News Of Dual-Network iPhone 5 Benefits Verizon More Than AT&T

Verizon's recent gaffe confirms that the iPhone5 will indeed be a dual-network device that will work with both CDMA and GSM. While the notion of a dual-network iPhone 5 isn't much of a revelation, the news helps Verizon more than AT&T. Here's why:

Another slip of the tongue has confirmed yet another detail about the upcoming iPhone 5.

Less than three weeks after Sony CEO Howard Stringer tacitly admitted that the next iPhone 5 camera would be of the 8 megapixel variety, Verizon's Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo seems to have now confirmed that the iPhone 5 will indeed be a dual-network device, supporting both AT&T's GSM and Verizon's CDMA technologies. Venturebeat reports that "in an attempt to deflect an analyst probing for details on Apple's next phone, Verizon inadvertently mentioned that [the iPhone 5] will be a 'global device'."

While the iPhone community is always happy to have virtually any detail about the iPhone 5 confirmed or corroborated (except, perhaps, for the recent report of a late September release), news of a dual-network iPhone 5 should not come as an earth-shattering revelation to those who have followed the it over the past six month of so. It is true that Apple had to fashion an alternate CDMA-equipped iPhone 4 to work on the Verizon network, creating two network variants with very slight design differences between the two.

But the production of the CDMA model was a work-around for Apple; obviously, a deal with Verizon had not been solidified by the time the iPhone 4 was launched in the summer of 2010, meaning that the initial AT&T model had no CDMA capabilities. And as we all know, there was no way that Apple could have clandestinely outfitted the original AT&T iPhone to run on CDMA — too many iPhone geeks out there pop open their new iPhones to look under the hood. Any stealth move to equip the iPhone 4 for both networks would have been discovered. This time around, however, it makes good business sense to make sure that the iPhone 5 works on both networks; it will keep production costs down and make shipping and inventory far easier.

An interesting question to consider, however, is whether or not a dual-network iPhone 5 benefits either carrier, or is it just a wash?

I would argue that, while the dual-channel iPhone 5 revelation isn't going to be any kind of groundbreaking game-changer for either mobile carrier, it is Verizon that may have the most to gain from the notion that both companies will share the same iPhone design.

More than any other iPhone 5 topic on this blog, the subject of AT&T versus Verizon has inspired more angst, vitriol, and hurt feelings. We wrote an article about it a while back, and people weighed in on the issue with gusto, defending their mobile network providers with bravado. It's a fact: iPhone users are passionate about their carriers. AT&T and Verizon are like political parties around here. (I guess Sprint customers are the Independents.)

Thus, I know that I am stepping into a minefield with Verizon customers when I reluctantly state that CDMA is generally considered to be the slower of the two mobile technologies, disallowing the kind of multi-tasking that AT&T iPhone users typically enjoy. Whether or not this is true, however, is not the issue: the fact remains that this is the prevailing belief about Verizon.

With this is mind, one can imagine that it can only benefit Verizon for prospective iPhone 5 customers to see that the device works on both networks. Unlike the iPhone 4, which has two variants for GSM and CDMA, the iPhone is the same phone, same specs, same technology. AT&T will no longer be able to infer that they have the "better iPhone" model.

Sameness is the name of the game for Verizon this time around, as they will finally have a chance to compete with AT&T right out of the gate with the iPhone 5. The game plan will be the same for both carriers: AT&T will tout speed and versatility, and Verizon will roll out their maps. It should be a real hoot.

News Of Dual-Network iPhone 5 Benefits Verizon More Than AT&T

Verizon's recent gaffe confirms that the iPhone5 will indeed be a dual-network device that will work with both CDMA and GSM. While the notion of a dual-network iPhone 5 isn't much of a revelation, the news helps Verizon more than AT&T. Here's why:

Another slip of the tongue has confirmed yet another detail about the upcoming iPhone 5.

Less than three weeks after Sony CEO Howard Stringer tacitly admitted that the next iPhone 5 camera would be of the 8 megapixel variety, Verizon's Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo seems to have now confirmed that the iPhone 5 will indeed be a dual-network device, supporting both AT&T's GSM and Verizon's CDMA technologies. Venturebeat reports that "in an attempt to deflect an analyst probing for details on Apple's next phone, Verizon inadvertently mentioned that [the iPhone 5] will be a 'global device'."

While the iPhone community is always happy to have virtually any detail about the iPhone 5 confirmed or corroborated (except, perhaps, for the recent report of a late September release), news of a dual-network iPhone 5 should not come as an earth-shattering revelation to those who have followed the it over the past six month of so. It is true that Apple had to fashion an alternate CDMA-equipped iPhone 4 to work on the Verizon network, creating two network variants with very slight design differences between the two.

But the production of the CDMA model was a work-around for Apple; obviously, a deal with Verizon had not been solidified by the time the iPhone 4 was launched in the summer of 2010, meaning that the initial AT&T model had no CDMA capabilities. And as we all know, there was no way that Apple could have clandestinely outfitted the original AT&T iPhone to run on CDMA — too many iPhone geeks out there pop open their new iPhones to look under the hood. Any stealth move to equip the iPhone 4 for both networks would have been discovered. This time around, however, it makes good business sense to make sure that the iPhone 5 works on both networks; it will keep production costs down and make shipping and inventory far easier.

An interesting question to consider, however, is whether or not a dual-network iPhone 5 benefits either carrier, or is it just a wash?

I would argue that, while the dual-channel iPhone 5 revelation isn't going to be any kind of groundbreaking game-changer for either mobile carrier, it is Verizon that may have the most to gain from the notion that both companies will share the same iPhone design.

More than any other iPhone 5 topic on this blog, the subject of AT&T versus Verizon has inspired more angst, vitriol, and hurt feelings. We wrote an article about it a while back, and people weighed in on the issue with gusto, defending their mobile network providers with bravado. It's a fact: iPhone users are passionate about their carriers. AT&T and Verizon are like political parties around here. (I guess Sprint customers are the Independents.)

Thus, I know that I am stepping into a minefield with Verizon customers when I reluctantly state that CDMA is generally considered to be the slower of the two mobile technologies, disallowing the kind of multi-tasking that AT&T iPhone users typically enjoy. Whether or not this is true, however, is not the issue: the fact remains that this is the prevailing belief about Verizon.

With this is mind, one can imagine that it can only benefit Verizon for prospective iPhone 5 customers to see that the device works on both networks. Unlike the iPhone 4, which has two variants for GSM and CDMA, the iPhone is the same phone, same specs, same technology. AT&T will no longer be able to infer that they have the "better iPhone" model.

Sameness is the name of the game for Verizon this time around, as they will finally have a chance to compete with AT&T right out of the gate with the iPhone 5. The game plan will be the same for both carriers: AT&T will tout speed and versatility, and Verizon will roll out their maps. It should be a real hoot.

