iPhone 5, white iPhone 4 theories get release this week

Two competing theories regarding the nature of the iPhone5 having been running parallel amidst the vacuum of any official word about a release date, but there can only be one that's right – and that answer should arrive by default one way or the other this upcoming week. On the one hand there's the "white iPhone 4 is arriving this week" theory based on Apple exec Phil Schiller's public proclamation that there will be a white iPhone coming "this spring." The other theory says that the "white iPhone" in question is actually a white iPhone 5, and since Apple's WWDC keynote is in early June, which is technically still spring, we can still expect the iPhone 5 along the lines of Apple's traditional annual updates. Both theories are equally plausible, and both are justifiable interpretations of Schiller's words. But they can't both be right, and one of them is about to get struck down.

There's the popular scenario in which Apple pops out the long fabled white iPhone 4 this week. In that case you can firmly wave goodbye to the idea of seeing an iPhone 5 (or for that matter iOS 5) in June, as Apple isn't about to add a white model to the iPhone 4 lineup a mere month or so before it turns around and bargain-bins the entire iPhone 4 era in favor of an iPhone 5.

But then there's the other scenario in which the white iPhone 4 doesn't get launched. That would tell us two things. First, it would mean that the iPhone 5 must be just around the corner. And second, it would mean that the iPhone5 is sticking with a design which allows for a white model; in other words, so much for the notion of an all-brushed-metal iPhone 5 era.

Either interpretation holds water, but they can't both be right. The only thing Apple has has to say about the iPhone lately is that the iPhone sold 113% better in the first quarter of 2011 than it did in the first quarter of 2010, which says that the iPhone 4 era has been a successful one. The question now is whether it's nearly over in favor of the iPhone 5 era, or whether Apple has plans to extend it longer than usual by adding a white iPhone 4 to the mix. We'll get some answers this week about the iPhone 5, based on Apple's actions (or lack thereof) regarding the iPhone 4. Here's more on the iPhone 5.

iPhone 5 Unlikely To Support 4G LTE Network

It is widely speculated that Apple will delay the launch of iPhone5 to fall this year instead of unveiling it at WorldWide Developer Conference 2011.

Some industry experts felt that this could give Apple enough time to add support for 4G LTE networks. But it seems unlikely based on the comments made by Apple's Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook during the quarterly earning call on Wednesday.

Tim Cook had this to say when he was asked about what Apple thoughts about the maturity of 4G LTE networks and their plans to launch products that support for 4G LTE network:

The first generation of LTE chip-sets force a lot of design compromises with the handset, and some of those we are just not willing to make.

Will Strauss, President of wireless chip tracker Forward Concepts doesn't expect chip-sets to arrive in time for iPhone 5:

They're right that there's nothing out there that fits the bill, and likely nothing will until the fourth quarter of this year.

Strauss explains how Apple's competitors have managed to launch smartphones with 4G support:

The only 4G handset on the market in the United States, Verizon's Thunderbolt, currently relies on a pair of chips to work. One chip, from Samsung, communicates with Verizon's 4G networks, allowing the handset to achieve blazing data speeds of between 5 and 20 MBPS. Another chip, from Qualcomm, lets the handset talk to Verizon's 3G network.

That two chip solution is needed because Verizon's 4G network isn't widespread enough for the carriers to offer handsets that rely on 4G alone.

Strauss goes on to add that Apple is looking for a solution where chips support 4G and 3G on a single chip so that the 4G LTE iPhone is as thin or thinner than iPhone 4 and it doesn't consume too much battery life.

According to Strauss, chipmakers like Qualcomm, ST Ericcson and Intel will launch the next generation chips that support 4G and 3G on a single chip towards the end of this year, which means that 5th generation iPhone won't support 4G LTE network.

Will the lack of support for 4G LTE network be a deal breaker for you to buy or upgrade to iPhone 5?

iPhone 5 production begins in July, ships in September; looks like the iPhone 4 – Reuters

Reuters reports that the iPhone 5 will begin production in July and ramp up for a September release.  This fits in with a lot of the chatter out there over the last few months. It isn't certain why Apple chose to deviate from its previous June/July schedule, but perhaps iPhones are the new back to school items…or are going to be grouped with iPods from now on. Apple typically holds a fall media event at the beginning of September. This would be the perfect place to showcase their new iPhone.

The new smartphone will have a faster processor but will look largely similar to the current iPhone 4, one of the people said. They declined to be identified because the plans were not yet public.

The companies would begin production either in July or August before shipping components to Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, flagship of Foxconn Technology Group, for assembly, they said.

