REPORT: The iPhone 5 Screen Size Will Be The Same, But Everything Else Will Be …
Antonio De Rosa
An iPhone 5 concept design by Antonio De Rosa
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The next generation of iPhone is slated to arrive this fall, reports iMore.
As has been reported before, the phone will support 4G LTE. This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise considering Apple already implemented it with the new iPad.
In terms of screen size, iMore’s sources indicate that the new phone will be mostly unchanged in that area. Expect a similar 3.5-inch screen.
In what is perhaps one of the more dramatic changes, Apple is attempting to reduce the size of its 30-pin dock connector. With a so-called “micro-dock” in place, it frees up room inside the device for more components.
DON’T MISS: Beautiful concept designs of the next iPhone
Article source: http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-5-screen-2012-3
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: Iphone 5
Positive Xbox 720 and iPhone 5 rumors this week
While we close another week of rumors surrounding many gadgets and upcoming game releases it seems certain topics stand out, which includes the pending iPhone 5 and Xbox 720 that we continue to move closer to an unveiling. Two rumors this week seem to aid that of the gamer, and this includes mobile gamers that love playing on iOS devices and also console gamers whom favor Microsoft.
The gaming industry continues to change and evolve – this can be seen with the likes of the GAME group going into administration, which is in part thanks to an increasing number of gamers buying digitally and also with cheaper offerings at superstores.
Considering our love for buying games digitally – it’s not always a good buy when compared to boxed prices, and this can be seen with the small discount you get with PS Vita games for buying on the PS Store, it is a joke and should be a bigger cut in our opinion. The benefits can be seen if two members of your household have a Vita or you own two, which then allows you to download the game onto two devices for one price rather than buy two boxed games in a store. Have you started to buy more games digitally rather than in game stores?
An Xbox 720 that is digital only – it’s understandable why this move could take place but the majority of gamers wouldn’t like this change forced upon them, even when the new Xbox releases in 2013 (if the rumors are true). When it first broke that we could see a digital only new Xbox it met a backlash from Microsoft fans, although a number of analysts have commented this week on this rumor and stated that “it’s very unlikely“, although in our opinion it will be forced upon us at some stage but when the majority of gamers are ready.
More screen for my mobile gaming please Apple – also this week we’ve heard a few more rumors on the Apple front when concerning the new so-called iPhone 5, which is expected to launch towards the end of this year and not at WWDC 2012. We’ve known for a while that Apple needed to at least increase the display with an edge-to-edge screen, which would allow for more display on the same sized phone, but rumors this week point to the next iPhone growing in size as well.
These rumors come from alleged “suppliers” that state Apple has started to order screen parts for the new iPhone, and these are said to be 4.6-inches, which is around the same as a popular Android phone (Galaxy S II). It’s not the first time we’ve heard rumors about an increased screen size on the iPhone 5, so in our opinion it’s almost certainly going to happen but at what size in the finished design? We hope the device is also edge-to-edge to help keep the form factor much smaller than many massive Android devices that have trouble fitting in pockets.
From the gamer perspective – digital only Xbox 720′s would not be a good idea just yet, we hate things like this being forced upon us and when it comes to gaming on the next iPhone a bigger display is a must for the aging iPhone design.
Article source: http://www.inentertainment.co.uk/20120324/positive-xbox-720-and-iphone-5-rumors-this-week/
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: Iphone 5
iPhone 5 to Stick With a 3.5-inch Screen and Upgrade to 4G LTE
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iPhone rumors are hitting the blogs once again and this time industry insiders are saying the next-generation iPhone will feature a 3.5-inch screen.
This would mean that the device’s screen size will remain the same size as the iPhone 4S.
It also contradicts many of the recent rumors that have stated that the new iPhone’s screen would exceed four inches. However, according to iMore, who issued the report, the screen size is still not set in stone.
The site also reported that the next iPhone will have a micro dock connector, will be 4G LTE, and be released in Oct. 2012, one year after the launch of the 4S.
Other tech sources have stated that the iPhone will launch sometime in the summer that that it would feature a display that is larger than four inches in order to compete with Android devices.
However, the micro dock connector could make sense for Apple to include, according to 9to5Mac.