Reuters Joins the iPhone 5 News Blog In Predicting September iPhone 5 Release

Skeptics of a late-summer iPhone 5 release have balked at suggestions that Apple would depart from its usual June iPhone release. But new, well-sourced reports corroborate what the iPhone 5 News Blog has reported since January — that the iPhone 5 will ship in September.

It appears that the mainstream tech media has begun to embrace what the iPhone 5 News Blog has reported all along: that the iPhone 5 will be released at the end of the summer.

The news wires were abuzz Wednesday morning as Reuters and others reported that the iPhone5 is set to begin mass production in July, with a release planned for September. The Reuters report indicates that the iPhone 5 "will have a faster processor and will begin shipping in September, three people with direct knowledge of the company's supply chain said."

While the mainstream press has searched out reliable sources for months that could corroborate the theory of a late-summer release for the iPhone 5, the iPhone 5 News Blog predicted an August or September launch of the iPhone 5 on January 8th, 2011 on the heels of the Verizon iPhone announcement in this article, Verizon iPhone Announcement Clears Path For Future iPhone 5 Release.

From the outset of the Verizon iPhone release, it has been apparent to us that Verizon's deal with Apple would stipulate ample time to sell their version of the iPhone 4 without the disruption of a June iPhone 5 announcement to squelch spring sales. Just as AT&T enjoyed six months of uncontested iPhone 4 sales before the Verizon announcement, it stood to reason that Verizon too would expect a six-month sales window for the Verizon iPhone 4.

It now appears that well-placed sources are confirming this rationale for the iPhone 5.

The Reuters piece also reveals some other interesting details about the iPhone 5 as well, including some details about how it will look. The iPhone 5 is purported to look similar to the iPhone 4 in size and dimension. If the dimensions of the iPhone 5 remain true to the iPhone 4, then this would suggest that the only prospect of a larger screen would be if the iPhone 5 sports an edge-to-edge screen, maximizing the dimensions of the current chassis.

There's no word on the metal back rumor, however, which would indeed change the cosmetic look of the iPhone 5.

To be sure, even rumors that come from supposed well-placed sources "with direct knowledge of the company's supply chain" can never be completely trusted, especially considering that an audacious iPhone tip — whether true or not — most likely commands a great deal of money. However, another piece of this rumor, which reveals that Wintek, Foxconn, and Largan are producing the components for the iPhone 5, lends more credibility to the voracity of the claim, since Wall Street is responding positively. Reuters reports that "Largan's Taipei-listed shares ended up 3.7 percent, Hon Hai rose 4.3 percent and Foxconn rose 6.6 percent, outpacing the benchmark TAIEX share index's 2 percent advance."

The fact that top investors are staking their financial resources on these suppliers indicates that Wall Street is satisfied with this report on the iPhone 5′s release month.

While the tech community may not be completely convinced of a September iPhone 5 release until the WWDC has come and gone with no new iPhone announcement, this new Reuters report should begin to put to rest any lingering rumors of a June release.

The iPhone 5 Compendium: A Complete List Of Rumored iPhone 5 Features To Date

The tech community has been prognosticating about the features of the iPhone5 ever since the iPhone 4 made its debut in the summer of 2010. Here's a quick yet thorough list of purported features that very well may end up on the iPhone 5.

Do a quick review of the articles here on the iPhone 5 News Blog and you start to realize that there are a virtual myriad of new, possible features that could be coming to the iPhone 5. The list is staggering! For as much as we would like to see most of these features end up on the iPhone 5, that simply won't be the case: as the saying goes, you can please some of the people some of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but never all of the people all of the time.

Besides, Steve Jobs and Apple will have to hold some of these goodies back to make the iPhone 6 something to get excited about.

But because news sites and blogs tend to report on rumored features for the iPhone 5 as they pop up, you rarely get anything more than a "roundup" of the hottest iPhone 5 topics. What we've done here is listed everything that we've heard about for the iPhone 5, and give our take on both the coolness factor (how much of a "wow" it will cause at the iPhone 5′s announcement) and the probability factor that a feature will end up on the iPhone 5.

Be sure to check out our new page on all of the rumored iPhone 5 Features, and be sure to let us know if we missed anything!

iPhone 5 on September 13th: five reasons release isn't worth waiting for

If the iPhone 5 really is to be a September baby, it'll be unveiled in September 13th. And that being the case, our official advice has changed: if you're sitting around waiting for more information on the iPhone5 in order to make a decision on whether to buy an iPhone 4 now or keep waiting, and it turns out the iPhone 5 really is coming in the fall instead of the summer, go ahead and take the plunge on the iPhone 4 now. Bear in mind that this advice is conditional upon the iPhone 5 being held back until the fall; if it does indeed arrive this June then you're best off simply waiting another six weeks. But Apple traditionally holds its fall press event on the second Tuesday of September, namely the 13th in 2011, and if that event is to be the first sign of the iPhone 5 along with the iPod models which will debut that day, don't bother waiting. Here's why.iPhone 4 rocks: Several members of the Beatweek staff have been using the iPhone 4 since last year, and while we'll likely all upgrade to the iPhone 5 as soon as it arrives, here's what we've learned about the iPhone 4 in the mean time. It's by far the most ideal smartphone on the market. It's faster, more versatile, thinner, and lighter than any previous iPhone model, and offers significantly more battery life with a much better screen. The supposed "iPhone 4 antenna issue" simply does not exist except in the minds of the deviants who concocted it. On its own merits, it's nearly the perfect smartphone; we'd be hard pressed to come with things we don't like about it.

4G pipedream: Even if the iPhone 5 does end up offering 4G networking, that'll only work in the scant areas in which Verizon and AT&T have actually built 4G networks. For the vast majority of iPhone 5 customers, it'll be the same 3G or even EDGE experience that they'd have gotten on the iPhone 4. Unless you live in one of a handful of big cities where 4G LTE will arrive early, this is not a reason to wait for the iPhone 5.

Verizon already has the iPhone: For those Verizon customers who wanted an iPhone but skipped the iPhone 4 because they thought the iPhone 5 was just around the corner, we'll ask you this: what exactly have you gained by waiting? A few more months of being stuck with your existing phone, which you clearly don't want? And now you're looking at another few more months of doing the same? You're not winning this battle.

Question marks: In other words, it's all we know about the iPhone 5. Will it offer better specs and features than the iPhone 4? Certainly. What will those specs and features be, and will any of them be relevant to you? No way of knowing. Waiting means you're gambling that the iPhone 5 will offer something over the iPhone 4 which will have justified your wait. Waiting does not equal playing it safe; it's just a different kind of gamble.

