Last year, we waited and waited for the iPhone 5 and it never showed. So surely, surely, it’s destined to materialise in 2012?
We reckon so – and so does the rumour mill.
In 2011 we eventually got the iPhone 4S, after endless iPhone 5 rumours – there were so many, in fact, that the handset made it into Google’s top 10 most-searched terms of last year! But it is strongly expected to be revealed at some point this year.
At the back end of last year, there was word that the next-generation iPhone would arrive in autumn 2012 with a brand new design and bigger display.
So, Apple fans, let’s embrace all the lovely rumours and investigate when the elusive iPhone 5 is likely to land…
When will it be available?
Ah, the million dollar question. Before the current model was unveiled by Apple last October, the company had set a trend with its smartphones of introducing the newest version during its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June – in the past, we’d seen the original iPhone, 3GS and 4 models announced at this time. And we suspect Apple will revert to this tradition after its break last year.
One purported reason the iPhone 5 never showed in 2011 is that there wasn’t enough time to release it in time for the popular holiday season so Apple shifted attention to the 4S.
Now the latest rumours indicate the iPhone 5 will be released during the summer or early autumn. According to a note written this week by Morgan Stanley analyst Kate Huberty, the new iPhone will come “later this year” – thought to be at the end of Q2, which fits with expectations.
Pricing?
Details are naturally sparse at this stage but we suspect iPhone 5 pricing to be along similar lines as the 4S model. So if Apple releases three versions again (16GB, 32GB and 64GB) you can expect monthly deals to start from £35 with a free 16GB handset, or from £29 per month with a £300+ upfront cost for the 64GB phone/from £41 monthly payment for a below-£200 upfront fee.
Will it be called the iPhone 5?
In all likelihood, yes, but nothing is definite and there’s a chance Apple may christen it something else, such as the iPhone 6.
Specs?
This is where things get really interesting because it is thought the next Apple device will be quite distinct with a new design, larger display and a quad-core processor.
Research firm Morgan Stanley has indicated the iPhone 5 will be slimmer, more powerful, come with 4G support, 3G and LTE capabilities, a Qualcomm quad-core chip and 4-inch display.
The guys over at AppleInsider have word that analyst Kate Huberty said it seems the coming iPhone will be powered by a quad-core processor that would enable it to “run on all 3G and LTE network flavours”. However, she added it was “too early to know for sure”.
It doesn’t seem unrealistic that the iPhone 5 would be a quad-core device, though, as other smartphones with this power are expected to land in 2012 – HTC may well unveil its quad-core handsets at MWC next month. So we’d expect Apple to keep pace.
Hubert also had this to say: “What is clear about iPhone 5 is that Apple and its supply chain are positively surprised by the demand for iPhone 4S, which increases confidence in strong sales for iPhone 5 later this year. Overall, the supply chain looks for stronger than market growth for both the iPhone (50%+ y/y vs. market 20-30%) and the iPad (20-40% growth, higher with a lower priced iPad 2).”
All the speculation points to a radical change in looks for the next iPhone, unlike the current iPhone 4S which succeeded the iPhone 4 and primarily focused on internal upgrades. Bloomberg reports that Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster wrote in a research note earlier this week that his survey has highlighted the majority of iPhone users were thinking of buying a new version – and that, coupled with a brand new design, the 5 model could be “a monster upgrade”.
So make sure you stayed tuned to all the iPhone 5 rumours, as there will be plenty more theories to surface yet!
We will of course keep you posted on developments, but in the meantime would love to hear your views on this – what features are you hoping Apple will include in the iPhone 5?
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