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“The new docking connector, or “new way to charge the iPhone,” was first reported by Wall Street Journal, and has since been reiterated in various ways,” wrote the site. “A micro-dock could manifest itself into something like a standard Micro-USB port.”
It would also make sense to have micro-USB since technology has been changing adding more wireless capabilities with additions, such as iCloud.
4G LTE is also a no-brainer at this time for the iPhone, since Apple has already made its new iPad compatible with the network. The iPhone 4S runs on a 3G network. This was disappointing to many Apple fans, who were expecting the smartphone to feature the faster 4G network when it was released last year.
Many of Apple’s competitors, such as Samsung, have already adopted 4G LTE for their smartphones.
The new iPhone will be Apple’s sixth generation handset and will launch sometime in 2012.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE NEXT IPHONE CLICK HERE.
Article source: http://www.christianpost.com/news/iphone-5-to-stick-with-a-3-5-inch-screen-and-upgrade-to-4g-lte-72009/
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: Iphone 5 News
iPhone 5 rumour rollup for the week ending March 23
iPhone 5 rumors are taking on new ambitions: the phone that can bankrupt Sprint, for example.
This week: how iPhone 5 will bankrupt Sprint, big screens that will disrupt the iOS app ecosystem, iOS 6 blossoms in June.
You read it here second.
__________
“The whole reason I’m writing this article is because the idea of a bigger screen on an iPhone had me salivating.” – Todd Haselton, TechnoBuffalo, explaining the physiological impact of iPhone rumors.
__________
iPhone 5 will drive Sprint into bankruptcy
iPhone 5 will be an unalloyed good for everyone except Sprint, if the handset arrives with an LTE radio.
IN PICTURES: Inside Apple’s iPad worldwide ubiquity
IN THE NEWS: 14 cool, but off-beat inventions
This current rumor is based on a stock analyst’s downgrade of Sprint stock this week. Craig Moffett, of Bernstein Research, cut his rating to Underperform from Market Perform, and reduced his target share price to $1.75, from $2.50. And he outlined how the company might be forced in bankruptcy in the next three or four years. (Forbes’ Eric Savtiz picked up on Moffett’s analysis.)
The company has huge debts coming due staring next year, for one thing. For another, it’s committed to buying a whole lot of iPhones from Apple. And for yet another, there’s the dread prospect of the LTE iPhone 5, according to Moffett, that “poses new and lager risks” for the carrier.
“We believe an LTE iPhone will likely be badly disadvantaged on Sprint’s network, potentially impairing sales … at a time when Sprint is subject to a punishing take-or-pay deal with Apple,” Moffett writes. “The problem is 4G. Sprint doesn’t have enough free-and-clear spectrum on which to launch a competitive LTE network, and it doesn’t have the money to clear spectrum that’s already in use. We expect Sprint’s competitiveness to begin to backslide when LTE becomes the nation’s de facto standard.”
And the iOSsphere is all over it. Surojit Chatterjee, posting for International Business Times, breezily announces that “2012 is going to be the year of quad-core-powered, 4G LTE-enabled smartphones,” that “4G LTE on the next iPhone is almost a ‘done deal,’” and since Sprint hasn’t released a 4G smartphone, “the launch of the new iPhone is expected to kill Sprint, as users will lean towards Verizon or ATT for purchasing the upcoming iPhone.”
Chatterjee, we suspect, kind of skimmed Moffett’s analysis, because here’s his take: “According to the $15.5 million contract signed between Sprint and Apple, the former has to buy minimum 25 million iPhones from Apple in the next four years. If Sprint fails to upgrade its network to LTE at a nationwide level, then these iPhones will go unsold and could cause Sprint to incur huge debts.”
Sprint already has such huge debts that another $15 million looks like a drop in the bucket. And the new iPad‘s LTE chipset comes with advanced support for the highest 3G (or non-LTE 4G, depending on your choice of definitions) speeds available, which mobile carriers are still deploying. LTE subscriber growth in the U.S. has been spectacular in terms of the rate of growth, but at the end of 2011, the total number was still a fraction of all mobile phone users: 5.6 million, most of them on Verizon Wireless, according to data from Telegeography. And it’s also a fraction of the number of potential subscribers: Verizon claims its LTE network covers more than 200 million people.