Have it both ways: The real clincher is that even if you buy an iPhone 4 now, you can still buy an iPhone 5 later. Sure, you'll end up paying $200 above sticker for the iPhone 5 because you'll have used up your upgrade cycle on the iPhone 4 purchase. But nothing says you can't turn around and sell your iPhone 4 in September (for more than you paid for it, thanks to the magic of unsubsidized pricing), and put that money toward paying your iPhone 5 ransom. You'll still end up having paid at least little bit for the privilege using an iPhone 4 between now and iPhone 5 launch day, but it won't preclude you from getting to experience both iPhone generations. Here's more on the iPhone 5.

iPhone 5 on September 13th: five reasons release isn't worth waiting for

If the iPhone 5 really is to be a September baby, it'll be unveiled in September 13th. And that being the case, our official advice has changed: if you're sitting around waiting for more information on the iPhone5 in order to make a decision on whether to buy an iPhone 4 now or keep waiting, and it turns out the iPhone 5 really is coming in the fall instead of the summer, go ahead and take the plunge on the iPhone 4 now. Bear in mind that this advice is conditional upon the iPhone 5 being held back until the fall; if it does indeed arrive this June then you're best off simply waiting another six weeks. But Apple traditionally holds its fall press event on the second Tuesday of September, namely the 13th in 2011, and if that event is to be the first sign of the iPhone 5 along with the iPod models which will debut that day, don't bother waiting. Here's why.iPhone 4 rocks: Several members of the Beatweek staff have been using the iPhone 4 since last year, and while we'll likely all upgrade to the iPhone 5 as soon as it arrives, here's what we've learned about the iPhone 4 in the mean time. It's by far the most ideal smartphone on the market. It's faster, more versatile, thinner, and lighter than any previous iPhone model, and offers significantly more battery life with a much better screen. The supposed "iPhone 4 antenna issue" simply does not exist except in the minds of the deviants who concocted it. On its own merits, it's nearly the perfect smartphone; we'd be hard pressed to come with things we don't like about it.

4G pipedream: Even if the iPhone 5 does end up offering 4G networking, that'll only work in the scant areas in which Verizon and AT&T have actually built 4G networks. For the vast majority of iPhone 5 customers, it'll be the same 3G or even EDGE experience that they'd have gotten on the iPhone 4. Unless you live in one of a handful of big cities where 4G LTE will arrive early, this is not a reason to wait for the iPhone 5.

Verizon already has the iPhone: For those Verizon customers who wanted an iPhone but skipped the iPhone 4 because they thought the iPhone 5 was just around the corner, we'll ask you this: what exactly have you gained by waiting? A few more months of being stuck with your existing phone, which you clearly don't want? And now you're looking at another few more months of doing the same? You're not winning this battle.

Question marks: In other words, it's all we know about the iPhone 5. Will it offer better specs and features than the iPhone 4? Certainly. What will those specs and features be, and will any of them be relevant to you? No way of knowing. Waiting means you're gambling that the iPhone 5 will offer something over the iPhone 4 which will have justified your wait. Waiting does not equal playing it safe; it's just a different kind of gamble.

Have it both ways: The real clincher is that even if you buy an iPhone 4 now, you can still buy an iPhone 5 later. Sure, you'll end up paying $200 above sticker for the iPhone 5 because you'll have used up your upgrade cycle on the iPhone 4 purchase. But nothing says you can't turn around and sell your iPhone 4 in September (for more than you paid for it, thanks to the magic of unsubsidized pricing), and put that money toward paying your iPhone 5 ransom. You'll still end up having paid at least little bit for the privilege using an iPhone 4 between now and iPhone 5 launch day, but it won't preclude you from getting to experience both iPhone generations. Here's more on the iPhone 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.

Reuters Joins the iPhone 5 News Blog In Predicting September iPhone 5 Release

Skeptics of a late-summer iPhone 5 release have balked at suggestions that Apple would depart from its usual June iPhone release. But new, well-sourced reports corroborate what the iPhone 5 News Blog has reported since January — that the iPhone 5 will ship in September.

It appears that the mainstream tech media has begun to embrace what the iPhone 5 News Blog has reported all along: that the iPhone 5 will be released at the end of the summer.

The news wires were abuzz Wednesday morning as Reuters and others reported that the iPhone5 is set to begin mass production in July, with a release planned for September. The Reuters report indicates that the iPhone 5 "will have a faster processor and will begin shipping in September, three people with direct knowledge of the company's supply chain said."

While the mainstream press has searched out reliable sources for months that could corroborate the theory of a late-summer release for the iPhone 5, the iPhone 5 News Blog predicted an August or September launch of the iPhone 5 on January 8th, 2011 on the heels of the Verizon iPhone announcement in this article, Verizon iPhone Announcement Clears Path For Future iPhone 5 Release.

From the outset of the Verizon iPhone release, it has been apparent to us that Verizon's deal with Apple would stipulate ample time to sell their version of the iPhone 4 without the disruption of a June iPhone 5 announcement to squelch spring sales. Just as AT&T enjoyed six months of uncontested iPhone 4 sales before the Verizon announcement, it stood to reason that Verizon too would expect a six-month sales window for the Verizon iPhone 4.

It now appears that well-placed sources are confirming this rationale for the iPhone 5.

The Reuters piece also reveals some other interesting details about the iPhone 5 as well, including some details about how it will look. The iPhone 5 is purported to look similar to the iPhone 4 in size and dimension. If the dimensions of the iPhone 5 remain true to the iPhone 4, then this would suggest that the only prospect of a larger screen would be if the iPhone 5 sports an edge-to-edge screen, maximizing the dimensions of the current chassis.

There's no word on the metal back rumor, however, which would indeed change the cosmetic look of the iPhone 5.

To be sure, even rumors that come from supposed well-placed sources "with direct knowledge of the company's supply chain" can never be completely trusted, especially considering that an audacious iPhone tip — whether true or not — most likely commands a great deal of money. However, another piece of this rumor, which reveals that Wintek, Foxconn, and Largan are producing the components for the iPhone 5, lends more credibility to the voracity of the claim, since Wall Street is responding positively. Reuters reports that "Largan's Taipei-listed shares ended up 3.7 percent, Hon Hai rose 4.3 percent and Foxconn rose 6.6 percent, outpacing the benchmark TAIEX share index's 2 percent advance."

The fact that top investors are staking their financial resources on these suppliers indicates that Wall Street is satisfied with this report on the iPhone 5′s release month.

While the tech community may not be completely convinced of a September iPhone 5 release until the WWDC has come and gone with no new iPhone announcement, this new Reuters report should begin to put to rest any lingering rumors of a June release.

