Tomorrow Apple will finally unveil the iPhone 5. It seems there have been more rumors circling this event than in the past, and we’ve tried to sift through the lot to report on those that seemed the most credible, or at least the most interesting. More will certainly surface between now and Tomorrow, but here’s your chance to catch up before then.
iPhone 5
Apple to phase out iPhone 3GS in favor of 8GB iPhone 4As we approach the September 12th Apple event, new reports have surfaced that the aging iPhone 3GS will soon be removed from Apple’s retail stores. Several anonymous sources have told The Telegraph that Apple will be finally give the iPhone 3GS the axe and will be make the iPhone 4 (first released back in 2010) the company’s entry-level smartphone, available for free with contract.
iPhone 5 to have bigger batteryA couple images that surfaced this week showcase an alleged new battery pack for the next generation iPhone. According to the repair firm iResQ (source of numerous iPhone leaked parts), the new iPhone battery will have a minor capacity increase over the previous iPhone 4S; from the 3.7V/5.3Whr to a 3.8V/5.45Whr.
Apple to use A6 chip processor in new iPhoneWant more iPhone rumors on this extended weekend? How about this; photos surfaced on a Chinese forum late last week of what appears to be the internal logic board of the upcoming iPhone, and they bear an A6 designation on the chip.
More alleged iPhone part photos appear onlineAs we await Apple’s announcement of the next generation iPhone, new images have once again stirred the rumor mill. This time they come from repair shop UBreakiFix, and are of an alleged fully assembled white front-facing panel. Although many news outlets doubt their authenticity, they do match up with previous leaks that show a larger 4-inch screen and a centered FaceTime camera.
iOS 6 Beta hints at new 9-pin iPhone dock connectorThere is much speculation surrounding the next iPhone, including numerous reports that Apple will replace the traditional 30-pin dock connector with a smaller 9-pin dock. Inside the iOS 6 beta, developers have discovered a string of code revealing that Apple mostly likely is indeed testing devices with that rumored 9-pin dock.
More evidence of a smaller iPhone 5 dock connectorYesterday, we pointed to a 9to5mac report on a section of iOS 6 code that referenced 9-pin port. Now, the French site Nowehereelse.fr has photos of the alleged dock connector. The photographs depicts the smaller dock connector design with a metal ring wrapped around its port cutout.
iOS 6 Simulator app reveals taller iPhone displayRecent rumors have pointed to the probability of a larger 4-inch display for the iPhone 5. If you’re looking for something a little more substantial, 9to5Mac uncovered new evidence within Apple’s own iOS Simulator app that the iOS 6 beta has the capability of scaling the home screen to a 1,136 x 640 resolution display.
iPhone 5 to have thinner, more scratch-resistant displayChinese forum iPhone5Parts.net claims to have acquired a next-gen iPhone 5 display component, and has examined the front panel differences in various specifications between it and the iPhone 4S. Apple will use Corning’s Gorilla Glass 2 for the new iPhone 5, which reportedly presents brighter images and increased sensitivity to touch.
Sharp to supply Apple’s next-gen iPhone display?Takashi Okuda, Sharp’s new president, acknowledged at press briefing about the company’s quarterly earnings that Sharp is one of the key display suppliers of Apple’s upcoming iPhone that will begin shipping in August. Okuda declined to make any more further comments on the displays.
iOS 6
AirPlay to stream music without Wi-FiAccording to reports, Apple is set to introduce an improved version of its “AirPlay” technology during their September iPhone 5 announcement. The report says the new AirPlay system—dubbed “AirPlay Direct”—allows users to wirelessly stream music without the need to be connected to WiFi network on an iOS device.
Apple to include roadwork alerts in iOS 6 MapsDevelopers have been reporting a change in the recent iOS 6 beta 4 with regard to Apple’s Maps app. It would appear that Apple’s in-house mapping system will have the ability to alert its users of nearby road-construction sites.
Apple TV
Apple TV iOS 6 Beta points to future support for iBooksAccording to a report from AppleInsider last week, Apple may be planning to add iBooks support to Apple TV. When one developer using the iOS 6 beta downloaded a digital book through Apple’s iBook Store with the same iTunes account linked to the Apple TV device, an unusual error message appeared on the screen…
iPods and iDevice Accessories
Apple to introduce new iPod nano and iPod touchA new report at 9to5Mac claims Apple will use the September 12th media event to introduce new models of the iPod touch, iPod nano and iPod shuffle. According to their sources, Apple will reportedly roll out a few subtle changes to all three iPod lines.
Are these the new Apple headphones?InsanelyiOS.com has released a video which they claim shows a new version of the Apple headphones set to be released with the (also rumored) forthcoming new iPhone. In contrast to the standard, round, headphones, the ones in the video have an oval shape with what looks like two speaker holes on each earbud.
Apple to launch new iPod nanos this fallWhile the rumor mill continues to swirl around the much-anticipated Apple devices like the iPhone 5 and iPad Mini, not much has be said about the rest of Apple’s iPod lineup. But now, Japanese blog Macotakara is reporting Apple will not only introduce a new iPod touch model this fall, but a newer generation of the iPod nano as well.
Rumored USB cable for Apple’s next iPhoneWe’ve covered some rumors that Apple will introduce a new smaller 9-pin dock connector for their next generation iPhone. Now, it appears an image has leaked on the Internet, giving us a clearer picture of what this new USB cable might look like.