At the same time, a new study by Localytics found that cellular connectivity for iPad users is relatively unpopular. Only 6% of iPad sessions are over cellular; for iPads with 3G, 55% rely on Wi-Fi; and for 4G iPads (it’s unclear if this is LTE or also more advanced 3G options), the percentage is even higher: 64%, or 2 out of 3.
Part of the reason is that users already have figured out that cellular has limits. In a widely linked-to Wall Street Journal story this week, new iPad users were bushwhacked by the rapid depletion of their monthly LTE data plans. One user streamed two hours of college basketball tournaments to his new iPad and discovered he had used up his entire monthly allotment of 2GB; a second user after five days of using the new iPad was two-thirds of the way through his 3GB plan on ATT.
iPhone 5 will have 4.6-inch Retina display, even if that messes up all 500,000 iPhone apps
Reuters copied-and-pasted a rumor that originated on a South Korean media site, saying that the Next iPhone will have a 4.6-inch screen. The basis for the rumor: one anonymous source.
And the phone will be released “around the second quarter,” whatever that means.
“Apple has decided on the bigger 4.6-inch display for its next iPhone and started placing orders to its suppliers, the Maeil Business Newspaper said, quoting an unnamed industry source.”
That was enough to set TechnoBuffalo’s Todd Haselton “salivating.”
“The whole reason I’m writing this article is because the idea of a bigger screen on an iPhone had me salivating,” he posted. “I just can’t get on board with the 3.5-inch screen on the current model. I used to love it … [But] I’ve just grown tired of the screen in comparison to Samsung’s Super AMOLED HD displays and other screens found on high-end smartphones from HTC and LG. A 4.6-inch Retina Display will definitely grab my attention all over again.”
Perhaps not for long, though. As John Gruber at Daring Fireball pointed out, “no one seems to be pointing out that if it’s true, this new iPhone would need way more pixels than the current 960 × 640 iPhone display. … That means every app in the App Store would need to be redesigned/resized.”
The iPhone 5 firmware, iOS 6, will be unveiled in June
In an astounding feat of deduction, Cult of Mac’s Killian Bell gazed upon the Moscone Center’s public calendar and realized that the weeklong, generically labeled “corporate meeting” scheduled for June 11-15 is nothing else but Apple’s yearly Worldwide Developer Conference. One clue was probably Apple’s practice of scheduling the WWDC for early June. At Moscone Center.
He expects that we can expect all kinds of things to be announced, like iOS 6. And that’s what TechRadar thinks, too, after reading Bell’s post.
“The next version of Apple’s mobile operating system iOS 6 could be previewed in mid-June, following reports that the date for this year’s WWDC has already been set. Last year saw Apple announce iOS 5, which became available alongside the launch of the iPhone 4S in October, so it’s likely we’ll get a first look at iOS 6.”
Past practices show future practices in the iOSsphere. But wait. “Past WWDC events have also seen Apple announce new iPhones. However, Apple broke away from that tradition in 2011 by making us wait until October for the iPhone 4S.”
So past practices do not show future practices. Except when they do. So iOS 6 and iPhone 5 either will or will not be announced at the WWDC.
iPhone 5 will be a universal remote control for TVs, other consumer electronics
Patently Apple picked up another Apple patent application released by the U.S. patent office, this one an invention for a “remote control device that is configurable to gather state information from controlled components.”
“For example, the remote control may have one or more cameras, microphones and/or other sensors. The sensors may be configured to operate upon actuation of the remote control device to determine if signals transmitted by the remote control were received and a desired result was achieved.”
The website speculates that “it’s likely to be integrated into a future iPhone (or other iOS device) instead of it being an add-on app at the App Store. The advanced features being added to Apple remote could be signaling their preparation for a standalone HDTV as it’s to control a television and other related entertainment devices.”
Our guess is that the iOSsphere doesn’t quite know what to make of this, as witnessed by Arnold Kim, at Mac Rumors, who writes vaguely that “it shows Apple’s research interests into home entertainment systems and seems relevant given the ongoing rumors of a[n] Apple TV set.”
