Next iPhone to launch July 17 with OLED display and glowing Apple logo?
By Nilay Patel 
posted May 19th 2009 2:06PM
posted May 19th 2009 2:06PM
[Via Wired; image from MacRumors]
- 32GB and 16GB storage (up from the current 16GB and 8GB models)
- $199 and $299 price points to be maintained
- 3.2-megapixel camera (up from the current 2-megapixel camera)
- Video-recording and editing capabilities
- Ability to send a picture & video via MMS
- Discontinuation of the metal band surrounding the edge of the device
- OLED screen
- 1.5 times the battery life of the current models
- Double the RAM and processing power
- Built-in FM transmitter
- Apple logo on back will glow
- Rubber-tread backing
- Sleeker design
- Built-in compass
- The camera, GPS, compass and Google map combined will identify photo and inform about photo locations
- Turn-by-turn directions
Already possible
I can think of 4 apps alone that can control XBMC (Xbox Media Center)
I understand what the acronym OLED stands for, but I've never really looked into why they're all the rage... Why are they better than plain ol' LED's??
Because they don't require a backlight, certain types are bendable, they consume less power (because of the backlight) and they are stupidly thin, I believe Samsung's 11" prototype was 0.3mm.
nah, nothing too overwhelming but still a neat upgrade. i'm pretty sure its going to look a bit more shinier. ah i see them iphone lovers, they are going to love this even more. their minds work simple, you know.
so we pretty much got our flagships: the pre, the g2, the iphone 4G, the berries and ..... wait ... there's some little company up in redmond which also does some of this stuff. you know, nothing too big nor too fancy. just a few dudes on a nice little budget having some fun and foolin' around.
god, microsoft would be so screwed without htc.
WOW! Can't wait for the glowing logo... Apple the top innovator... Or not...
Proofs my comments about the Palm Pre; a good competitor to the stale iPhone is long overdue.
An unconfirmed (and most probably full of shit) rumor is hardly "proof" of anything except maybe that you're willing to believe any old line of bullshit that comes your way
If the logo light was just used to disguise the camera flash that would be marvelous.
wait... they're not adding multi-tasking to the iPhone because it would drain the battery too much but they're adding a glowing Apple logo to the back?
Does anyone else see anything wrong with this picture?!
Absolutely I do,
what's wrong with the picture is that iPhone haters will accept any bullshit rumor flying around the web if it gives them more ammo to bash Apple.
YEY a glowing MUG ME sign on the back of my MUG ME phone... just what was needed
Whoa!
I've been reading comments for about 15 minutes now...
"Apple logo on back will glow"
......cause you know a glowing apple logo that will always be hidden under your hand on a device that already has battery like issues is very important
Ok, everything listed is good for me, BUT WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED TO THE FRONT FACING CAMERA !!!!????!!!!!
C'mon PEOPLE, ICHAT ON THE IPHONE FTW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THen noone has to pay 2 grand for a macbook that does.
I'd be more excited about the bigger storage if the new iPhone will finally support USB mass storage when connected to a computer. Without this, I never even come close to filling my current 16GB iPhone.
Is there an iPhone app somewhere that provides this functionality, I wonder?
i really want a flash in there for the camera, maybe the glowing apple could somehow incorporate this?
Strange, so many people consider this "just a phone" or "just an iPod and Phone", they don't realise the full potential of this device.
If these specs are true that means an 800Mhz CPU and 256MB of RAM, I don't know of any other mobile device that has these specs.
On top of that, the OS, which is basically a striped-down OS X. iPhone OS is based on a Unix core, and so you can install an SSH server on it, or even APT. What other phone will allow you to set up an SSH tunnel to your computer? I can think of none...
Don't know if this has already been said (I only read the first page) but maybe the "light up Apple logo" is going to be used as a flash for the camera. Just maybe...
Lol whoops! Looks like jackaz195 mentioned that right before me... oh well.
They still have the best UI out of all the smartphones. They spent all the time when iPhone was in development getting that exactly right. Now they're filling in the gaps. Not many more problems with the phone if this is all true and you have 3.0 on it too. Remember, Nokia, Palm, Samsung, all of those companies. They've been making phones for a long time. Apple is still new, this will be the 3rd phone ever made by Apple. When you take that into account, this thing is pretty impressive.
When the announcements are about no longer being carrier locked then I'll care.
I would probably take the pre over this if it were not for sprint
the black look better than the current black iphone
if i didnt just pay £425 a few months back for a white 16gb iphone and this was really, god it feel stupid
haha apple fanbois make me laugh, they jizzed cos its got a shiny apple logo.... wait till you actually get a girlfriend!
I think if they change the metal ring,it should protect the glass screen.i broke my iphone with a protector on. rubber bumper type may be. Also at lease 1 backgound app, that lets you track your iphone if you lose it or gets stolen. seeing theirs no warranty from ATT. Yes ! my iphone was stolen. I'm waiting for new iphone to perchase again. I'll be happy with any upgrade,seeing how much i loved my 3G. i think the biggest think about the iphone,is their app store.
I doubt if it has Rubber-tread backing？
coz, recently, most published Apple products are aluminum covered.
so....aluminum will be my choice
Why doesn't Nokia come out with glowing logos on the rear?......Come on Nokia! haha
they wont discontinue the metal band its the antennae
will the features remain made half assed like the previous versions? If so, enjoy spending half your life converting videos for it.
