The big day is upon us. Whenever Apple introduces a new product, people rave and crave them. Leading up to these events, we speculate the specs of the devices, trying to predict exactly what Apple will show off. Sometimes they’ll manage to keep things a secret, but most often we know what to expect.
This is one of those years we know plenty. The back of the phone has already been revealed by several sources. If these manufacturing pictures are correct (and they usually are), then the next iPhone will replace the glass back panel with an aluminum one, which should boost cellular reception. Also noteworthy is that the screen will be bumped from 3.5 to around 4 inches, allowing for a true 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio. This will make HD video look really sharp.
Perhaps the biggest change, however, is the dock connector. Apple has shrunk the connector from 30 pins to around 8-19 pins. This invites the possibility that the new dock connector might be a Thunderbolt port, which would not only charge the phone but allow it to transfer data at 10 gigabytes per second. Though I doubt this because the next iPhone dock looks too big to be a Thunderbolt port, I won’t be surprised if it turns out to be the case.
Though many are calling Apple’s next iPhone the iPhone 5, I’m going to be one of the few to hold off. This was the case with the new iPad, and technically this isn’t Apple’s 5th iPhone (it’s the 6th). I know their invitation to the press conference displays a huge “5” shadow, but until I hear it from CEO Tim Cook tomorrow, I won’t be using that moniker.
Expect new iOS 6 features for the new iPhone to be shown tomorrow. Apple did this for the iPhone 3GS (compass), iPhone 4 (wallpaper) and iPhone 4S (Siri). I can’t wait to see how iOS 6 will utilize the additional half inch of screen estate offered by the new phone. I’m hoping for widgets, a la Android. I’m always hoping for widgets.
I’m sure the new iPhone will have longer (if not similar to the iPhone 4S’s) battery life, a quad-core processor and other internal upgrades. I’m confident that the phone will have great performance, with apps opening and running at a blink of an eye. In terms of pricing, I expect this model to take place of the iPhone 4S. Storage will remain the same, with 16, 32, and 64 gigabyte options for $199, $299 and $399 respectively. The iPhone 4S will become $99 with only an 8 gigabyte model available, the iPhone 4 will become free on contract with the same storage space, and say goodnight to the iPhone 3GS, because that baby’s getting discontinued.
I’ll wrap this up with a few more predictions. I believe Apple will demonstrate or at least tease a Pandora-like streaming service for iDevice and iTunes users, replacing the mediocre Genius feature. I also predict Apple will cut the iPod touch line in preparation for their iPad mini announcement, which won’t happen tomorrow. Finally, I think the new iPhone will have NFC-compatibility, allowing owners to use their phones to pay at check out lines. Too many competing phones tout this feature for Apple to not include it.
Are you planning on buying the new iPhone? Let us know in the comments.
Image taken by Carla463.
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