Others were bolder, or perhaps more reckless. “A leaked Apple patent reveals possible schematic changes to the upcoming iPhone 5 — the most surprising of them being that Apple’s next-gen smartphone may be usable as a universal remote,” InvestorPlace’s Adam Patterson breathlessly proclaimed. The phony idea that this is a “leak” and not a regular, public publication by a federal agency always seems to lend the requisite urgency that iPhone rumors call for.
No word on whether iPhone 5 will have a built-in bottle opener.
iPhone 5 will be an NFC wonder
Over at the aptly named Planet Insane, Delaon has concluded that Near Field Communications (NFC) on the iPhone 5 “is becoming a huge possibility.”
And why, you ask? Because he reads Patently Apple, which had post on a recently published Apple patent application about “iWallet” and NFC “which may possibly be the iPhone 5.”
“The image [in the patent application] also points to the location of the NFC sensor in the iPhone 5 which appears like it’s in the front of the device on the left side of the ear piece. The location is interesting because some may want the sensor to be somewhere else on the handset such as on its bottom or side part.”
If it’s in a diagram describing an invention it must be for the iPhone 5.
John Cox covers wireless networking and mobile computing for Network World. Twitter: http://twitter.com/johnwcoxnww Email: john_cox@nww.com Blog RSS feed: http://www.networkworld.com/community/blog/2989/feed
Read more about anti-malware in Network World’s Anti-malware section.
Article source: http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/419524/iphone_5_rumour_rollup_week_ending_march_23/?fp=4&fpid=18
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: Iphone 5 News
iPhone 5 rumors will be a snoozefest this year
Now that the new iPad is out, the tech world is beginning to anxiously report on details about Apple’s next iPhone (let’s just call it the iPhone 5 for now).
But while it’s sometimes fun to dive into rumors, I can’t help but notice that this time around, the iPhone 5 rumor-mill is particularly boring. And it’ll likely remain yawn-inducing until the next iPhone’s launch.
Why, you ask? Because we’ve already gone through this last year. In the run-up to the iPhone 4S’ release, there were multiple reports from trusted sites about a new iPhone with a slimmer design and a larger screen. We saw legitimate-looking iPhone 5 cases, and some fans even created a semi-realistic iPhone 5 mockup. And thanks to the new iPad, we can predict some of the features — in particular, LTE 4G – that the new iPhone will sport.
Aside from revealing a new naming scheme (and after the new iPad, we’re sort of expecting that as well), there seems to be little room left for iPhone 5 rumors to truly surprise us.
Take the latest rumor from iMore, for example. The site reports that the iPhone 5 will have a mini-dock connector that’ll allow more room for internal components (it already reported this back in February), LTE 4G (no surprise here), and a release in October (again, what pretty much everyone is expecting). iMore’s big revealation: the iPhone 5 may have a screen that’s the same 3.5-inch size as its predecessors (I’m hoping this one isn’t true), but iMore also notes that the decision hasn’t been finalized yet.
Earlier last week, we saw a far sketchier rumor from Reuters (via a South Korean newspaper) that claimed the next iPhone would sport a 4.6-inch screen and be released in the second quarter (get real folks). While an extremely large iPhone screen seems interesting, everything else about that report rang false.
Those iPhone 5 rumors from last year didn’t just come out of thin air — they were likely just a year too early. Based on the past rumors, we expect a new iPhone with a radical redesign, a slightly larger screen, LTE (for sure), and a faster processor than the new iPad’s A5X (hopefully quad-core).
Like any iPhone owner, I’m excited to see what Apple comes up with next — but I’m far less amped for several months of rehashed rumors.
Article source: http://venturebeat.com/2012/03/24/iphone-5-rumors-2012/
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: Iphone 5 News
Samsung Galaxy S3 May Have Avoided Upcoming iPhone 5 Issues Already
The two biggest smartphone launches of 2012 will no doubt be the New iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S3. Both superphones are expected to roll out before the winter and take the current Android vs iPhone battle to the next level.