Reuters Joins the iPhone 5 News Blog In Predicting September iPhone 5 Release

Skeptics of a late-summer iPhone 5 release have balked at suggestions that Apple would depart from its usual June iPhone release. But new, well-sourced reports corroborate what the iPhone 5 News Blog has reported since January — that the iPhone 5 will ship in September.

It appears that the mainstream tech media has begun to embrace what the iPhone 5 News Blog has reported all along: that the iPhone 5 will be released at the end of the summer.

The news wires were abuzz Wednesday morning as Reuters and others reported that the iPhone5 is set to begin mass production in July, with a release planned for September. The Reuters report indicates that the iPhone 5 "will have a faster processor and will begin shipping in September, three people with direct knowledge of the company's supply chain said."

While the mainstream press has searched out reliable sources for months that could corroborate the theory of a late-summer release for the iPhone 5, the iPhone 5 News Blog predicted an August or September launch of the iPhone 5 on January 8th, 2011 on the heels of the Verizon iPhone announcement in this article, Verizon iPhone Announcement Clears Path For Future iPhone 5 Release.

From the outset of the Verizon iPhone release, it has been apparent to us that Verizon's deal with Apple would stipulate ample time to sell their version of the iPhone 4 without the disruption of a June iPhone 5 announcement to squelch spring sales. Just as AT&T enjoyed six months of uncontested iPhone 4 sales before the Verizon announcement, it stood to reason that Verizon too would expect a six-month sales window for the Verizon iPhone 4.

It now appears that well-placed sources are confirming this rationale for the iPhone 5.

The Reuters piece also reveals some other interesting details about the iPhone 5 as well, including some details about how it will look. The iPhone 5 is purported to look similar to the iPhone 4 in size and dimension. If the dimensions of the iPhone 5 remain true to the iPhone 4, then this would suggest that the only prospect of a larger screen would be if the iPhone 5 sports an edge-to-edge screen, maximizing the dimensions of the current chassis.

There's no word on the metal back rumor, however, which would indeed change the cosmetic look of the iPhone 5.

To be sure, even rumors that come from supposed well-placed sources "with direct knowledge of the company's supply chain" can never be completely trusted, especially considering that an audacious iPhone tip — whether true or not — most likely commands a great deal of money. However, another piece of this rumor, which reveals that Wintek, Foxconn, and Largan are producing the components for the iPhone 5, lends more credibility to the voracity of the claim, since Wall Street is responding positively. Reuters reports that "Largan's Taipei-listed shares ended up 3.7 percent, Hon Hai rose 4.3 percent and Foxconn rose 6.6 percent, outpacing the benchmark TAIEX share index's 2 percent advance."

The fact that top investors are staking their financial resources on these suppliers indicates that Wall Street is satisfied with this report on the iPhone 5′s release month.

While the tech community may not be completely convinced of a September iPhone 5 release until the WWDC has come and gone with no new iPhone announcement, this new Reuters report should begin to put to rest any lingering rumors of a June release.

The iPhone 5 Compendium: A Complete List Of Rumored iPhone 5 Features To Date

The tech community has been prognosticating about the features of the iPhone5 ever since the iPhone 4 made its debut in the summer of 2010. Here's a quick yet thorough list of purported features that very well may end up on the iPhone 5.

Do a quick review of the articles here on the iPhone 5 News Blog and you start to realize that there are a virtual myriad of new, possible features that could be coming to the iPhone 5. The list is staggering! For as much as we would like to see most of these features end up on the iPhone 5, that simply won't be the case: as the saying goes, you can please some of the people some of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but never all of the people all of the time.

Besides, Steve Jobs and Apple will have to hold some of these goodies back to make the iPhone 6 something to get excited about.

But because news sites and blogs tend to report on rumored features for the iPhone 5 as they pop up, you rarely get anything more than a "roundup" of the hottest iPhone 5 topics. What we've done here is listed everything that we've heard about for the iPhone 5, and give our take on both the coolness factor (how much of a "wow" it will cause at the iPhone 5′s announcement) and the probability factor that a feature will end up on the iPhone 5.

Be sure to check out our new page on all of the rumored iPhone 5 Features, and be sure to let us know if we missed anything!

Top 10 iPhone News You Might Have Missed This Week

This is a summary of the most popular articles published on iDB and our sister,ziPadBlog, this past week.

Please make sure to spread our iPhone wisdom by sharing our posts on Twitter and Facebook.

• iPhone 5 to Sport A5 Processor and 8 MP Camera?
• Jailbreak iOS 4.3.2 with RedSn0w
• White iPhone 4 Spotted Running Mysterious Version of iOS
• TinyUmbrella Updated to Support iOS 4.3.2 and iOS 4.2.7
• iPhone5 Coming in September, Will be Similar to iPhone 4
• Your iPhone Secretly Records Your Location Data
• Untrackerd Stops Your iPhone From Secretly Tracking Your Location
• Verizon CFO Says that iPhone 5 Will Be GSM + CDMA "Global Device"
• iPhone Won't Have 4G Until At Least 2012
• First White iPhone 4 Has Been Sold!

From our sister iPad Blog, ziPadBlog.com:

• Toys R' Us and Best Buy iPad 2 Promotion
  
• How to Jailbreak iPad 4.3.2 with RedSn0w
• FindOne Helps you Track Down iPad 2s
• NFL Finally Releases Official iPad Application
• The Ultimate iPad Stand
• 5 Lessons the iPad 2 Could Learn From the PlayBook

News Of Dual-Network iPhone 5 Benefits Verizon More Than AT&T

Verizon's recent gaffe confirms that the iPhone5 will indeed be a dual-network device that will work with both CDMA and GSM. While the notion of a dual-network iPhone 5 isn't much of a revelation, the news helps Verizon more than AT&T. Here's why:

Another slip of the tongue has confirmed yet another detail about the upcoming iPhone 5.

Less than three weeks after Sony CEO Howard Stringer tacitly admitted that the next iPhone 5 camera would be of the 8 megapixel variety, Verizon's Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo seems to have now confirmed that the iPhone 5 will indeed be a dual-network device, supporting both AT&T's GSM and Verizon's CDMA technologies. Venturebeat reports that "in an attempt to deflect an analyst probing for details on Apple's next phone, Verizon inadvertently mentioned that [the iPhone 5] will be a 'global device'."

While the iPhone community is always happy to have virtually any detail about the iPhone 5 confirmed or corroborated (except, perhaps, for the recent report of a late September release), news of a dual-network iPhone 5 should not come as an earth-shattering revelation to those who have followed the it over the past six month of so. It is true that Apple had to fashion an alternate CDMA-equipped iPhone 4 to work on the Verizon network, creating two network variants with very slight design differences between the two.

