Rumors about the iPhone 5 started flying nearly as soon as the iPhone 4 landed on the shelves last year. So far, many sources have strongly suggested that Apple's newest smartphone may be right around the corner.
Releasing in October
The Wall Street Journal confirmed the new iPhone model is coming in October, although we don't know yet if the new phone will be called iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, or something else entirely. It's been well over a year since the iPhone 4 became available in June 2010, and we've had white iPhones and Verizon iPhones since then. The iPhone 3GS had been released in June 2009 and Apple tends to release its iconic smartphone on a yearly cycle.
Wireless syncing, wireless charging
We know for certain that the new iPhone using iOS 5 will sync with your computer wirelessly, since Apple made a big deal of this capability at its developer's conference in June. The iPhone may also support wireless charging. The soon to be extinct HP TouchPad had this capability, so it makes sense that Apple might be exploring the technology to improve the iPhone experience, cutting away the last cords that force you to tie your phone to your computer. That seems like an experience that Apple would want to pioneer.
Better camera
The Wall Street Journal also reported the new iPhone camera sports 8 megapixels, which is a significant boost over the iPhone 4's 5 mexapixel sensor. This information seems to confirm similar, earlier rumors from Bloomberg. If we're really lucky, we might finally see an improved camera flash. Remember that the iPhone 4 was released over a year ago; newer smartphones have cameras that simply blow away the iPhone 4's offering, at least on paper. It's time for Apple to get back on top of the heap with an update.
4" screen or smaller
The size of the iPhone 5's touchscreen has been a hotbed of rumor. While many original rumors said the screen would be larger than 4", new panel suppliers indicate that the iPhone 5 screen will actually be smaller than 4". Previous rumors were based on market expectations, not any actual supply chain leaks. The newest leaks say the screen could be as small as 3.5' which is the same size as the iPhone 4 screen.
iCloud inside
One of the most exciting bits about the iPhone 5 will be its operating system and iCloud. The free service will automatically sync your pictures, music, and other data instantly between your computer and your iPhone. Using iTunes Match, you will even be able to upgrade your existing music to one of Apple's lossless, higher-quality music files. iCloud is integrated with personal computers, cloud computing, and mobile information. When you take pictures or buy content on your phone, you will be able to access all of it on your computer through iCloud.
Faster, beefier processor
It isn't a surprise to hear that the iPhone 5 will have a better processor than the iPhone 4, since every major iteration of the phone has enjoyed this kind of upgrade under the hood. The A5 processor already struts itself inside the iPad 2. Including that same processor on the iPhone 5 would give the smartphone considerable power, catching it up to the capability of the iPad itself.
Integrated earthquake warning
The Japanese version of iPhone 5 will warns its users of impending earthquakes. A simple pop-up notification will appear whenever Japan's monitoring facilities detect an impending threat, providing iPhone 5 users much needed time to get to safety and prepare for disaster. There's been no word about whether such a warning will also exist in the U.S., but that might be a concern after the recent, rare earthquake in Virginia.
iPhone available on Sprint and T-Mobile
While Verizon and AT&T both boast their own iteration of the iPhone, Apple's smartphone hasn't migrated to the remaining two carriers yet. The Wall Street Journal expects the new iPhone 5 to include Sprint among its available carriers, while other reports indicate the iPhone may land on T-Mobile. At the same time, new information suggests that the new iPhone will be a "world phone," capable of supporting multiple types of mobile networks, which would make it an attractive option for frequent travellers.
A new friend: iPhone nano
At the same time we're hearing about a bigger, more powerful iPhone 5, rumors about a smaller, cheaper iPhone also keep coming up. The lighter, more budget-minded (and purely theoretical) iPhone has been dubbed the the iPhone nano among tech blogs. This potentially petite iPhone would be aimed at more casual smartphone owners who want to use the Apple product but aren't necessarily comfortable with the iPhone's traditionally high price point. With 8 GB of storage, the iPhone nano would rely on iCloud and the internet to access a lot of its content.
Of course, none of this speculation is official fact until you've heard the words uttered from Apple itself. That being said, these rumors have all been repeated by enough independent sources that a few of them are bound to pan out — we can only wait and see.
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