The next-generation iPhone is rumored to include the dual-core A5 processor and graphics enhancements found in the iPad 2, possibly 64 GB of storage, a larger screen, a metal back, and new cloud-based functionality through Apple's upcoming iOS 5. We will most likely learn Apple's thinking behind their fifth-generation handset at the upcoming World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) in early June. This is the event where Apple is promising the introduction of iOS 5.

iPhone 5 design secrets revealed by rounded, white, A5 iPad 2

The iPhone 5 come in white and employ the A5 processor, and it'll lose the bezel of the iPhone 4 and feature rounded edges throughout, unless the entire iPad 2 was merely one big head-fake. Those looking for the skinny on the design secrets of the forthcoming fifth generation iPhone ahead of its still-unknown release date are looking in the wrong places, if they're looking anywhere other than the second generation iPad as a starting point. When the first iPad launched back in early 2010, few realized at the time that it was a partial blueprint for what could be expected from the then-forthcoming iPhone 4. From the hefty brushed metal silver side bezel to the A4 processor inside, the iPad 2 gave generous hints that spring as to what could be expected from the next iPhone that summer. And now, thanks to the iPad 2, we now have a blueprint for the iPhone 5. So just what are we looking at?For starters, say goodbye to that fat perpendicular bezel. Apple's attempts at squaring off the iPhone and iPad resulted in the thin devices looking and feeling like they were thicker (and heavier) than they really were. Apple wisely dumped that particular design flair with the iPad 2, and while the new model is only fractionally thinner and lighter, the most common response among upgraders is that it looks and feels significantly thinner and lighter. In other words, by simply (re-)rounding off the iPhone's corners, Apple can get more public credit for making the iPhone 5 thin than it did for having shaved an actual twenty-four percent of the iPhone's thickness away with the iPhone 4. Perception trumps reality in these matters, and Apple has presumably learned its lesson: the appearance and illusion of thinness is just as important as actual thinness.
The iPad never came in white, so the inclusion of a white iPad 2 was gratuitous enough that Apple could easily have left it out of the company were trying to make consumers forget that the whole white iPhone 4 ever happened. Instead, by offering a white iPad 2, Apple is making clear that it wants consumer demand for white Apple products to remain in place, which is a hint that there will indeed be a white iPhone in the near future. The iPad 2′s use of an A5 processor means the iPhone 5 will certainly do the same. The intriguing part is whether the lone gaping chasm between the iPad 1 and the iPhone 4, namely the use of radically different materials for the rear surface, will resolve itself in 2011 with the iPhone 5 adopting the same brushed metal backside as the iPad 2. But them some details will merely need to be watched for. Here's more on the iPhone5. Here's more on the iPad 2.

iPhone 5 Coming in September, Similar to iPhone 4

According to a report from Reuters, Apple is scheduled to begin production of the iPhone 5 in July/August with a September release. This news coincides with other reports that Apple will push back the next generation iPhone's launch to a later fall date.

It is unclear as to why Apple is not following the usual summer release schedule for the iPhone, but all signs point to a different roadmap for 2011. The iPhone 5 is reported to have a faster processor and look very similar to the current iPhone 4.Reuters,

"Apple Inc suppliers will begin production of its next-generation iPhone in July this year, with the finished product likely to begin shipping in September, three people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

The new smartphone will have a faster processor but will look largely similar to the current iPhone 4, one of the people said. They declined to be identified because the plans were not yet public."

Apple's focus will be on software at WWDC this summer. iOS 5 will be previewed, and the iPhone 5 will most likely ship with the new OS. If the iPhone 5 does closely resemble the iPhone 4, iOS 5 could be what sets the new device apart from the iPhone 4.

We've heard that the iPhone 5 will be a significant redesign of the iPhone 4, but there have also been multiple reports claiming that the device will be similar to the current design.

A recent analyst report speculated that the iPhone 5 will have an A5 processor with a 8 MP camera. While the device could remain similar to the iPhone 4, it will definitely have some significant hardware upgrades to set it apart form its predecessor. For a comprehensive look at what to expect from the iPhone 5, check out this infographic.

The white iPhone 4 will supposedly be released at the end of this month, which would give Apple enough time to profit off its sales before introducing the iPhone 5 in the fall.

What do you think about this iPhone 5 news? Are you ok with waiting till the fall for its release, or will you be picking up another smartphone (Android?) this summer?

Why Apple Should Put The Brakes on 3D Technology For the iPhone 5

A recent Apple patent for a 3D camera and other rumors suggest that Apple might be toying with 3D technology for the iPhone5. Read why Apple and Steve Jobs should be careful about wading into the 3D waters with their next big iPhone.

You may have heard some faint rumors of 3D camera technology someday coming to the iPhone by way of some mind-blowing Apple patents that have surfaced over the past year or so. It's no wonder that Apple would be exploring 3D technology in its research and development efforts: we continue to see the application of next-generation 3D technology in motion pictures, such as James Cameron's Avatar, as well as the new Nintendo 3DS. In addition, television and computing sectors are beginning to invest vast resources into deploying 3D effects into a wide range of different media outlets.