But the production of the CDMA model was a work-around for Apple; obviously, a deal with Verizon had not been solidified by the time the iPhone 4 was launched in the summer of 2010, meaning that the initial AT&T model had no CDMA capabilities. And as we all know, there was no way that Apple could have clandestinely outfitted the original AT&T iPhone to run on CDMA — too many iPhone geeks out there pop open their new iPhones to look under the hood. Any stealth move to equip the iPhone 4 for both networks would have been discovered. This time around, however, it makes good business sense to make sure that the iPhone 5 works on both networks; it will keep production costs down and make shipping and inventory far easier.

An interesting question to consider, however, is whether or not a dual-network iPhone 5 benefits either carrier, or is it just a wash?

I would argue that, while the dual-channel iPhone 5 revelation isn't going to be any kind of groundbreaking game-changer for either mobile carrier, it is Verizon that may have the most to gain from the notion that both companies will share the same iPhone design.

More than any other iPhone 5 topic on this blog, the subject of AT&T versus Verizon has inspired more angst, vitriol, and hurt feelings. We wrote an article about it a while back, and people weighed in on the issue with gusto, defending their mobile network providers with bravado. It's a fact: iPhone users are passionate about their carriers. AT&T and Verizon are like political parties around here. (I guess Sprint customers are the Independents.)

Thus, I know that I am stepping into a minefield with Verizon customers when I reluctantly state that CDMA is generally considered to be the slower of the two mobile technologies, disallowing the kind of multi-tasking that AT&T iPhone users typically enjoy. Whether or not this is true, however, is not the issue: the fact remains that this is the prevailing belief about Verizon.

With this is mind, one can imagine that it can only benefit Verizon for prospective iPhone 5 customers to see that the device works on both networks. Unlike the iPhone 4, which has two variants for GSM and CDMA, the iPhone is the same phone, same specs, same technology. AT&T will no longer be able to infer that they have the "better iPhone" model.

Sameness is the name of the game for Verizon this time around, as they will finally have a chance to compete with AT&T right out of the gate with the iPhone 5. The game plan will be the same for both carriers: AT&T will tout speed and versatility, and Verizon will roll out their maps. It should be a real hoot.

Top 10 iPhone News You Might Have Missed This Week

This is a summary of the most popular articles published on iDB and our sister,ziPadBlog, this past week.

Please make sure to spread our iPhone wisdom by sharing our posts on Twitter and Facebook.

• iPhone 5 to Sport A5 Processor and 8 MP Camera?
• Jailbreak iOS 4.3.2 with RedSn0w
• White iPhone 4 Spotted Running Mysterious Version of iOS
• TinyUmbrella Updated to Support iOS 4.3.2 and iOS 4.2.7
• iPhone5 Coming in September, Will be Similar to iPhone 4
• Your iPhone Secretly Records Your Location Data
• Untrackerd Stops Your iPhone From Secretly Tracking Your Location
• Verizon CFO Says that iPhone 5 Will Be GSM + CDMA "Global Device"
• iPhone Won't Have 4G Until At Least 2012
• First White iPhone 4 Has Been Sold!

From our sister iPad Blog, ziPadBlog.com:

• Toys R' Us and Best Buy iPad 2 Promotion
  
• How to Jailbreak iPad 4.3.2 with RedSn0w
• FindOne Helps you Track Down iPad 2s
• NFL Finally Releases Official iPad Application
• The Ultimate iPad Stand
• 5 Lessons the iPad 2 Could Learn From the PlayBook

iPhone 5: iPod touch back, 3.7 inch display, gesture-based home button? (updated)

Update: MacRumors and people in the know who we have spoken to are having their doubts about this one.

This is my next drops a bombshell, claiming that the next-generation iPhone will not be a minimal departure from the iPhone 4, like others are saying, but will be a completely re-designed phone, as Engadget reported earlier this year. The iPhone 5 that the report describes is said to be a prototype in testing – we know that Apple tests many products before going to market – that features a body akin to that of the one found on the fourth-generation iPod touch. This design is said to also be "teardrop" like the late 2010 MacBook Air's design – thicker to thinner fr om top to bottom.

Even more interesting is that the next-generation iPhone is said to gain a larger home button on the bottom portion of the device and… it's gesture sensitive. This is my next points out that this could easily work hand-in-hand with some of those funky new gestures Apple is testing in iOS 4.3 with iOS App Store developers. The report also backs up a report from the Wall Street Journal, and says the screen will cover most of the device's front and the new phone will likely lack a true bezel. Even cooler is that This is my next says Apple is exploring ways to hide the earpiece and the iPhone 4′s famous sensors behind the screen.

Speaking of screens… the report says that it's not your everyday iPhone 3.5 inch display, but it's 3.7 inches and the pixels are staying the same. This will cause a drop in pixel density of 13 pixels-per-inch – but this will still be above the magic Retina mark of 300 pixels per inch. The screen will likely look the same to the human eye, and developers will not need to adjust their graphics. Perhaps they will have the option in the iPhone SDK to to take full advantage of the extra screen real estate. This is my next is also saying that this all-new-phone could possibly sport some sort of wireless/inductive charging and/or NFC, but that is less confirmed – on their part – compared to the rest of the story.

Finally, This is my next closes by making it clear that the described iPhone5 may never hit the streets, but it's certainly being toyed with at Apple HQ:

Now, keep in mind that this info isn't fact — we're getting lots of threads from lots of places and trying to make sense of the noise. The versions of devices our sources are seeing could be design prototypes and not production-ready phones. Still, there are strong indications that Apple will surprise a public that's expecting a bump more along the lines of the 3G to 3GS — and this is some insight into where those designs might be headed. We're working on a couple of other intriguing pieces of information concerning future Apple products… so stay tuned for much, much more.

A5 iPhone 5 prototype released in earnest, but you can't have one (yet)

Here's a bizarre move which will only up the ante when it comes to the up-in-the-air release date of the iPhone 5: Apple is already circulating an A5-equipped iPhone 5 prototype in an iPhone 4 body to trusted app developers for the sake of ensuring said apps are able to take full advantage of the more powerful A5 architecture by the time the iPhone 5 launches. It all makes one wonder just how near or far away the iPhone 5 really is, and whether the developer model being circulated is merely retaining the iPhone 4 body type in order to keep the appearance of the iPhone 5 a secret, or whether the iPhone 5 will in fact look just like the iPhone 4 from the outside after all. Either way, one thing's for sure: you can't have one. Yet.