Samsung Galaxy S3 vs iPhone 5: wireless charging may lessen LTE and faster processor battery burden
While nothing official can be said about either one of these heavyweights, what can already be confirmed is that they will be LTE capable. Given that the New iPad 3 has adopted 4G LTE, it goes without saying that the iPhone 5 will as well. As for the Samsung Galaxy S3, the Galaxy brand is not new to LTE and will definitely adopt it in its US variants given that Verizon, Sprint and ATT are all boasting the growing LTE networks.
However there is one major issue with 4G LTE that has plagued us ever since the first LTE phone, the HTC Thunderbolt, was released – battery life. Even to this date with the latest LTE phone, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, we hear of users complain about poor battery life given the power 4G LTE radios consume even with moderate use.
The New iPad 3 for one has tried to overcome this problem by fitting a battery that is 70 percent larger than its predecessors, the iPad 2. While it does seem to have done the job (AnandTech found the New iPad 3 lasts 23 hours as an LTE hotspot on a single charge), it has caused another problem indirectly – slow charging times. This is of course just the law of physics, that a battery which is 70 percent larger should take longer to charge up.
Unfortunately for users though, if Apple is employ a similar technique with its iPhone 5 to accommodate for LTE and the more powerful processor, many users will find their iPhone 5 hooked up to a wall charger for long periods at a time. That is unless another charging method is employed. Read on.
According to the latest reports, Samsung may be working on a new charging technique in-house which it plans to integrate into the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S3 – wireless charging. This will allow the Samsung Galaxy S3 to charge wirelessly the moment you are within 6 feet from the charging dock. So if you had it setup in rooms where you spent the most amount of time (living room, work desk, etc), it would begin charging your phone without you being aware nor hindering your usage.
A similar technology was unveiled by Fulton Innovation at CES 2012. Check out the video below to see how it works.
Article source: http://www.motoringcrunch.com/news/mobile-tech/10211-iphone-5-vs-samsung-galaxy-s3
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: Iphone 5
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From comixology:
NOW with CMX-HD for new Retina iPads! “simply mind-blowing!” – MacworldThe only comic platform that has Marvel, DC and The Walking Dead. Purchases made can be read on the web, too, at www.comixology.com!The largest comic library and store with Guided View Technology, which Wired.com says “solves the problem of reading comics on the small screen.” With over 20,000 comics! Featured on Jimmy Kimmel, CNN, and more!More than 500 free comics in app!You haven’t experienced comics like this before with genres from superhero to “slice of life” to horror, everyone can find a comic they’ll enjoy.__DESCRIPTION_________________A comic store and reader in your hand!The comic book reader with comiXology’s patent pending Guided View, where the entire comic page is left intact, and you are guided through a dynamically masked, iPhone-friendly view of the panels.Publishers include:Marvel Comics DC Comics Image Comics BOOM Studios Dynamite Entertainment Red 5 TOKYOPOP Zenescopeand A Wave Blue World AdHouse Books Arcana Comics Archaia Aspen Comics Asylum Press Bluewater Comics BOOM! Studios Cartoon Books Com.X Creative Impulse Digital Manga Digital Webbing eigoMANGA Evil Twin Comics First Salvo AAM/Markosia Moonstone Radical Publishing Slave Labor Graphics (SLG)Top Cow Th3rd World StudiosAs well as many creator-owned titles!__FIND_US______________________Web: comixology.com/iphoneappTwitter: @comixologyFacebook: facebook.com/comiXology
What’s new in this version: – Introducing CMX-HD Books for the new Retina iPad!- Added retina display assets for new iPad- Added sharing via Facebook, Twitter and Email.- Easily read your downloaded comics from anywhere in the store.- Various bug fixes and stability improvements.
Article source: http://download.cnet.com/Comics/3000-20412_4-75015969.html
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: Iphone 5
iPhone 5 To Have Universal Remote Functionalities?
Change channels with your iPhone
Before Apple takes control of our living rooms with the highly rumoured Apple TV, the company is setting the stage to offer its other devices a chance to lead the attack. According to a recent report from Patently Apple, the company is looking to offer the universal remote control feature to iPhones and possibly iPads.
The team from Patently Apple describes how the new patent once integrated in the next generation iPads and iPhones would work: “you take a photo of your current TV remote and it sends it to iCloud for analysis. It then sends a “virtual copy” of your remote, functionality and all, to your iPhone.”