A schematic in Apple's patent for a 3D camera. Could it end up on the iPhone 5?

 

Apple has two intriguing recent patents that focus on 3D: a 3D screen that would allow users to see the effect without 3D glasses, and a small 3D camera, which, by way of three separate camera sensors (see schematic to the left) would allow users to actually create and render 3D images themselves. Once deployed in a mobile device like an iPhone, this tandem of 3D inventions would most certainly turn mobile computing on its head: combined with gesture control as seen on the iPhone and iPad, it could even allow users to navigate their gadgets in a third dimension. That's some futuristic stuff!

Whether or not 3D technology could show up on the iPhone 5, however, remains to be seen.

I have postulated for the past few months that the iPhone 5 may in fact offer a groundbreaking new feature that few if any of us have even speculated on. Could this pairing of 3D technologies — the 3D screen and 3D rear-facing camera — be the hook that boosts the iPhone 5 into legendary status? After all, given Steve Job's ill health, for all we know, the iPhone 5 could be his swan song. He may be inclined to make the iPhone 5 a total game changer in mobile computing.

However, given the recent intelligence on the increasing possibility of an 8 megapixel camera for the iPhone 5 — served up by the folks at Sony — it would seem unlikely that Apple would be able to keep the lid on the additional components needed to construct a 3D camera. It could be possible that the iPhone 5 could debut its 3D screen without the pairing of a 3D camera — Nintendo 3DS already has a 3D interface, after all — but it should also be noted that, just because Apple has a patent for a 3D screen doesn't mean that the technology itself is imminent: it can take years for new ideas to become reality, as highlighted in this other article about a possible changeable topography touch screen for the iPhone 5.

And then there's also the possible dangers of 3D technology as a whole.

3D Technology Is A Possible Health Hazard

For as much as 3D technology seems like the wave of the future, Apple should be wary of deploying it in the iPhone 5. Ever since the debut of Avatar, 3D has been fraught with averse, well-documented side-effects that call into question whether man was meant for 3D technology. Remember: this isn't the 3D technology of old, complete with the funny-looking 3D glasses. Next-generation 3D technology renders images in holographic fashion by projecting images in staggered frames, so that each eye is processing images at different intervals, thus creating a three-dimensional image in the brain.

When Avatar was released, the use of 3D imagery, together with the larger-than-life, computer-generated landscapes, drove a portion of viewers to experience a broad scope of side-effects, from short-term nausea and dizziness to more serious long-term side-effects like depression and suicidal thoughts. TechRadar has an article that documents the phenomenon, with writer Marc Chacksfield reporting on how the realism of the film, combined with the utopic landscape of Pandora, left many moviegoers feeling empty and depressed. This combination of realism with other-wordliness has been attributed to 3D imagery.

In short, James Cameron opened Pandora's Box.

Cameron and other filmmakers tried to shrug off the early criticism of the dangers of 3D technology, but newer news of the ill effects of 3D in Nintendo's 3DS has corroborated the claims that not enough is understood about the effects of 3D imagery on the brain. A recent article in the Sun reports on how sickening side-effects have plagued Nintendo's wondrous new portable game console, reporting on Nintendo's damage-control disclaimer that "the console is not safe for under-sevens and advised playing in 3D mode for less than 30 minutes."

Considering that the whole point of buying the 3DS is to play games in 3D, this development should give Apple pause if they were thinking of releasing the iPhone 5 with any kind of 3D technology.

The fact of the matter is, the research on the effects of 3D has not yet caught up with the actual technology. It is a temptation to think that as humans, if we can build it, then it must be safe. After all, there are plenty of human developments over the past century that are both groundbreaking and unwieldy (nuclear energy and that scary supercollider in Switzerland immediately come to mind). Apple is most likely looking to hit a home run with the iPhone 5, but they should be careful playing with 3D tech right now — it is an unknown quantity.

And if the iPhone 5 does end with a 3D screen and/or camera, my advice would be to consider waiting to see the effects on users first before buying it.

iPhone 5 is CMDA + GSM world phone

Well, we've known this one for while but now it's sort of official. Barrons reports that in Verizon's earnings call today, Verizon Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo said Apple's next-generation iPhone will be a world phone. A world phone of course is a phone capable of connecting to both CDMA and GSM networks worldwide. You may remember that Shammo was the Verizon executive who spilled the beans on the upcoming Verizon-capable iPad 2.
Both the Verizon iPhone 4 and the CDMA iPad 2 carry the Qualcomm Gobi chip, which we previously detailed, and this chip is capable of connecting to both CDMA and GSM networks. Apple is rumored to start iPhone 5 production as early as July and is tracking a September release. Apple typically holds an early-September event so we'll probably see the world phone there. The iPhone5 is rumored to look similar to the iPhone 4 and will sport an A5 dual-core processor.