The kicker, of course, is that Apple is being awfully trusting of third parties, considering that last year an iPhone 4 prototype ended up being sold to the highest bidder and paraded around on the internet as a trophy. Apple's hopes of keeping the original iPhone 4 design a secret were dashed, houses were raided, and the expectation was that the already secretive and paranoid Apple would become even more so after the incident, heading into the iPhone 5 release. And yet here's Apple distributing a quasi-next generation iPhone before its unveiling. It's assumable that at least one of the prototypes will be lost, stolen, photographed, or otherwise before it's all said and done. And while it may look just like an iPhone 4 from the outside, there have to be details inside which, if torn apart, would reveal more information than Apple wants – or maybe not.

In fact the term "iPhone 5″ is something that we outsiders have made up to describe what we suspect Apple's fifth generation iPhone will be, without any knowledge of what the product will be or even whether it will carry that name. The fifth generation iPhone could be a complete external overhaul from the iPhone 4, or it could in fact be the developer prototype being circulated. Either way the move raises more questions than it answers. All it tells us for sure is that the next iPhone will have an A5 processor in it. But then again, on the heels of the A5 iPad 2, that was one of the few iPhone 5 details which was already assumable. Here's more on the iPhone 5.

Dueling iPhone 5 Release Rumors; It's Like Daisy Petal Picking

It's coming in June; it's coming in June – not; it's coming in…..

Appleinsider's Neil Hughes says that rumors of a later-than-usual iPhone model revision for 2011 are being fueled by notoriously secretive Apple being even more secretive than usual in its dealings with overseas suppliers subcontracting to build the devices and their various components as regards the iPhone 5.

Hughes cites a note to investors by Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White, who is on a tech company visit sweep through Taiwan and China, commenting last Friday that "Apple is keeping its iPhone 5 cards extra close to the vest on this launch to avoid a falloff in iPhone 4 demand ahead of a refresh, especially given the February launch of the CDMA iPhone 4 with Verizon." However, White guesses there's still room for the iPhone 5 to still launch in June or July, consistent with Apple's usual calendar envelope for major iPhone announcements and revisions, and noting that there's really no solid evidence supporting either that postulate or a later iPhone 5 release in the fall.

TheStreet's James Rogers agrees with White, suggesting that with iPhone 5 rumors "ping-ponging" back and forth, the chatter, and in some instance angst, over a significant iPhone 5 release delay may be getting overblown.

On the other hand, Rogers notes — as I too have here previously — that Apple's press release for the June Worldwide Developers' Conference (WWDC), which in recent years has been a venue for iPhone revision announcements, made no reference to new hardware, a seemingly pointed omission, and affirmed instead that this year's WWDC will be focused on unveiling the future of iOS and Mac OS. Of course, we can't discount the possibility of a Steve Jobsian "one more thing" surprise announcement of the iPhone 5 at the keynote climax, whether or not the ailing (and we hope mending) Mr. Jobs is there to deliver it.

My takeaway is that while Apple's new and revised product releases are at least roughly predictable more often than not, attempting to pin them down to a precise time frame is a mug's game and an exercise in frustration and futility, compounded by the fact that from the moment the iPhone5 (launch of which is inevitable at some point in the not too distant future) is announced, new speculation will ramp up focusing on iPhone 6. Indeed, the iPad 2 announcement was still weeks in the future when prognostications about an iPhone 3 began circulating.

Waiting out anticipated product announcements can be frustrating, or part of the fun, depending on how you choose to look at it, but the upside is that current iPhone 4 is an excellent device that will do a fine job for you if you really need to make a purchase in the short term.

The iPhone 5 Compendium: A Complete List Of Rumored iPhone 5 Features To Date

The tech community has been prognosticating about the features of the iPhone5 ever since the iPhone 4 made its debut in the summer of 2010. Here's a quick yet thorough list of purported features that very well may end up on the iPhone 5.

Do a quick review of the articles here on the iPhone 5 News Blog and you start to realize that there are a virtual myriad of new, possible features that could be coming to the iPhone 5. The list is staggering! For as much as we would like to see most of these features end up on the iPhone 5, that simply won't be the case: as the saying goes, you can please some of the people some of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but never all of the people all of the time.

Besides, Steve Jobs and Apple will have to hold some of these goodies back to make the iPhone 6 something to get excited about.

But because news sites and blogs tend to report on rumored features for the iPhone 5 as they pop up, you rarely get anything more than a "roundup" of the hottest iPhone 5 topics. What we've done here is listed everything that we've heard about for the iPhone 5, and give our take on both the coolness factor (how much of a "wow" it will cause at the iPhone 5′s announcement) and the probability factor that a feature will end up on the iPhone 5.

Be sure to check out our new page on all of the rumored iPhone 5 Features, and be sure to let us know if we missed anything!

Competing: 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.

[via beatweek]

iPhone location tracking: geeks hiding that Android is bigger violator

When the headlines arose across the geek techosphere this week about the iPhone's nasty habit of collecting and reporting location data, headlines which were then mindlessly parroted by the mainstream press, I couldn't but think the obvious: I'll bet the Android platform does the exact same thing, and the geeks pushing this story know it, and yet they've conveniently left that part out. Turns out I was wrong: Android is actually a much bigger offender. According to industry expert Christopher Soghoian, the iPhone reports your location data to Apple twice a day, but Android reports your location data back to Google several times per hour. But naturally, when the geeks who control the tech headlines went to write those headlines, they became "iPhone records your location, secretly reports it back to Apple" with no mention of their pet Android platform anywhere to be seen. And I'm not surprised in the least.Don't get me wrong: Apple and Google are both in the wrong here, clearly wrong on a moral level, and if they're not wrong legally, then the laws need to be changed immediately. Regardless of the reason for this data collection, even if it's as naively innocent as the companies' desire to figure where to tell the cellular carriers to build more towers or some such, it's not right – particularly without having warned users or given them the opportunity to turn it off. And the fact that the iPhone only uploads this data a couple times per day as opposed to the Android doing so repeatedly all day long doesn't mean Apple is less guilty. But it does make the headline writers even more guilty.

Any random headcount of smartphone users, if carried out among the true mainstream population and nowhere near the self-imposed bubble most geeks live inside of, will reveal that most consumers overwhelmingly identify more with the iPhone platform than the Android platform, regardless of which they're currently using. Ask the typical non-geek Android user why they're using Android, and the answers are most often "Because my preferred carrier offers it" or "Because the Best Buy geek insisted I buy it" or even "What's an Android?" But back inside that geek bubble, Android is a phone descended directly from the gods. It's programmable. It's hackable. It wastes no time on concepts like ease of use, which geeks find too restricting, and instead focuses on delivering infinite theoretical features whether any of them are in any way practical or not. It's why non-geek consumers buy one Android phone but, upon realizing the kind of geek-leaning nonsense they've been duped into using, rarely buy a second one (multiple studies have Android platform retention rate in the twentieth percentile). And it's why geeks will stop at almost nothing to protect their pet Android platform.

