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What iOS 6 Tells Us About the iPhone 5

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While Apple didn’t announce the iPhone 5 yesterday at WWDC 2012, what it did announce may have provided us with clues about Apple’s next iPhone model.

Yesterday, Apple CEO Tim Cook and his colleagues took the stage and announced the company’s next mobile operating system, iOS 6. iOS 6 is going to be coming with over 200 new features when it arrives for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

Apple, as expected, did not announce the iPhone 5 yesterday in San Francisco but some of the features included in iOS 6 seem to hint at what we can expect from the company’s next smartphone.

Read: 40 iOS 6 Features You’ll Actually Care About.

Fall Release Date

Tim Cook and Co. did not mention a specific release date for iOS 6 but they did say that it would be released sometime during the fall of 2012. Assuming Apple follows a formula similar to the launch of iOS 5 and the iPhone 4S, we should see the iPhone 5 launch during the fall as well.

Read: Phone 5 Rumor Roundup: Release Date, Design, Display & iOS 6.

There is still a debate over whether the device will launch in September or October but one thing is clear. If Apple is indeed releasing an iPhone this year, it’s going to release it this fall with its new mobile new software.

4G LTE

The next iPhone is expected to possess 4G LTE capabilities when it arrives and there is a very big clue that seems to point to this as being the case.

One of the features included in iOS 6 is the ability to use FaceTime over cellular data networks, both 3G and 4G. This is going to put a strain on the networks that carry the iPhone which include AT&T, Sprint and Verizon.

Sprint doesn’t yet have its 4G LTE network fired up and without it, FaceTime over its 3G network could be crippling.

Better FaceTime Camera

One of the features that iPhone users have been clamoring about is a better FaceTime camera for the iPhone. While the rear camera on the iPhone 4S is stellar, the front-facing camera leaves something to be desired.

We’ve heard rumors that Apple might be including an HD FaceTime camera on the iPhone 5 and iOS 6 seems to back that notion up.

iOS 6 again is going to introduce FaceTime over cellular which means that people are going to finally be using the front-facing camera outside. If Apple expects its customers to actually use the service outside, it’s going to need to upgrade the camera as the current one won’t be up to the task of handling outside environments.

iPhone Will Replace More Devices

Over the years, as the iPhone has gained more advanced features, it has replaced devices that were once commonplace.

Point and shoot cameras are dying out because of amazing camera sensors that Apple has placed in the iPhone, especially the one found in the iPhone 4S. The iPhone has also replaced things like mp3 players, kitchen timers, lights on a keychain, and books and magazines, just to name a few.

With iOS 6, it appears that the iPhone 5 could start replacing standalone GPS devices as Apple has partnered with TomTom for its new Maps application in iOS 6.

This could very well be a sign that TomTom, and many other Personal Navigation Device manufacturers might be moving out of the hardware side of things sooner rather than later.

New Microphones

With iOS 6, Apple has improved Siri exponentially. It can now open applications, check on sports scores, read notifications from most applications, look up movie times and play movie trailers, help find restaurants and make reservations, and post tweets on Twitter and posts on Facebook.

What’s clear is that Apple is trying to get people to use Siri and take it seriously. I’ve talked to many iPhone 4S owners who rarely, if ever, use the personal assistant. Some complained about the lack of features but others talked about how Siri often fouled up what they were saying.

That being said people might start to use it and take it more seriously if Apple were to improve the microphones and the microphone recognition on the iPhone 5.

Apple has introduced dual-array mics on the new MacBook Pro, something that is common on Dell and Lenovo business laptops and a feature that produces a noticeable improvable over standard dual-microphones.

Improved Rear Camera

The iPhone 5 might possess a better camera.

The iPhone 4S possesses what is arguably the best rear camera on a smartphone. However, with Nokia poised to launch its PureView camera technology on its Windows Phone devices, Apple might have to make a move to stay ahead of the pack.

Apple mentioned several enhancements to iOS 6, bringing additional performance features and hinting at further control of focus and exposure. There’s only so much that can be done with software, so Apple may upgrade the camera as well.

Durable Design

Apple has been partnered with sports company Nike for quite some time now. In fact, Nike+ has been built into the core iOS. And now, with sports scores coming to Siri in iOS, it’s clear that Apple has placed importance on sports and those who watch them.

