codenamed N90 and N92 for the GSM and CDMA variations, respectively. Considering rumors of worldphone capabilities that are floating, it’s not clear why would Apple have two different iPhone models in the works, unless one of them is destined to another US carrier like T-Mobile or Sprint, as recent speculation claimed. However, it seems very clear at this point that the device will feature minor hardware changes and the same industrial design of the iPhone 4, with 9to5mac also claiming that the iPhone 5 could have the same 5 MP camera of the current generation as code strings in the SDK point out. The iPhone 5 was rumored to be set for an 8 MP upgrade from either OmniVision or Sony, though a report from last week also said Largan Precision had been contacted to provide 8 MP sensors for the next-generation iPhone.

iOS 5 To Allow 1080p Video Export

Following the increasing speculation about the next-generation iPhone getting an 8-megapixel camera, the iOS 5 beta seeded to developers earlier this week keeps providing interesting details on features that Apple is baking into the OS, but aren’t ready or usable yet as they’re being built for future devices. In addition to iOS 5 enabling playback of 1080p video files scaled down to 720p as Apple hasn’t built a screen with enough resolution to support 1080p, 9to5mac points to more code strings from the developer beta that seem to confirm developers will soon be able to activate video export options at 1080p in their applications. This means Apple’s apps like Camera and iMovie, or other third-party solutions, will be capable of saving 1080p files with the public release of iOS 5. Previously, developers could only export videos to 720p.

Programmers use the AVAsset class to work on a detailed level with timed media assets such as videos and sounds. It lets them examine, create, edit or reencode media files, get input streams from devices, manipulate video clips during realtime capture and playback and more. It is now clear that iOS 5 enables devices such as iPhone 4, iPad 1 and 2 and fourth-generation iPod touch to both decode 1080p videos and encode content in 1080p.

An improved camera/processor in the iPhone 5 could allow the device to go past the iPhone 4’s 720p limitation and also start shooting flicks at 1080p with dedicated export options, though Apple would need to bump up the screen resolution to offer native, true 1080p playback. As far as the camera speculation goes, a new report by Digitimes today also indicates camera lens maker Largan Precision (caught in the Apple rumor mill before) has hinted at increasing orders for 8-megapixel modules from smartphone vendors like Apple and HTC. Reports in the past months suggested Apple’s regular supplier OmniVision would provide the 8 MP camera lens for the iPhone 5, although separate claims pointed out that Largan Precision was selected by Apple.

OmniVision and Sony to Supply 8-Megapixel Camera for iPhone 5

According to a new report from Digitimes, camera image sensor supplier OmniVision has won “significant orders” for Apple’s next-generation iPhone, set to debut later this year. Whilst OmniVision has been the selected supplier for image sensors in previous generation iPhones, iPods and iPads, surprisingly enough Digitimes claims 90% of orders will be supplied by OmniVision, with Sony shipping another 10% of units.

OmniVision has grabbed a majority of total CMOS image sensor (CIS) orders placed by Apple for the fifth-generation iPhone, market sources have claimed. Meanwhile, power amplifier (PA) supplier Avago Technologies has landed orders for the WCDMA version of the device for its first time, according to the sources.

About 90% of the CIS orders for Apple’s new iPhone will be supplied by OmniVision, while Sony takes up the remainder, the sources said. The upcoming device will feature a built-in 8-megapixel camera, the sources added.

Speculation about the iPhone 5’s camera in the past months arose to a new level when a rumor claimed Sony would be the only supplier for the device’s camera. With other reports claiming the statement from Sony CEO Howard Stinger were largely a misunderstanding or inventions from bloggers, it wasn’t clear why Apple would choose Sony over the long-time partner OmniVision, which in the meantime announced a variety of new sensors including improved 5 MP, 8 MP and 10 MP ones, some of them with 1080p capabilities.

A few weeks ago, alleged iPhone 5 parts surfaced showing a different camera flash position and thus re-igniting speculation about a different camera module in the iPhone 5, rumored to be a “minor” hardware refresh.

Samsung’s Lawyers Ask Apple To See iPhone 5 and iPad 3

As part of the ongoing lawsuits between Apple and Samsung, started back in April when Apple sued Samsung over the “look and feel” of the Galaxy phones and tablets, This Is My Next points to an interesting piece of information that details how Samsung’s lawyers have asked Apple’s legal team to hand over “final, commercial versions” of the next-generation iPhone and iPad, whether they’ll be called iPhone 4S, iPhone 5 and iPad 3 or not. Samsung is also asking to see the retail packaging design of the devices to evaluate if their future products, like the Droid Charge and the Galaxy Tab 10.1, could share similar features with them and be subject to legal action from Apple – that is, assuming both Apple and Samsung products come out at the same time in the next months.

This move comes after a judge ruled Samsung should hand over prototypes of the Droid Charge, Galaxy Tab 8.9, Galaxy Tab 10.1, Infuse 4G and Galaxy S 2 to Apple’s external legal team for evaluation in regards to the lawsuit. Similarly to Apple’s request, Samsung says only the company’s lawyers would be able to see the iPhone 5 and iPad 3, with no one else inside the company (hardware engineers, executives, and so forth) getting access to the units.