As The Onion put it: If it's SHINY AND MAKE BY APPLE! I WILL BUY IT!! LOL.
yeah the MMS features should have been in a long time ago. Double the CPU speed sounds too godo to be true... I was quiet impress with the 2 mp image on the current iphone so I hope this jump will even be better.
are they really gonna GO OLED? that's gonna be bad ass...Still I dont like the cover. I been hoping for a unibody all aluminum... I hate plastic anything.
OLED is the key here for the next iPhone. The 3.0SDK doesn't offer much aside from bluetooth pico nets, which can spur some cool apps--if they build them.
The main reason why the 1gen iPhone took off like a hot cake was the clarity of the screen. It was a worlds difference compared to older Treo and Resistive screens. Not the UI, not the apps, not the hardware form. Apple has always been about 'the screen clarity'.
Now everyone has the same or even better (HTC 800x600 anyone?) screens on their phones. So, Apple needs OLED.
Of course a side, but important benefit of OLED is battery life, but all those push apps and WiFi and the older 3G chipset will pretty much reduce it to a full day usage (vs. 2/3 of a day).
@look_around_you
"Hell most of this stuff, sans the revolutionary glowing Apple logo, is already part of EXISTING phones.
Apparently Apple couldn't come up with anything "original", eh?"
So when did Apple send out these specs?
the glowing apple logo would probably serve better as a casual camera light/flash for the phone. not perfect but i'm sure it'll be heaps better in low-light conditions :)
FM Transmitter? That's obviously BS, not worth my time, or yours.
2 megapixel camera is fine on a phone so long as the lens is good and the camera can actually focus the lens, the current camera lens on the I-phone is completely rubbish andthe camera itelf is sluggish and unresponsive in low light conditions - so a 3,2 megapixel upgrade will make no large difference unless the CCD and the way it handles images directed to it can be improved.
Also why no SD slot? Or replaceable battery? Even 32GB storage is small by today's standards, and after only 10 months my current 3G I-phone has to be charged twice a day - not good enough!
I have had two i-phones to date, I like them a lot, but the possible 'improvements' listed so far for I-phone version 3 will not make me rush out to get one - I think Apple will have completely understimated the developing needs of I-phone users, if the so called improvements listed so far are going to be so paltry.
When my O2 contract is up I dont see myself considering another I-phone - thats a shame, because I'd like to. There are now far too many other good I-phone-like devices out there in the market place, Apple will need to pull off a technological miracle if version 3 of their phone is to be as successful as the two previous versions.
At first I thought, "glowing logo? whats the point?" then I realised that this could be a flash!
Wired article- Jesus, does no one get that an FM transmitter gets audio on your CAR STEREO WITHOUT WIRES?!!? I laugh when I read "I don't know why it has FM...?"
While red and green OLED films have longer lifetimes (46,000 to 230,000 hours), blue organics currently have much shorter lifetimes (up to around 14,000 hours[source: OLED-Info.com]).
I am always checking out engadget for new tech rumors, etc. I never comment, but was compelled to on this one.
1. Apple doesn't have the only smart phone. But there is no smart phone that does as much, nor as well, as the iPhone. This really can't be argued. Everybody else has gained some ground, but nobody has matched the iPhone. The storm is a joke...it's junk. The screen clicks? Wow, amazing tech? The Pre is getting all kinds of hype, but it's just another try at the iPhone by using Apple's idea's. It's a neat little device, but looks a bit cheaply made. I have a feeling we're going to see a lot of Pre owners being Post-pissed because it's casing and slide feature are going to have problems. Nothing else is really worth mentioning. I've had iPhone 3.0 for awhile now and it's gonna pull more market share away from blackberry's and the rest once officially released. Especially with the Push notification. It puts the iPhone at the top until somebody can come up with their own idea that will top it. This won't be done by trying to copy the iPhone either like the Pre, Storm, and others are doing.
2. The glowing Apple logo. I wonder if this feature is for use with the camera and rumored video capabilities. Could this be the flash that the iPhone doesn't currently have? Perhaps it's purpose is to provide light for pictures and video in dim lit situations like getting pictures of PC lovers/Apple haters standing alone at the bar, drinking their wine coolers, and wearing cardigans to create the appearance they might be smart. So they continue standing there, looking at all the hot girls getting Mac'ed on by Mac Daddy's (because they have style). The PC girls are busy at home perming their leg hair and looking for dates online...only to have their PC freeze up. Oh the exciting life of PC people....just look at their leader....that uber stud Bill Gates! I'd rather get laid before 40 than be a PC guy. Plus I just like my computers to work. Keep living the dream with Windows!
Thanks for reading.
Having the apple logo lit up all the time would be stupid, but making the apple logo a camera flash would be a really dope idea.
So now I have a question. I live in Australia and I was just about to head out to buy a touch, should I still go buy it? Or should I wait because some of these changes could effect the touch?
So is the 3.0 firmware due the same date or earlier? I thought it was supposed to be out a month ago so I'm a bit perplexed...
A glowing back to make the 1.5xs longer lasting battery last the same as the iPhone 3G?
Seems counter productive.
HEY GUYS, LETS MAKE A BIGGER BATTERY!
AND LETS US IT ON A GLOWING APPLE!
Funny to see mentions about Blackberry & others, but marginally nothing about Nokia phones, which by far is the biggest of the manufacturers (E90/N95 quite much kicks iPhones ass). Oh well, this site was a non-European...
I think the glowing apple could be a flash or a way to add light to low lever situations when you want to take a picture.