Design: Considering Apple followed up the iPhone 4 with the iPhone 4S which maintained an identical design, it is safe to say that we will get a new design with the next iPhone. Leaks have suggested that it may resemble the current generation model in terms of design language but it will dump the glass back for an aluminum one. It will also be slimmer and will have a new antenna design. Of course, it would have a slightly taller display while maintaining the same width.
Display: All rumors point towards a larger iPhone display. Some rumors say it will have a 3.9-inch display with a true 16:9 aspect ratio, but if this happens it will alienate a number of iPhone fans who claim the current 3.5-inch panel offers optimal usability in terms of single hand usage. But with Android OEMs going big and bigger with display sizes it is highly possible that Apple will bump up the size of the display. The resolution will also increase and if the rumor mill is working as it is supposed to then we can expect an odd 1136×640 resolution on the new iPhone, with an added row for icons. This will ensure that Apple maintains the ‘Retina’ nomenclature for the display on the iPhone whilst increasing its size. Additionally, there is even talk about in-cell technology which basically brings the display a lot closer to the front panel. LG was reportedly developing this technology and it has already implemented something similar in its latest flagship the LG Optimus G, so it is plausible that the iPhone will also have something similar.
Mini-Dock Connector: The new dock connector has been rumored for sometime. Of course, as Apple has an obsession with slenderness, the dock connector was due for a chopping. The new rumored 8-pin mini-dock connector will make most Apple certified accessories redundant, but we can expect Apple to offer a backward compatible adaptor. The new mini-dock connector will perhaps facilitate faster data and charge times alongside helping in achieving an thinner iPhone form factor.
4G LTE: Apple will surely make this iteration of the iPhone 4G complaint. According to a recent WSJ report, the 4G chipset on the next iPhone will work across multiple countries and will not be restricted to the USA and Canada like the new iPad. However, in spite of this it is highly unlikely that the iPhone will support 4G in India.
Processor: The iPhone is expected to have a new quad-core A6 processor or a beefed up version of the A5X chip seen in the new iPad. We can expect Apple to tout figures like “X-Times faster than the previous generation model or a competing SoC like the Tegra 3”. The speed argument is rather arbitrary in the case of the iPhone when compared with its Android and Windows Phone competition, because of the vertical integration between software and hardware. More RAM can also be expected, but on the whole we can expect a faster iPhone than the current model.
Nano-SIM: Apple was the first company to introduce the micro-SIM with the iPhone 4 and with the next iPhone we can expect a nano-SIM. In India this will be tricky because we know that Indian carriers to-date don’t keep micro-SIMs and rather prefer to chop off the standard SIM using SIM cutter. This might not be possible with a nano-SIM so it will be interesting to see how the industry reacts to the nano-SIM.
NFC: With iOS 6, we already know that Apple has a mobile wallet feature called ‘Passbook’ baked in so NFC is expected. We don’t expect Apple to call out and say the phone will have NFC, but it will rather talk about the capability the consumer will have, but the underpinning technology will be NFC. Apple also recently purchased biometric technology company AuthenTec. While it is highly unlikely that Apple was able to integrate technology from a company it recently purchased, however since it is introducing a mobile-wallet functionality in the next iPhone, we can expect some safety protocols in place as well
Battery: If the next iPhone has 4G LTE and then it is safe to say Apple will definitely have something up their sleeves on the battery front. Apple obsesses over battery life. It is a matter of pride and a key differentiator and we cannot fathom Apple launching an 4G LTE iPhone with poorer battery life than the current model.
iOS 6: iOS 6 will bring a whole host of features like PassBook, the new Apple 3D maps and an improved Siri. Apart from this most of the features are incremental upgrades, we are sure Apple has a ‘One more thing’ moment saved up for the iPhone keynote. Our fingers are crossed, let’s hope this comes to be true.
Camera: Apple really pushed the envelope with the iPhone 4S camera. Nokia has really upped the ante with the camera on the PureView 808 and the Lumia 920. Nokia will maintain its lead in this area if Apple does not have something special up its sleeve. We have not really heard anything about the camera on the next iPhone so it will be interesting what Apple has to offer.
Release Date: Apple traditionally releases the iPhone a week after the keynote, but that release is generally restricted to the US and few countries like Canada and the UK. For us Indians, BGR India has heard that Apple is gearing up for an Diwali release in November, which might not be a bad option at all.
At the end of the day, Apple is really facing stiff competition from Samsung and the Android army. But now with the impeding launch of Windows Phone 8 along with Windows 8. Nokia has already shown some really impressive devices, so Apple really needs to do something different. Of course, irrespective of what happens the iPhone 5 is expected to be the biggest iPhone launch ever. But with each iteration of the iPhone competition is creeping up on Apple.
-Rajat Agrawal
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