Samsung’s asking for a court order requiring Apple to produce “the final, commercial versions” of the next-generation iPhone and iPad and their respective packaging by June 13, 2011, so it can evaluate whether there’ll be confusion between Samsung and Apple’s future products. If the final versions aren’t available, Samsung wants “the most current version of each to be produced instead.

Samsung says “fundamental fairness” requires Apple to give up its future products, since Samsung had to do the same. Tellingly, Samsung doesn’t reference any precedent or law to bolster this line of argument — it’s basically just asking the court to be nice.

Basing on “internet reports” and “Apple’s past practice”, Samsung believes new devices from Apple are in the works, and in order to avoid future confusion with their products they’re asking the court to apply the same procedure that granted Apple’s lawyers access to Samsung’s upcoming products. The obvious difference is that, while Samsung teased / demoed / announced / gave away some of these devices for free in the past (like the Galaxy Tabs at Google I/O), Apple’s usual veil of secrecy made sure there’s no official word yet of the iPhone 5 and iPad 3 – just rumors. But as Samsung says Apple will discontinue existing devices when the new ones come out, they want to see final versions of production units of iPhones and iPads coming out later this year or in 2012. As Nilay Patel at This Is My Next points out, this is kind of strange considering Apple usually keeps old devices available for sale on its website even if new ones are available (example: iPhone 3GS).

So why is Samsung even pursuing this? I think it’s a calculated gamble for additional leverage. Apple and Samsung held negotiations for a year before giving up and heading to the courts, and I’m reliably informed that there haven’t been any substantive settlement discussions since Apple first filed its complaint. That means talks have been at a standstill for a long time now, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Samsung was trying to put some additional heat on Apple to try and kick negotiations back into gear.

The full breakdown of Samsung’s latest request can be read over at This Is My Next. After Apple’s initial lawsuit, Samsung fired back with countersuits in Europe and Asia, as well as in the United States.

AT&T Begins LTE Rollout Across 5 Cities

AT&T today released its initial LTE rollout plan, with five markets to get LTE sometime “this summer”. Those lucky cities will be Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Atlanta and San Antonio.

Ten more markets, which are yet to be named, will also be getting AT&T’s LTE network built in the second half of this year. AT&T says in its press release that across those first 15 markets, 70 million Americans will have coverage on their LTE network. Currently AT&T does not offer any LTE compatible devices, but again claims that there will be, by the end of the year, some devices that are LTE capable.

Earlier this year, Apple posted a job listing for someone with cellular protocol experience, who would have the specific duty of implementing, integrating and maintaining various network protocols, including LTE. Whilst in January, China Mobile’s Chairman said “Apple has made it clear they will support TD-LTE.” This year’s iPhone, which is widely expected to be revealed in September, is unlikely to have LTE support. However, with LTE adoption spreading across the world, and multiple Android and soon Windows Phone 7 devices supporting LTE, it seems very plausible that the following iPhone will support LTE.

[Via Engadget]

Photo Shows Alleged iPhone 5 Back Part

As noted by MacRumors, Taiwanese website Apple.pro – a usually reliable source of Apple information and product leaks – posted today [Google Translation] what they claim to be the back part of the next-generation iPhone. The iPhone 5 back panel is shown in white, with two different holes for the camera lens and flash as previous speculation and case design suggested. A rough Google Translation seems to suggest that Apple.pro can’t confirm the authenticity of the picture though:

SHOW pictures out of the back cover a picture of white iPhone

camera with flash, but the difference with iPhone4

Is separated

Of course now I can not verify the authenticity of this picture

But frankly, I personally think this picture should be PS Follow the following chart last week, I do

Authenticity of unknown origin

The first case design indicating the iPhone 5 would get separated camera lens and flash holes was then pulled from the e-commerce website it appeared on. Another report from Apple.pro the same week re-confirmed the rumor of a distinct camera flash showing different components for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5. The next-generation iPhone is rumored to be a minor refresh of the existing iPhone line with speedier processor, better cameras and more RAM, though some recent rumors also pointed at Apple working on a major update for the device featuring a bigger edge-to-edge screen, dramatically thinner design and NFC capabilities.

iPhone 5 To Feature Curved Glass Screen?

According to DigiTimes, the latest rumor going around the Taiwan supply chain is that the next iPhone (whether it be the 4S or 5) will feature a curved cover glass for the display. It would see the next iPhone resemble aspects of Google’s Nexus S phone which had the glass curved into a concave, or perhaps like the older model iPod Nano which had convex glass.

In the past, manufacturers of the glass for smartphone displays had been reluctant to commit to the investment in appropriate glass cutting equipment because of the high capital costs associated with producing them. However, Apple is said to have purchased between 200 and 300 glass-cutting machines for the glass manufacturers according to DigiTimes’ sources.

Prior reports put the production of the next iPhone as beginning in August this year, but today’s DigiTimes report notes that there is no firm timetable yet for the beginning of production. Apple is supposedly still involved in working with suppliers for cover glass, glass cutting, lamination and touch sensors to improve yield rates before production begins.

[Via DigiTimes]