The company has also baked in turn-by-turn directions into its new Maps app in iOS 6 which, like the focus on sports and the improvements to the camera, seems to point to the company trying to appeal to those with an outdoors lifestyle.

We have heard that Apple might be making the iPhone 5 waterproof and while that might not be the case, it seems, at the very least, that Apple might be aiming to make the iPhone 5’s design more durable.

Global Roll Out

On the business side of things, Apple has been making a strong push into China, opening retail locations and launching its iOS-powered devices.

The importance that Apple has placed on China is evident in iOS 6 as a number of Chinese-specific features will be arriving with the software.

Some of those features include improved text input and built-in support for popular Chinese Internet services like Youku and Tudou.

China got the iPhone 4S a couple of months after the United States and other launch countries then but with the amount of Chineses-specific features found in iOS 6, Apple might be preparing to narrow the release date gap between the two countries with the iPhone 5.

Improved Display

The Retina Display on the iPhone 4S is up there with the best smartphone displays in the world but Apple might be thinking about improving upon it.

iOS 6 is going to be bringing FaceTime over cellular which means that users will be video chatting outside.

During the day, the glare from the sun could make that very difficult which could mean that Apple is thinking about putting the same anti-glare coating it put on the new MacBook Pro’s Retina Display on the display of the iPhone 5.

We’ve also heard that Apple might be launching the iPhone 5 with a 4-inch display which is a much better display for FaceTime chatting.

15 Comments

15 Comments

  1. John

    06/12/2012 at 1:26 pm

    THIS IS SOO EPIC IM WAITING TO BUY IT!!!!
    First!!!

    • Johnney

      06/12/2012 at 2:31 pm

      No body cares

  2. John

    06/12/2012 at 1:26 pm

    THIS IS SOO EPIC IM WAITING TO BUY IT!!!!
    First comment!!!

  3. UR MADD I GOT SWAGG

    06/12/2012 at 2:07 pm

    Im getting this hopefully they have a sale and plus I hope it come out in October !!!!

  4. Crobb

    06/12/2012 at 2:14 pm

    I think Apple missed an opportunity here. With Samsung’s Galaxy 3 coming out this month, Apple could have hurt the launch by announcing when the iPhone 5 would launch. I’m surprised they didn’t.

  5. heheheh

    06/12/2012 at 2:31 pm

    @ UR MAD I GOT SWAGG , lo first of all im no, and second apple never has sales, duhh

    • Geri O

      06/12/2012 at 5:46 pm

      Gee, Hehe, I wish I had your command of the English language….

  6. iwantthatphone

    06/12/2012 at 6:16 pm

    I used to love iPhone when it first came out… I passed on 4S because it was disappointing… now, 5 or 6 or whatever it will eventually be called appears disappointing again based on what has been speculated… LTE (so late in the game…), “command recognition” (limited use), and little (software) bells and whistles… other than the better looking UI and “just” the cool factor, nothing so compelling or “amazing” (as the marketing guys phrase it) compared to what’s already out there in the market.. Hoping it’s better than what has been speculated, I’ll wait and see…

    As for the “command recognition”… At one point, I used to really really hate cellular phones. The reason was that people talked so loud on the phone no matter where they are and annoyed the **** out of people… Then came the texting and IM… No matter what senseless things people “text” about, I welcomed it because it “quiet” people down… No more loud and ignorant people talking about their personal/senseless stuff in public…

    Yes there are good uses for it like when you are driving or hands are full… However, in most cases, I could already see people using the “command recognition” senselessly for the sake of using it, especially kids, in public places, annoying the **** out of people.

    BTW, note that I said “command recognition”, not “speech recognition”. In order for it to be useful, it has to be “speech recognition” where it would literally be like talking to another person and the device would “respond” like a real person and carry out tasks for you. “Command recognition” is highly limited and cumbersome in that you have to learn the predefined set of “commands”, which are highly limited in scope. In many cases, moving your fingers would be faster then actually trying to remember and say the commands. Plus add all the hassles related to accents, background noise, different languages, etc.

