2012 iPhone rumored to feature new charging method
The Wall Street Journal has served up another batch of iPhone rumors after its (ahem) daring claim earlier that the next iPhone will be "thinner and lighter" than the iPhone 4. While the iPhone 5 (or iPhone 4S) is rumored to feature an eight-megapixel camera and will almost certainly have the same A5 processor as the iPad 2, it's otherwise likely to be broadly similar to the iPhone 4 in most respects.
According to "a person briefed on Apple's product plans," Apple initially planned to launch the next iPhone during the summer as it has in the past, but the device wasn't ready and was pushed back to September. The same person claims Apple is working on a cheaper iPhone with an edge-to-edge screen. The most interesting rumor claims the 2012 iPhone will be a major redesign featuring "a new way of charging the phone." 9to5 Mac theorizes this may be similar to the Pre's Touchstone wireless charging, which uses inductive charging to top up the battery without needing to plug the phone in.
Thus far rumors about the iPhone 5 have been fairly inconsistent, and as we're likely at least a year away from the sixth-generation iPhone's launch, any rumors about it shouldn't be taken too seriously at this point. Still, Apple made "cutting the cord" a hallmark feature of iOS 5 in terms of data syncing, and if the iPhone 6 does feature inductive charging, it may be the first iPhone you'll never have to plug in.
