Hello Apple fanboys! You’re probably holding your breathe for
the much speculated launch of the iPhone 5 (name to confirmed only at
launch, of course), which is rumoured to be on 10 June 2012 at the WWDC
conference.
Can Apple revolutionise its flagship handset and silence competition once again? Can they do it without Steve Jobs? These speculations will be on everyone’s mind before they plan whether or not to join the snaking queue for the upcoming handset. While there is nothing we could do now except wait, it doesn’t stop us from hoping that Apple will see eye to eye with us and include these 10 ‘obvious’ features in the latest iteration of its single button phone.
1. Bigger screen
A higher resolution screen akin to the Super AMOLED Plus display seen on the Samsung Galaxy SII coupled with a screen size that is 4-inch or larger, is a much anticipated upgrade for the iPhone. Apple’s retina display, according to Steve Jobs has the optimum pixel density that the human eye can detect and beyond that, you and I won’t be able to tell the difference. So the challenge here is to maintain the same pixel density for a larger display while providing a brighter screen, better colour rendering and a superb viewing angle of 180 degrees.
Level of likeliness: 5 out of 5
2. Waterproof coating
A layer of waterproof coating (rumoured to be from the company called Liquipel) will be pre-applied on the new iPhone. Invisible to the eye, this technology is said to completely prevent water from seeping into the handset. We know that you bring your iPhone everywhere, even into the toilet, so if you accidentally drop it into the bowl, you won’t have to worry about the phone dying on you. Instead, focus on how to clean it afterwards.
Level of likeliness: 4 out of 5
3. Quad-core processor
The current iPhone 4S is running on a dual-core A5 chip similar to that of the iPad 2. Although pretty speedy, we might see an upgrade to a new generation “A6 chip” with processing power similar to the quad-core Tegra chip with a fifth component core on the ASUS Transformer Prime in the iPhone 5. You can expect better multi-tasking capabilities and faster, more detailed rendering of highly complex games on the phone. The iPad 3, expected to launch in March 2012 will shed some light on the possibility of this upgrade.
Level of likeliness: 4 out of 5
4. Near Field Communication
NFC technology has surfaced as one of the features to be expected during the pre-iPhone 4S period, so we are expecting NFC to take its form in the upcoming model. However, what we don’t know is how Apple is going to use this technology. One speculation is that Apple would partner with a global company like MasterCard or Visa to make possible payment through the pairing of mobile phones and linked credit cards for mobile transactions. With the millions of credit card information registered with Apple--one each when a user creates an iTunes account—Apple might just hit the jackpot with NFC.
Level of likeliness: 4 out of 5
5. iPhone Camera
While there are higher resolution mobile phone cameras out there, the quality of image produced by the iPhone 4 has been exceptional. And iPhone 4S with its facial recognition feature, HDR (High Dynamic Range) and HD video recording through an 8-megapixel sensor has transformed mobile photography even further. According to 9to5mac, the upcoming book “Inside Apple” by Adam Lashinsky, the late Jobs had met with Ren Ng, CEO of Lytro to discuss cameras and product design in his final months. Lytro’s technology is able to capture light from all directions and in doing that, makes picture taking instant, with the ability to select your preferred focal point even after an image had been captured. Hail to no more blurred images!
Check out the demo video of the Lytro’s technology here:
Level of likeliness: 2 out of 5
6. Gorilla Glass 2
Known for its resistance to scratches and exceptional durability, Gorilla glass is now a common feature on many mobile devices including tablets. In the recent CES 2012, Corning demonstrated the Gorilla Glass 2, a 20 percent thinner glass with the same impressive strength. If Corning can supply the quantity needed in time, Apple will be able to shave off some bulk and achieve better touch responsiveness and brighter images without sacrificing damage resistance capabilities of the glass surface on its iPad 3 and iPhone 5.
Level of likeliness: 4 out of 5
7. 4G LTE connectivity
Companies like Samsung, HTC and Motorola are expected to roll out their version of the 4G-ready smartphones earlier this year, so if the iPhone 5 launches in June with 4G connectivity, the adoption for the service as well as the network infrastructure will be more ready in Singapore than it is now. Telcos here have already started to offer 4G or LTE (Long-Term Evolution) services that are more than 3 times faster than the current 3G networks, with SingTel aiming to achieve 95% network coverage by the end 2013.
Level of likeliness: 4 out of 5
8. Battery Life
One of the disadvantages of LTE is battery life consumption. If the current iPhone without LTE is already making you constantly charging your phone on any USB ports you can find, Apple had better redesign its batteries to provide at least the same usage time. Expect thinner batteries with higher capacity to make its debut on the iPhone 5.
Level of likeliness: 5 out of 5
9. Design
There are many rumours out there that the iPhone 5 will have a rimless design, end-to-end screen, and even adopt a transparent, see-through profile. Personally, I feel that the iPhone 5 will definitely be thinner thanks to features such as thinner glass, thinner batteries and a redesigned chipset. Kind of like a no-brainer don’t you think? Another possible change could be re-thinking the famous home button and make it wider to allow for gestures or transforming the whole area at the bottom into a trackpad with no buttons.
Level of likeliness: 3 out of 5
10. HDMI and SD card slot (please!)
Most smartphones now comes with a micro-HDMI port or a micro-SD card slot, if not both. So iPhone users, for a long time now have to purchase official Apple component cables in order to hook it up to a projector or watch HD videos on their 60-inch Full HD TVs. If you refuse to buy these over-priced cables like me, then you will have to live with the fact that the retina display on a 3.5-inch screen will have to do. Stubborn Apple is probably not going to make my life easier by saying yes, case in point the micro-SIM card and its proprietary dock connector, there is still a glint of hope that it might just happen. And when it does, throw in a micro-SD card slot too!
