iPhone 5S: 5 New Things to Know About Apple’s Next iPhone

Apple is widely expected to deliver a new iPhone sometime later this year to replace the current iPhone, the iPhone 5. The device is thought to be a device called the iPhone 5S and like all rumored iPhones, the iPhone 5S has been the source of heavy rumor and speculation and is currently one of the most anticipated devices of the year.

Last year, in September, Apple not only released iOS 6 but it also delivered a new iPhone to replace the iPhone 4S from the year before. That iPhone of course was the iPhone 5, the Cupertino-based company’s first 4-inch iPhone, its first 4G LTE supported iPhone and the first to come with an industrial design comprised of glass and aluminum.

Read: Apple Wants You to Buy Your iPhone 5S at an Apple Store.

The device arrived on AT&T, Sprint and Verizon and much later, the iPhone 5 made its official debut on T-Mobile, making it the first iPhone to officially land on the nation’s four largest service providers. Since its debut, the device has seen a number of iOS 6 updates that have improved (and hurt) its experience and it has also seen a wide number of challengers arrive including the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4.

The iPhone 5 isn’t a 2013 iPhone though. It’s Apple’s model from 2012. And with the year pressing on towards fall, it’s only right that rumors of a new iPhone are in full swing.

For months now, the iPhone rumor mill has been hard at work with leaks and speculation emerging on a regular basis, seemingly pointing to Apple’s plans for the future. While the crystal ball still isn’t entirely clear, a host of rumors suggest that Apple has at least one new iPhone up its sleeve for the new year in the form of the iPhone 5S, the iPhone 5’s replacement.

There are iPhone 5S rumors a plenty with whispers suggesting that Apple has plans to introduce a number of significant upgrades on the iPhone 5S to help it counteract the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy S4, both of which have proven to be worthy iPhone 5 competitors.

With new iPhone 5S information emerging on a regular basis, it’s time to take a look at the most things to know about the device that is widely considered to be the next iPhone, the iPhone 5S.

iPhone 5S Release Date: Nothing Set in Stone

While signs are pointing to a launch and likely a release in September, nothing is set in stone. Recently, we heard that September 20th would be the release date for the iPhone 5S but like we said, consumers should not count on that being the release date for the iPhone 5S. Yes, it’s possible, but it’s far from confirmed.

In recent weeks, we’ve heard a lot about September and it does make sense. Apple released the iPhone 5 in September and it’s a month that is perfectly situated between the summer and holiday shopping months. It’s also around the time that iPhone 4S owners, who bought the device back in October of 2011, will be coming off contract, looking for something new.

That said, the iPhone 5S release date and launch date remain unclear though consumers should not bet against September at this point in time.

iPhone 6 Release Looks Good for Next Year

Consumers looking for an iPhone 6 or a larger screen iPhone, need to start tempering those expectations. Indeed, there are rumors out there that suggest that Apple will skip the iPhone 5S for an iPhone 6 or launch a larger screened iPhone 6 alongside the iPhone 5S. These things remain possibilities, but they remain on the fringe.

For one, most of the iPhone rumors that we’ve seen have been for an incremental iPhone, not a drastically overhauled one. Apple typically releases an ‘S’ iPhone model with improvements in both hardware and software while saving a numbered iPhone, like the iPhone 5, for a drastic redesign.

Thus far, the only big redesign that has emerged for 2013 is iOS 7 which Apple is calling the biggest update to iOS since the debut of the original iPhone so many years ago.

Rumors have honed in on the iPhone 5S for 2013. And what this means is that an iPhone 6 launch, and maybe one with a larger screen, looks much better for next year rather than this year.

Don’t Expect an iOS 7 Jailbreak at Launch

While we haven’t seen an iOS 7 jailbreak arrive for users of the iOS 7 beta, we do know that there is good news afoot. The biggest news comes from noted iOS hacker @musclenerd who claims that Apple has not defeated the efforts of jailbreakers, despite patching up the iOS 6 Evasi0n jailbreak and despite there not being an A5+ processor exploit.

In fact, he is resilient saying that Apple hasn’t even come close to stopping them, a sign that an iOS 7 jailbreak is a possibility. He hasn’t mentioned anything publicly and likely won’t for some time, but this is an extremely positive thing for those looking to unlocked their iPhone.

@MrShortFry Not even close :)

— MuscleNerd (@MuscleNerd) July 3, 2013

Despite the positivity, an iOS 7 jailbreak for beta remains unreleased. Given that, and the time it took the Evadr3s team to release the iOS 6 jailbreak, iPhone 5S and owners of other devices should not expect an iOS 7 jailbreak at launch.

Of course, things could change drastically as the developers tinker, but at this point, the iOS 7 jailbreak remains unreleased and at a standstill.

Expect the Expected

Over the past few months, numerous iPhone 5S rumors have emerged and even as we get closer to launch, they all continue to say the same thing: The iPhone 5S will keep the design of the iPhone 5 while featuring several hardware upgrades.

So far, we’ve heard that the device will have a 13MP camera with dual-LED flash, a faster processor though one hasn’t been nailed down and some upgrades to the devices battery life. All of these are typical of an ‘S’ iPhone model so they should not be surprising.

We also haven’t heard anything new in regards to unique features that the iPhone 5S will have. Rumors have stated that it will have a fingerprint reader on board and while iOS 7 beta hasn’t confirmed this, or any other unique features, there haven’t been any crazy rumors saying that the iPhone 5S will have anything different.

At this point, iPhone buyers should expect the expected when it comes to the iPhone 5S, meaning, same design, better camera, faster CPU, and some unique qualities.

iPhone 5 Deals Galore

Those looking at the new iPhone 5S as a smartphone option should know that there are plenty of deals popping up for the current iPhone, the iPhone 5. Typically, the price of the previous iPhone model drops when the new one comes out and we expect the iPhone 5 to dip to $100 at Apple once the iPhone 5S arrives.

However, retailers like Walmart have offered some pretty good deals on the iPhone 5 well ahead of time with prices falling well below its usual $199.99 on-contract price.

Read: iPhone 5 Deals: Cheap iPhone 5 Sales for Summer 2013.

Those who simply can’t wait until September will find a high quality phone in the iPhone 5 as it features a quality camera, design and processor, just like the iPhone 5S will. It will also get iOS 7 and continue to receive updates well into the future.

The iPhone 5S will likely be an improvement, but those on a budget should know that the iPhone 5 will be cheaper than the new iPhone.