Latest iPhone 5 rumors point to iterative update, production beginning in September
The latest iPhone 5 rumors could also be filed under "logical evolution of the species." As we saw with the iPhone 3G to 3GS, the form factor on the iPhone 5 is not expected to change. As logic would dictate, Apple should update the processor to the A5 (currently in the iPad 2). New rumors also indicate an 8 MP camera (probably not from Sony, however) on the back and a switch to Qualcomm baseband chips for CDMA and GSM. Oh, and as AppleInsider reports, "an improved antenna design."
These latest details are courtesy of analyst Ming-Chi Kuo with Concord Securities. He's been right before, correctly predicting the resolution of the iPad 2's screen and its cameras. Kuo echoes the September availability we've been hearing, but claims it will be announced at WWDC (which we have heard will not happen). All of the hardware points line up with rumors we've heard before.
Still, Kuo says iOS 5 will be the big news this year on the iPhone front, and I agree. Some of you may recall that Mac OS X Tiger (10.4) introduced so many new features, applications and frameworks that Apple said it would turn your Mac into a "new" computer. I think iOS 5 will not only address some of the glaring issues in iOS (notifications, for example) but will also add many features designed to leapfrog the competition. The question is whether iOS 5 will debut with the iPhone 5 or after it.