Level of likeliness: 1 out of 5
Can Apple revolutionise its flagship handset and silence competition once again? Can they do it without Steve Jobs? These speculations will be on everyone’s mind before they plan whether or not to join the snaking queue for the upcoming handset. While there is nothing we could do now except wait, it doesn’t stop us from hoping that Apple will see eye to eye with us and include these 10 ‘obvious’ features in the latest iteration of its single button phone.
1. Bigger screen
A higher resolution screen akin to the Super AMOLED Plus display seen on the Samsung Galaxy SII coupled with a screen size that is 4-inch or larger, is a much anticipated upgrade for the iPhone. Apple’s retina display, according to Steve Jobs has the optimum pixel density that the human eye can detect and beyond that, you and I won’t be able to tell the difference. So the challenge here is to maintain the same pixel density for a larger display while providing a brighter screen, better colour rendering and a superb viewing angle of 180 degrees.
Level of likeliness: 5 out of 5
2. Waterproof coating
A layer of waterproof coating (rumoured to be from the company called Liquipel) will be pre-applied on the new iPhone. Invisible to the eye, this technology is said to completely prevent water from seeping into the handset. We know that you bring your iPhone everywhere, even into the toilet, so if you accidentally drop it into the bowl, you won’t have to worry about the phone dying on you. Instead, focus on how to clean it afterwards.
Level of likeliness: 4 out of 5
3. Quad-core processor
The current iPhone 4S is running on a dual-core A5 chip similar to that of the iPad 2. Although pretty speedy, we might see an upgrade to a new generation “A6 chip” with processing power similar to the quad-core Tegra chip with a fifth component core on the ASUS Transformer Prime in the iPhone 5. You can expect better multi-tasking capabilities and faster, more detailed rendering of highly complex games on the phone. The iPad 3, expected to launch in March 2012 will shed some light on the possibility of this upgrade.
Level of likeliness: 4 out of 5
4. Near Field Communication
NFC technology has surfaced as one of the features to be expected during the pre-iPhone 4S period, so we are expecting NFC to take its form in the upcoming model. However, what we don’t know is how Apple is going to use this technology. One speculation is that Apple would partner with a global company like MasterCard or Visa to make possible payment through the pairing of mobile phones and linked credit cards for mobile transactions. With the millions of credit card information registered with Apple--one each when a user creates an iTunes account—Apple might just hit the jackpot with NFC.
Level of likeliness: 4 out of 5
5. iPhone Camera
While there are higher resolution mobile phone cameras out there, the quality of image produced by the iPhone 4 has been exceptional. And iPhone 4S with its facial recognition feature, HDR (High Dynamic Range) and HD video recording through an 8-megapixel sensor has transformed mobile photography even further. According to 9to5mac, the upcoming book “Inside Apple” by Adam Lashinsky, the late Jobs had met with Ren Ng, CEO of Lytro to discuss cameras and product design in his final months. Lytro’s technology is able to capture light from all directions and in doing that, makes picture taking instant, with the ability to select your preferred focal point even after an image had been captured. Hail to no more blurred images!
Check out the demo video of the Lytro’s technology here:
Level of likeliness: 2 out of 5
6. Gorilla Glass 2
Known for its resistance to scratches and exceptional durability, Gorilla glass is now a common feature on many mobile devices including tablets. In the recent CES 2012, Corning demonstrated the Gorilla Glass 2, a 20 percent thinner glass with the same impressive strength. If Corning can supply the quantity needed in time, Apple will be able to shave off some bulk and achieve better touch responsiveness and brighter images without sacrificing damage resistance capabilities of the glass surface on its iPad 3 and iPhone 5.
Level of likeliness: 4 out of 5
7. 4G LTE connectivity
Companies like Samsung, HTC and Motorola are expected to roll out their version of the 4G-ready smartphones earlier this year, so if the iPhone 5 launches in June with 4G connectivity, the adoption for the service as well as the network infrastructure will be more ready in Singapore than it is now. Telcos here have already started to offer 4G or LTE (Long-Term Evolution) services that are more than 3 times faster than the current 3G networks, with SingTel aiming to achieve 95% network coverage by the end 2013.
Level of likeliness: 4 out of 5
8. Battery Life
One of the disadvantages of LTE is battery life consumption. If the current iPhone without LTE is already making you constantly charging your phone on any USB ports you can find, Apple had better redesign its batteries to provide at least the same usage time. Expect thinner batteries with higher capacity to make its debut on the iPhone 5.
Level of likeliness: 5 out of 5
9. Design
There are many rumours out there that the iPhone 5 will have a rimless design, end-to-end screen, and even adopt a transparent, see-through profile. Personally, I feel that the iPhone 5 will definitely be thinner thanks to features such as thinner glass, thinner batteries and a redesigned chipset. Kind of like a no-brainer don’t you think? Another possible change could be re-thinking the famous home button and make it wider to allow for gestures or transforming the whole area at the bottom into a trackpad with no buttons.
Level of likeliness: 3 out of 5
10. HDMI and SD card slot (please!)
Most smartphones now comes with a micro-HDMI port or a micro-SD card slot, if not both. So iPhone users, for a long time now have to purchase official Apple component cables in order to hook it up to a projector or watch HD videos on their 60-inch Full HD TVs. If you refuse to buy these over-priced cables like me, then you will have to live with the fact that the retina display on a 3.5-inch screen will have to do. Stubborn Apple is probably not going to make my life easier by saying yes, case in point the micro-SIM card and its proprietary dock connector, there is still a glint of hope that it might just happen. And when it does, throw in a micro-SD card slot too!
Level of likeliness: 1 out of 5
