Sept. 12: What to Expect From the New iPhone?
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The invitation is here. And it’s shouting out loud ‘iPhone 5’. Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) is holding a press event, on September 12 in San Francisco. Apple may call its new product by any name but we are happy as long as this event is being held to rollout its sixth generation iPhone.
Every Apple fan has been waiting with bated breath for this day. The new iPhone from Apple has been the most analyzed and most rumored gadget till date. We have not seen a single hour pass by, in the last few months, when there has been no new picture of a rumored case, headphones, connector jack or screen. Has all the excitement already been spilled, or will Apple’s best kept secret completely knock us down this 12th.
Here's a rundown, all rumors aside, of what to expect.
1. What’s in a Name?
Apple chose to call its latest iPad as ‘The new iPad’ and not ‘iPad 3’. If this naming convention continues we can expect the sixth generation iPhone to be called ‘The New iPhone’. But then the looming 5 in the invite photo above suggest that Apple may choose to call it ‘iPhone 5’. But then whatever the name be, we just hope it’s the best iPhone so far.
2. A brand new Design
The iPhone 4, with its revolutionary design, had created a lot of buzz. Can we expect Jony Ive to come with something even better this time? Ideally… ‘Yes’!
3. A longer and thinner Screen
What we can most certainly expect is a larger display screen. As compared to the existing 3.5-inch screen we can expect the new iPhone to have a screen size of at least 4-inches. This will lead to a change in the aspect ratio and a pixel resolution of 640*1136 would be required to enable an extra row of icons on the home screen.
This screen could be manufactured using "in-cell" technology, a method of creating an even thinner all-in-one touch screen without any added layers. Or, it could be a new process. The resulting screen would allow for a slimmer iPhone, improve picture clarity, and even possibly extend battery life.
4. A new processor?
Every generation of iPhone since the iPhone 3G has seen processor upgrades. An A6 processor could be quad-core; if it is, it'll be a more advanced CPU than what's used in the third-gen iPad, which has an A5X processor (with a dual-core CPU and quad-core graphics). If not a new processor then will the new iPhone have a shrunken-down A5X processor -- the same power, but in a more compact (and possibly more energy-efficient) package?
5. iOS 6
Apple’s latest version of iOS will be a prime feature of the new iPhone. Although many new features of iOS is available for iPhone 4S and some older iPhone models but some of the primo features of the new iOS will be available only with the new iPhone and iPad models. The new Maps app with turn-by-turn navigation should also be a highlight of the new iPhone.
6. A new dock connector
We can expect a totally new 8-pin connector, which would replace the old 30-pin iOS connector. A new 8-pin port will take up less space, which could possibly be used by more battery capacity without adding to the phone's overall bulk.
7. Siri
Siri with new upgrades will be another attraction of the new iPhone. Also Eye Free, a technology being built into cars to take advantage of Siri connectivity was also announced by Apple at WWDC. More details of this will also be available during the launch of the new iPhone.
So these are some of the possible features we can expect from the new iPhone.
While we are waiting for the launch of the new iPhone, the competitors of Apple are also coming up soon with many new products to compete with the iPhone and the rumored mini iPad.
Hewlett Packard (NYSE: HPQ) recently announced that it is launching three new products featuring the new Windows 8 Operating system, from Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT).
HP is entering back into the tablet market with its latest Envy x2. The Envy x2 is an ultra thin laptop-cum-tablet device. The highlight of this product is its detachable screen that docks with the keyboard through a magnetic latch, thus allowing you to easily convert between the two form factors, somewhat similar to Apple's Smart Cover. The other products HP is launching include the Spectre XT TouchSmart Ultrabook and ENVY TouchSmart Ultrabook 4. These products can throw a competition to the new iPad.
Microsoft has recently announced that it will be releasing its most awaited Operating System, Windows 8, on Oct. 26. Apart from that, Microsoft is also venturing into the tablet market with its own devices ‘Surface’ and ‘Surface Pro’. With customized Windows 8 features and an attractive look and feel, the tablets from Microsoft can also possibly lure customers away from Apple’s new iPad.
We can also expect the next-generation phones from Blackberry and Nokia to hit the market sometime soon.
Competition is part and parcel of any game. But in this game Apple is backed by billions of fans waiting in high expectations for the Big Day. If the new iDevices come out with flying colors and are able to meet the expectations of the Appleholics then the competitors of Apple would be left far behind.
DavidM1984 has no positions in the stocks mentioned above. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple and Microsoft. Motley Fool newsletter services recommend Apple. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.If you have questions about this post or the Fool’s blog network, click here for information.