Such iOS based remote controls could be used to configure more than home entertainment systems with its array of audio and video equipment, but also home automation systems, including lighting, doors, as well as temperature.
However, if Apple intends to release universal control functionality for iPhones and iPads along with the new Apple TV, some tech writers are wondering if Apple doesn’t have some intriguing and inconvenient strategy.
Would future users of Apple TV have to own other Apple products in order to control their new electronics in the living room?
Article source: http://www.itproportal.com/2012/03/23/iphone-5-to-have-universal-remote-functionalities/
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: Iphone 5
iPhone 5 with 4G LTE support and 3.5 inch screen set for October 2012 release
Earlier this week, a rumor began circulating claiming that Apple’s next-gen iPhone was set to feature a 4.6-inch retina display. The rumor was sketchily sourced back to an anonymous industry source quoted in the Maeli Business Newspaper, and as far as Apple rumors go, this one was particularly outlandish.
But that’s not to say it’s been all quiet on the western front when it comes to credible iPhone rumors.
iMore is reporting that the iPhone 5 will, in fact, be 4G LTE compatible. This of course isn’t terribly surprising given that the new iPad comes with 4G LTE support. What’s more, the iDownload blog recently found data strings embedded within the recent iOS 5.1 release which contain references to 4G capabilities.
But the real question looming over the iPhone 5 is whether or not it will feature a larger screen.
To date, Apple has been more than happy to stick with the 3.5-inch screen it’s been using since the original iPhone first launched back in 2007. And while competitors have sought to differentiate themselves from the iPhone by churning out devices with unusually large screens (I’m looking at you Galaxy Note), Apple thus far has been unwilling to play that game of screen size one upmanship.
And it’s hard to argue with Apple’s logic given that they seemingly can’t make enough iPhones to keep up with demand.
That said, there have been a string of rumors over the past few months suggesting that Apple is considering an iPhone with a larger 4-inch screen. Indeed, many believed that the device that would become the iPhone 4S would feature a larger edge to edge screen.
A few month back, iLounge - which has a remarkably strong track record - relayed that the next-gen iPhone will sport a 4-inch display and will be 8mm longer than the current iPhone design
That notwithstanding, iMore writes that the next iPhone will likely maintain the current 3.5-inch display, but concedes that nothing is set in stone just yet. Now should Apple go with a larger screen, expect something in the range of 4 inches, not the 4.6-inch monster screen you might find on the HTC Thunderbolt, for example.
As for a release date, it appears that Apple will stick with the October launch window. While every iPhone, sans the iPhone 4S, was released during the Summer months, technical delays famously forced Apple to push back the iPhone 4S release to October. Releasing a new iPhone model just 8 or 9 months later just wouldn’t make sense from a business standpoint and might also frustrate iPhone 4S owners.
Lastly, iMore reiterates a previous report of theirs which claims that the next-gen iPhone will incorporate a smaller dock connector. One of the advantages in doing so is that it would enable Apple to incorporate a larger battery into its next-gen iPhone. A larger battery would in many ways be a necessity with 4G in the picture, and even more so should Apple’s next-gen iPhone feature a larger display.
Curiously, battery life is often overlooked as an important feature in modern day smartphones. A new phone with 4G capabilities and a 4.3 inch screen is praised even though it may only last 2-3 hours on a single charge. Apple, though takes battery life very seriously, which is why, in part, it was in no rush to release a 3G-enabled iPhone. That said, if the next-gen iPhone is in fact 4G LTE, expect it to have the best battery life in its class.
Article source: http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/80117
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: Iphone 5
iPhone 5 rumour rollup for the week ending March 23
iPhone 5 rumors are taking on new ambitions: the phone that can bankrupt Sprint, for example.
This week: how iPhone 5 will bankrupt Sprint, big screens that will disrupt the iOS app ecosystem, iOS 6 blossoms in June.
You read it here second.
__________
“The whole reason I’m writing this article is because the idea of a bigger screen on an iPhone had me salivating.” – Todd Haselton, TechnoBuffalo, explaining the physiological impact of iPhone rumors.