At a time when products like the iPhone, iPad, and even the Kindle are bringing an end to the era in which technology products had long been designed specifically with geeks in mind and to the detriment of the mainstream, geeks now feel that their way of life is being threatened. Thus they cling to the Android platform as if it's their last best hope for retaining their dominance over the consumer technology landscape. Conveniently for them, nearly all technology coverage, from traditional tech publications and tech blogs to even the tech reporting being done at major mainstream media outlets, is controlled by the geeks. After all, just try to imagine a non-geek growing up to become a technology reporter, and it's easy to understand why nearly all those covering tech are in fact tech geeks.

And at a time when their way of life is on the line, the geeks have gone increasingly over the top in both attacking the anti-geek iPhone and iOS platforms at every turn as well as shielding their favored Android platform. These are the individuals who concocted the "iPhone 4 antenna issue" while conveniently failing to mention that every smartphone, including all Android based phones, can also be made to lose a piece of their reception by being grabbed in a certain way. And now they've turned this disturbingly important privacy and spying issue into yet another self serving propaganda vehicle. Instead of accurately reporting that multiple major smartphone OS vendors are secretly tracking their customers, the geeks instead misreported this as being an Apple-specific issue. Their hope, apparently, is that it'll cause mainstream consumers to fear buying an iPhone and settle for an Android phone instead. After all, any time a geek can trick a consumer into buying a geek-leaning product, it's a good day. Safety in numbers. And just maybe, said consumer will magically become a fellow geek through the mere exposure of using a smartphone with a hacker operating system.

It's not that these geeks think Android can take over in a way Linux failed to. No, these geeks are insulated so deeply inside their bubble that they think Linux did take over. And now they think that if they can just keep misreporting the facts, if they can just keep making the iPhone and iOS look bad enough in the eyes of consumers, their pet Android platform will continue to rise by default. Sadly, to a large extent, it's been working. The question is whether Apple will find a way to fight back against the propaganda, or whether consumers will continue to figure out that the geeks are not on their side, or perhaps both. But in the mean time Apple isn't helping itself by being as immoral as Google when it comes to tracking customer location; such immoral actions on Apple's part merely serve to give the geeks more fuel for their immoral self-serving misreporting of the tech landscape.

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?

Smart Bezel Could Be The Big, New "Mystery Feature" For the iPhone 5

As the tech community endlessly prognosticates on the next big features for the iPhone5, there's no doubt that Apple  has kept some of the best bits hidden from the public. But could the recent exposé on Apple's Smart Bezel patent be the mind-blowing feature that makes the iPhone 5 the smartphone of the year?

Bigger screen. 8 megapixel camera. iOS 5. NFC technology, The A5 chip. Most if not all of these predicted new features for the iPhone 5 are improvements rather than innovations — even NFC technology has already been tried on the Droid platform.

Where's the magic? Where's the defining feature for the iPhone 5 that will launch it into greatness? With the iPhone 4, we saw the advent of the front-facing camera, which gave smartphone users a next-generation way of communicating on the go. How will the iPhone 5 deliver a similarly siezmic breakthrough?

Enter Apple's Smart Bezel.

All this week, tech websites have been parsing a curious Apple patent that reveals plans to develop and deploy a dynamic, gesture-controlled bezel around the iPhone 5's screen, giving users a secondary means of navigating games and applications. Fast Company I think has summed up the technological aspect of the Smart Bezel patent the best, explaining that:

"The display relies on printed, segmented electroluminescent units (or similar tech) that would be hidden when not activated. These units would display additional info when needed–we're thinking games controls, an improvement to the awful messaging/alert system iOS uses, and display-wasting info like battery life bars or a clock."

Just as the old Atari joystick gave way to the advanced game controls of today, so too will smartphones like the iPhone 5 feature more gesture control.

To be sure, the Smart Bezel would be a bona fide breakthrough in technology, should it deliver on its promise of significantly expanding the gesture control and display layout of the iPhone 5. It's true that other extended touch surface concepts exist on current smartphones, such as the Palm Pre, but if Apple can push the exvelope with this new innovation, it could revolutionize the way that iPhone users interact with their iPhone; not just an improvement on what already exists, but a true innovation that would send the other smartphone designers into catch-up mode..

And from a more practical standpoint, the Smart Bezel would also give the iPhone 5 an effective alternative to the cumbersome home button, which many believe will be moved or replaced in one way or another.

The idea of the Smart Bezel has been kicking around for some time now. For the most part, the idea of adding more gesture control was initially being ascribed to the iPad 2. Many analysts foresee that tablets and smartphones will continue to feature more and more gesture control features apart from the touch screen itself. Much in the way that the simple Atari joystick of yesteryear has advanced to the complex array of buttons, joysticks, sliders, and gesture control, so too will the chassis of the next generation of smartphones and tablets include bezels, backs, and other interesting nooks and crannies that will give users new vistas of control over their mobile computing experience.

iPhone 5: iPod touch back, 3.7 inch display, gesture-based home button? (updated)

Update: MacRumors and people in the know who we have spoken to are having their doubts about this one.

This is my next drops a bombshell, claiming that the next-generation iPhone will not be a minimal departure from the iPhone 4, like others are saying, but will be a completely re-designed phone, as Engadget reported earlier this year. The iPhone 5 that the report describes is said to be a prototype in testing – we know that Apple tests many products before going to market – that features a body akin to that of the one found on the fourth-generation iPod touch. This design is said to also be "teardrop" like the late 2010 MacBook Air's design – thicker to thinner fr om top to bottom.

Even more interesting is that the next-generation iPhone is said to gain a larger home button on the bottom portion of the device and… it's gesture sensitive. This is my next points out that this could easily work hand-in-hand with some of those funky new gestures Apple is testing in iOS 4.3 with iOS App Store developers. The report also backs up a report from the Wall Street Journal, and says the screen will cover most of the device's front and the new phone will likely lack a true bezel. Even cooler is that This is my next says Apple is exploring ways to hide the earpiece and the iPhone 4′s famous sensors behind the screen.

Speaking of screens… the report says that it's not your everyday iPhone 3.5 inch display, but it's 3.7 inches and the pixels are staying the same. This will cause a drop in pixel density of 13 pixels-per-inch – but this will still be above the magic Retina mark of 300 pixels per inch. The screen will likely look the same to the human eye, and developers will not need to adjust their graphics. Perhaps they will have the option in the iPhone SDK to to take full advantage of the extra screen real estate. This is my next is also saying that this all-new-phone could possibly sport some sort of wireless/inductive charging and/or NFC, but that is less confirmed – on their part – compared to the rest of the story.

