Tip UsWell it’s that time of year again, when Apple fans start to roam the internet searching for the latest next iPhone rumours.
Here at Free The Gadgets we’ve been searching for the latest iPhone 5 rumours and in this article we’re going to look at 5 rumours in no particular order and give them a score out of 10 of how likely we think they will happen.
1: The next iPhone will be called iPhone 5
This rumour is one of the more guessable ones. Since this is the fifth iPhone since it’s launch in 2007, our guesses are that the next iPhone will be named the iPhone 5. It’s predecessor being the iPhone 4, this only seems to make sense. Some rumours flying around are that it will be called the iPhone 4GS, mainly because after the iPhone 3G came the iPhone 3GS. Some people are reporting they think the next iPhone will be called the iPhone 4G since a rumour that the next iPhone will support 4G capabilities. However we think the next iPhone will be called the iPhone 5.
Probability of happening: 9/10.
2: The iPhone 5 will be released in 2011
This is another more obvious rumour as since its launch in 2007, Apple have released a brand new iPhone model every single year. This is almost a certainty then, and following from the pattern of the last few years when the iPhone has been announced at the WWDC (WorldWide Developers Conference) we are confident enough to say that the release date of the iPhone 5 will be June/July 2011 following it’s announcement at WWDC 2011.
Probability of happening: 10/10
3: There will be a mini version of the iPhone 5
Now this rumour has been racing around the Internet for years, since the original iPhone’s released in fact. The high cost of an iPhone means that people want a cheaper version that is much more affordable, and it seems that they are prepared to have a smaller version of an iPhone for a lower cost. There have been recent rumours of the iPhone 5 having a 3.7 inch screen rather than the current 3.5 inch screen, which hasn’t changed size since the original iPhone was released in 2007. There have also been rumours about the iPad having a smaller screen size to make that more affordable too. The iPad is expected to be released within the next few weeks, so we will have to wait and see. However, whatever happens with the iPad might not necessarily happen with the iPhone as we saw in 2010 when the iPhone 4 was given a retina display screen, which the iPad was not.
Probability of happening: 5/10
4: The iPhone 5 will have a new re-design
After the iPhone 4’s embarrassing antennagate problems with loss of signal and dropping calls this rumour is another likely one. Last year, Apple fans claimed their iPhone 4’s were dropping calls and they were loosing signal if they held the iPhone 4 in a certain way, now known as the death grip. This caused an outrage with Apple fans, demanding refunds after spending hundreds of pounds on their new iPhone 4’s. Over 20 days after this problem occurred, Apple made a press conference announcing that they were to give away free iPhone 4 cases for anybody who bought an iPhone 4 from June 2010 to September 2010. I personally was entitled for my free case, and it came after 2 weeks of ordering, free of charge just as Apple promised. This solved the problem for me and many others. However, since then Mark Papermaster, the Apple executive in charge of iPhone engineering left Apple. This article shows images of apparently the iPhone 5’s new body, not only are some of the antennagate lines missing, the body is also thinner, a trend that Apple love to keep to with their new iPods: http://www.iphonefaq.org/archives/971200
Probability of happening: 10/10
5: iPhone 5 will support NFC (Near Field Communication)
Apple always wants to be the first company to try new technology and this is the case for NFC. NFC or Near Field Communication is the ability to use your phone as your credit/debit card without the need of typing your pin number into a machine every time you pay for something. NFC is already big in the Middle East and if the iPhone 5 includes this feature, we could see supermarkets and popular retailers having NFC machines in their stores in Europe, very soon. The idea is that you will only need to swipe your phone across the machine in order to pay for your items, rather than the time consuming task of entering your pin number and finding your credit/debit card. There are however obvious security risks to this, such as if your iPhone 5 was stolen, and then your bank details would also be stolen. Will this feature rid of bank cards forever? We don’t think so, however it would be a pretty cool feature to have on your iPhone 5. Apple have also recently hired Benjamin Vigier, an expert in Near Field Communication in August 2010, enough time for him to start work on this feature for the iPhone 5.
Probability of happening: 10/10
Overall, if all of these rumours about the next iPhone are true then Apple could yet again make a record breaking new mobile phone. I will be getting my very own iPhone 5 later this year, so watch this space for my review.
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