__________
iPhone 5 will drive Sprint into bankruptcy
iPhone 5 will be an unalloyed good for everyone except Sprint, if the handset arrives with an LTE radio.
IN PICTURES: Inside Apple’s iPad worldwide ubiquity
IN THE NEWS: 14 cool, but off-beat inventions
This current rumor is based on a stock analyst’s downgrade of Sprint stock this week. Craig Moffett, of Bernstein Research, cut his rating to Underperform from Market Perform, and reduced his target share price to $1.75, from $2.50. And he outlined how the company might be forced in bankruptcy in the next three or four years. (Forbes’ Eric Savtiz picked up on Moffett’s analysis.)
The company has huge debts coming due staring next year, for one thing. For another, it’s committed to buying a whole lot of iPhones from Apple. And for yet another, there’s the dread prospect of the LTE iPhone 5, according to Moffett, that “poses new and lager risks” for the carrier.
“We believe an LTE iPhone will likely be badly disadvantaged on Sprint’s network, potentially impairing sales … at a time when Sprint is subject to a punishing take-or-pay deal with Apple,” Moffett writes. “The problem is 4G. Sprint doesn’t have enough free-and-clear spectrum on which to launch a competitive LTE network, and it doesn’t have the money to clear spectrum that’s already in use. We expect Sprint’s competitiveness to begin to backslide when LTE becomes the nation’s de facto standard.”
And the iOSsphere is all over it. Surojit Chatterjee, posting for International Business Times, breezily announces that “2012 is going to be the year of quad-core-powered, 4G LTE-enabled smartphones,” that “4G LTE on the next iPhone is almost a ‘done deal,’” and since Sprint hasn’t released a 4G smartphone, “the launch of the new iPhone is expected to kill Sprint, as users will lean towards Verizon or ATT for purchasing the upcoming iPhone.”
Chatterjee, we suspect, kind of skimmed Moffett’s analysis, because here’s his take: “According to the $15.5 million contract signed between Sprint and Apple, the former has to buy minimum 25 million iPhones from Apple in the next four years. If Sprint fails to upgrade its network to LTE at a nationwide level, then these iPhones will go unsold and could cause Sprint to incur huge debts.”
Sprint already has such huge debts that another $15 million looks like a drop in the bucket. And the new iPad‘s LTE chipset comes with advanced support for the highest 3G (or non-LTE 4G, depending on your choice of definitions) speeds available, which mobile carriers are still deploying. LTE subscriber growth in the U.S. has been spectacular in terms of the rate of growth, but at the end of 2011, the total number was still a fraction of all mobile phone users: 5.6 million, most of them on Verizon Wireless, according to data from Telegeography. And it’s also a fraction of the number of potential subscribers: Verizon claims its LTE network covers more than 200 million people.
At the same time, a new study by Localytics found that cellular connectivity for iPad users is relatively unpopular. Only 6% of iPad sessions are over cellular; for iPads with 3G, 55% rely on Wi-Fi; and for 4G iPads (it’s unclear if this is LTE or also more advanced 3G options), the percentage is even higher: 64%, or 2 out of 3.
Part of the reason is that users already have figured out that cellular has limits. In a widely linked-to Wall Street Journal story this week, new iPad users were bushwhacked by the rapid depletion of their monthly LTE data plans. One user streamed two hours of college basketball tournaments to his new iPad and discovered he had used up his entire monthly allotment of 2GB; a second user after five days of using the new iPad was two-thirds of the way through his 3GB plan on ATT.
iPhone 5 will have 4.6-inch Retina display, even if that messes up all 500,000 iPhone apps
Reuters copied-and-pasted a rumor that originated on a South Korean media site, saying that the Next iPhone will have a 4.6-inch screen. The basis for the rumor: one anonymous source.
And the phone will be released “around the second quarter,” whatever that means.
“Apple has decided on the bigger 4.6-inch display for its next iPhone and started placing orders to its suppliers, the Maeil Business Newspaper said, quoting an unnamed industry source.”
That was enough to set TechnoBuffalo’s Todd Haselton “salivating.”