Finally, This is my next closes by making it clear that the described iPhone5 may never hit the streets, but it's certainly being toyed with at Apple HQ:

Now, keep in mind that this info isn't fact — we're getting lots of threads from lots of places and trying to make sense of the noise. The versions of devices our sources are seeing could be design prototypes and not production-ready phones. Still, there are strong indications that Apple will surprise a public that's expecting a bump more along the lines of the 3G to 3GS — and this is some insight into where those designs might be headed. We're working on a couple of other intriguing pieces of information concerning future Apple products… so stay tuned for much, much more.

Real Racing 2 HD with native 1080p output now available

As developer Firemint promised a month ago, racing game Real Racing 2 HD is now live on the App Store with support for real 1080p video output that lets you enjoy action on your big screen in native 1920-by-1080 pixel resolution, without upscaling. It's a first for iPad 2 and a testament to the power of the A5 chip. TouchArchade got a chance to test out this feature and they walked away impressed with the overall polish and frame rates. Check out a video demo right after the break…According to the publication, Real Racing 2 HD, a ten bucks download, runs at thirty frames per second in 1080p "without any borders". When you turn on the 1080p output mode, the game displays a track map and real-time racing telemetry on the device which also doubles as a steering wheel controller. This transition is seamless and automatic, meaning you can disconnect the device during play and it'll automatically change the video mode and allow you to continue playing right where you left off. I have a feeling this will be a pretty big selling point and a popular feature among gamers that will convince other developers to support 1080p video output in their titles.

Of course, in order to enjoy racing action on your big screen TV, you will need a $39 Apple Digital AV Adapter to connect your iPad 2 to your tube via HDMI.

The iPhone 5 Compendium: A Complete List Of Rumored iPhone 5 Features To Date

The tech community has been prognosticating about the features of the iPhone5 ever since the iPhone 4 made its debut in the summer of 2010. Here's a quick yet thorough list of purported features that very well may end up on the iPhone 5.

Do a quick review of the articles here on the iPhone 5 News Blog and you start to realize that there are a virtual myriad of new, possible features that could be coming to the iPhone 5. The list is staggering! For as much as we would like to see most of these features end up on the iPhone 5, that simply won't be the case: as the saying goes, you can please some of the people some of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but never all of the people all of the time.

Besides, Steve Jobs and Apple will have to hold some of these goodies back to make the iPhone 6 something to get excited about.

But because news sites and blogs tend to report on rumored features for the iPhone 5 as they pop up, you rarely get anything more than a "roundup" of the hottest iPhone 5 topics. What we've done here is listed everything that we've heard about for the iPhone 5, and give our take on both the coolness factor (how much of a "wow" it will cause at the iPhone 5′s announcement) and the probability factor that a feature will end up on the iPhone 5.

Be sure to check out our new page on all of the rumored iPhone 5 Features, and be sure to let us know if we missed anything!

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?

Smart Bezel Could Be The Big, New "Mystery Feature" For the iPhone 5

As the tech community endlessly prognosticates on the next big features for the iPhone5, there's no doubt that Apple  has kept some of the best bits hidden from the public. But could the recent exposé on Apple's Smart Bezel patent be the mind-blowing feature that makes the iPhone 5 the smartphone of the year?

Bigger screen. 8 megapixel camera. iOS 5. NFC technology, The A5 chip. Most if not all of these predicted new features for the iPhone 5 are improvements rather than innovations — even NFC technology has already been tried on the Droid platform.

Where's the magic? Where's the defining feature for the iPhone 5 that will launch it into greatness? With the iPhone 4, we saw the advent of the front-facing camera, which gave smartphone users a next-generation way of communicating on the go. How will the iPhone 5 deliver a similarly siezmic breakthrough?

Enter Apple's Smart Bezel.

All this week, tech websites have been parsing a curious Apple patent that reveals plans to develop and deploy a dynamic, gesture-controlled bezel around the iPhone 5's screen, giving users a secondary means of navigating games and applications. Fast Company I think has summed up the technological aspect of the Smart Bezel patent the best, explaining that:

"The display relies on printed, segmented electroluminescent units (or similar tech) that would be hidden when not activated. These units would display additional info when needed–we're thinking games controls, an improvement to the awful messaging/alert system iOS uses, and display-wasting info like battery life bars or a clock."

Just as the old Atari joystick gave way to the advanced game controls of today, so too will smartphones like the iPhone 5 feature more gesture control.

To be sure, the Smart Bezel would be a bona fide breakthrough in technology, should it deliver on its promise of significantly expanding the gesture control and display layout of the iPhone 5. It's true that other extended touch surface concepts exist on current smartphones, such as the Palm Pre, but if Apple can push the exvelope with this new innovation, it could revolutionize the way that iPhone users interact with their iPhone; not just an improvement on what already exists, but a true innovation that would send the other smartphone designers into catch-up mode..

And from a more practical standpoint, the Smart Bezel would also give the iPhone 5 an effective alternative to the cumbersome home button, which many believe will be moved or replaced in one way or another.

The idea of the Smart Bezel has been kicking around for some time now. For the most part, the idea of adding more gesture control was initially being ascribed to the iPad 2. Many analysts foresee that tablets and smartphones will continue to feature more and more gesture control features apart from the touch screen itself. Much in the way that the simple Atari joystick of yesteryear has advanced to the complex array of buttons, joysticks, sliders, and gesture control, so too will the chassis of the next generation of smartphones and tablets include bezels, backs, and other interesting nooks and crannies that will give users new vistas of control over their mobile computing experience.

Competing: 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.

[via beatweek]

Top 10 iPhone News You Might Have Missed This Week

This is a summary of the most popular articles published on iDB and our sister,ziPadBlog, this past week.

Please make sure to spread our iPhone wisdom by sharing our posts on Twitter and Facebook.

• iPhone 5 to Sport A5 Processor and 8 MP Camera?
• Jailbreak iOS 4.3.2 with RedSn0w
• White iPhone 4 Spotted Running Mysterious Version of iOS
• TinyUmbrella Updated to Support iOS 4.3.2 and iOS 4.2.7
• iPhone5 Coming in September, Will be Similar to iPhone 4
• Your iPhone Secretly Records Your Location Data
• Untrackerd Stops Your iPhone From Secretly Tracking Your Location
• Verizon CFO Says that iPhone 5 Will Be GSM + CDMA "Global Device"
• iPhone Won't Have 4G Until At Least 2012
• First White iPhone 4 Has Been Sold!

From our sister iPad Blog, ziPadBlog.com:

• Toys R' Us and Best Buy iPad 2 Promotion
  
• How to Jailbreak iPad 4.3.2 with RedSn0w
• FindOne Helps you Track Down iPad 2s
• NFL Finally Releases Official iPad Application
• The Ultimate iPad Stand
• 5 Lessons the iPad 2 Could Learn From the PlayBook