    Wish smartphone makers stop touting “command recognition” as the next big thing as part of their marketing campaign these days. I have tried Siri and other “command recognition” features in other smartphones before even Siri came out, including Android ones. They are good for several minutes at max as a cool and cute features to just check out, but it’s no where near being a truly useful or must have feature that is close to “speech recognition”. Sure things will improve on “command recognition” and there are definitely certain situations where you will benefit from it… However, no way in the foreseeable future, it will get to the more useful “speech recognition” level… Whether it’s Apple, Android, or whatever smartphone, “command recognition” should not be a key deciding factor, unless one likes change for the sake of change and gadgets for the sake of being cool… Personally, I am not a big fan of “scratching my left year with my right hand around back of my head when I could just use my left hand…”

    If you are old enough, you would remember people showing off their Palm Pilot in public places by using a stylus to “click” or “draw” in one character at a time when they could have done it much faster with a keypad or Blackberry…. And they thought it was really cool… ;)

    • Sushrut

      06/12/2012 at 7:47 pm

      Ahem….. If you are an iPhone hater man, what I wonder are you doing on a website that has everything about the iPhone? Go on some android or blackberry speculation page and drool over there!

  7. iwantthatphone

    06/12/2012 at 8:39 pm

    Guess you missed the point. The point was the not-so-spectacular feature called “command recognition” in general that key smartphone companies are pushing these days. It’s not specific to Apple, Samsung, or any other smartphone vendor out there… It’s just an opinion that “command recognition” feature in general appears to be not as mature and what the potential limitations are for it to be a true “speech” or “natural language” recognition. BTW, still love iOS and iPhone for that matter but just wish the changes are “bigger” rather than incremental in iPhone 5 to fend off all the competition these days… Waiting to see what’s in 5 before making the decision…

    • iPhoneProGamer

      06/18/2012 at 4:06 pm

      I think you’re missing the whole aspect on the dynamics of business ethos. You don’t launch a product with every bell and whistle know to man only to sabotage any chance of future product releases.

      Many companies in today’s day and age only survive, not by having the “next” big release or living off release after release but by having several future models already in the works and only releasing slight upgrades to its predecessors.

      That being said, although the new iPhone does have much to be desired relative to all our expectations in this day and age of need more, want more, expect more! Apple has done a brilliant job at managing to hold its customers, gain more every release and give us just enough to have us begging for more year after year.

      So what can we do as a people living in a society ruled by a technological evolution? Well pretty much the only thing that we are extremely good at, always ask for more, complain about what we already have and hopelessly purchase “the next big thing” from what “Big Brother” has to offer us.

  8. iPhone5NEEDED

    06/14/2012 at 7:29 am

    I can not wait for the new iPhone 5 to come out! I have been waiting forever still using my old school 3G. I WANT THE iPHONE 5 too come out soon!!! I love the concept design with the larger screen it looks really amazing and iOS6 is another cool feature! COME ON APPLE RELEASE THE iPHONE 5 ALREADY!!!!!

  9. kev

    06/20/2012 at 6:25 am

    … the iphone 4s has ” the best camera on the mobile market” STFU. i have the iphone 4s and a samsung.. the camera on the samsung is faster, clearer,has a higher pixel density,, takes photos as 8mp and will record 1080 video at 30fps (tried and tested).

    i do like the iphones though they feel better made, and apples CS is on another level

  10. ScreenX

    06/20/2012 at 6:34 pm

    There’s only so much that any company can tease the end user until the end user gives up on that company and settle with an alternative competing product or service.

    What apple does is tease us with tiny improvements and give those improvements fancy names when better features have existed all along on competing brands even before apple made improvements that are not even on par with the rest of the competition.

    Why is Apple so worried about the Samsung Galaxy S3 and trying to ban that phone in the USA instead of honestly competing and giving the end user up to date hardware and in some cases, software?

    IOS6 apparently has 200 new features. I’d like for Apple to give us the complete list and let us decide if they are truly new features or just features with no apparent use for the sake of filling the spec sheet.

    I’m not for one moment suggesting that the iPhone is not a great product. I’m only saying that it’s way over hyped and overrated. I am very disappointed in their cleverly deceptive marketing/brainwashing techniques. Shame on you Apple!

  11. Matt Belmont

    09/15/2012 at 5:20 am

    Well these predictions were pretty much spot on.

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