“The whole reason I’m writing this article is because the idea of a bigger screen on an iPhone had me salivating,” he posted. “I just can’t get on board with the 3.5-inch screen on the current model. I used to love it … [But] I’ve just grown tired of the screen in comparison to Samsung’s Super AMOLED HD displays and other screens found on high-end smartphones from HTC and LG. A 4.6-inch Retina Display will definitely grab my attention all over again.”
Perhaps not for long, though. As John Gruber at Daring Fireball pointed out, “no one seems to be pointing out that if it’s true, this new iPhone would need way more pixels than the current 960 × 640 iPhone display. … That means every app in the App Store would need to be redesigned/resized.”
The iPhone 5 firmware, iOS 6, will be unveiled in June
In an astounding feat of deduction, Cult of Mac’s Killian Bell gazed upon the Moscone Center’s public calendar and realized that the weeklong, generically labeled “corporate meeting” scheduled for June 11-15 is nothing else but Apple’s yearly Worldwide Developer Conference. One clue was probably Apple’s practice of scheduling the WWDC for early June. At Moscone Center.
He expects that we can expect all kinds of things to be announced, like iOS 6. And that’s what TechRadar thinks, too, after reading Bell’s post.
“The next version of Apple’s mobile operating system iOS 6 could be previewed in mid-June, following reports that the date for this year’s WWDC has already been set. Last year saw Apple announce iOS 5, which became available alongside the launch of the iPhone 4S in October, so it’s likely we’ll get a first look at iOS 6.”
Past practices show future practices in the iOSsphere. But wait. “Past WWDC events have also seen Apple announce new iPhones. However, Apple broke away from that tradition in 2011 by making us wait until October for the iPhone 4S.”
So past practices do not show future practices. Except when they do. So iOS 6 and iPhone 5 either will or will not be announced at the WWDC.
iPhone 5 will be a universal remote control for TVs, other consumer electronics
Patently Apple picked up another Apple patent application released by the U.S. patent office, this one an invention for a “remote control device that is configurable to gather state information from controlled components.”
“For example, the remote control may have one or more cameras, microphones and/or other sensors. The sensors may be configured to operate upon actuation of the remote control device to determine if signals transmitted by the remote control were received and a desired result was achieved.”
The website speculates that “it’s likely to be integrated into a future iPhone (or other iOS device) instead of it being an add-on app at the App Store. The advanced features being added to Apple remote could be signaling their preparation for a standalone HDTV as it’s to control a television and other related entertainment devices.”
Our guess is that the iOSsphere doesn’t quite know what to make of this, as witnessed by Arnold Kim, at Mac Rumors, who writes vaguely that “it shows Apple’s research interests into home entertainment systems and seems relevant given the ongoing rumors of a[n] Apple TV set.”
Others were bolder, or perhaps more reckless. “A leaked Apple patent reveals possible schematic changes to the upcoming iPhone 5 — the most surprising of them being that Apple’s next-gen smartphone may be usable as a universal remote,” InvestorPlace’s Adam Patterson breathlessly proclaimed. The phony idea that this is a “leak” and not a regular, public publication by a federal agency always seems to lend the requisite urgency that iPhone rumors call for.
No word on whether iPhone 5 will have a built-in bottle opener.
iPhone 5 will be an NFC wonder
Over at the aptly named Planet Insane, Delaon has concluded that Near Field Communications (NFC) on the iPhone 5 “is becoming a huge possibility.”
And why, you ask? Because he reads Patently Apple, which had post on a recently published Apple patent application about “iWallet” and NFC “which may possibly be the iPhone 5.”
“The image [in the patent application] also points to the location of the NFC sensor in the iPhone 5 which appears like it’s in the front of the device on the left side of the ear piece. The location is interesting because some may want the sensor to be somewhere else on the handset such as on its bottom or side part.”
If it’s in a diagram describing an invention it must be for the iPhone 5.
John Cox covers wireless networking and mobile computing for Network World. Twitter: http://twitter.com/johnwcoxnww Email: john_cox@nww.com Blog RSS feed: http://www.networkworld.com/community/blog/2989/feed
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Article source: http://www.techworld.com.au/article/419524/iphone_5_rumour_rollup_week_ending_march_23/?fp=16&fpid=1
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: Iphone 5 News