Apple Sending iOS 5 to iPhone Assemblers at End of September, No Sign of Redesigned iPhone 5

[DJinTX]

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1128533/

Despite what you think, I do appreciate you posting this. Somehow I had missed the poll. I was curious where people here at macRumors fell on this issue. Obviously all posters here didn't participate, so it's not a very accurate poll.

I see two other problems with this:

1. Even if 99% of all Macrumors posters wanted a larger screen, this still is a very small subset of overall iPhone users. Apple is not going to make a change like this to make 10% of users happy. I have many friends and relatives with iPhones, and they are all super happy with them. I have never heard any of them lamenting that their iPhone had a small screen or wasn't as good as their friend's android.

2. This poll is assuming that they could cram a 4 inch screen into the same size unit, but I don't really believe this is feasible. I'm sure people have done the math and that it is technically possible, but I don't believe Apple would design this. If the screen is edge-to-edge and almost completely top to bottom, then it would be very difficult to hold and use without triggering unwanted actions.


Of course, this is all speculation. Only Apple knows what is coming. I just wish I wasn't as invested in this as I am so that I could be more patient.

 

[Number 41]

Each iPhone gets 3 iOS revisions. The iPhone 3G had to suffer a butchered experience on iOS 4 to meet this criteria, the iPhone 3GS does not for its iOS 5 release.

That's why.

So, if the point is to get existing 3GS owners w/ expiring contracts to upgrade to the new iPhone for their "new every 2," where is the incentive to do that by just speed bumping the phone? The 3GS runs everything already -- why not just wait for the iPhone 6?

 

[MacinDoc]

Same resolution 3.8" is still above 300 PPI, which is what is required for the "Retina" effect at 12" viewing distance, the claims made during the iPhone 4 introduction. A 3.8" 960x640 is as much retina as a 3.5" screen of the same resolution.

I suppose it's less than a 10% reduction in pixel density, although I thought Apple was already on the edge of its own definition of "Retina Display" (pixelation not being visibly evident to the naked eye when used at a typical distance, or something along those lines) with the iPhone 4. In any case, it could be a little hard for Apple to swallow a decreased spec such as pixel density, when the company seems to think that this is one of the features that places the iPhone above the rest of the field.

 

[KnightWRX]

So, if the point is to get existing 3GS owners w/ expiring contracts to upgrade to the new iPhone for their "new every 2," where is the incentive to do that by just speed bumping the phone? The 3GS runs everything already -- why not just wait for the iPhone 6?

Because the 3GS is now getting its last OS version ? Who's to say the iPhone 6 won't be in the same predicament as the 3G was ? Who's to say the iPhone 4 itself won't be ?

And who says that without a case redesign, you're only getting a "speed bump" ? Case don't mean anything besides physical appearance. There could be some major internal changes and new features with the old case design.

Why is this so hard to comprehend for some ? The 3GS was miles ahead of the 3G even though it had the same outward appearance.

I suppose it's less than a 10% reduction in pixel density, although I thought Apple was already on the edge of its own definition of "Retina Display" (pixelation not being visibly evident to the naked eye when used at a typical distance, or something along those lines) with the iPhone 4. In any case, it could be a little hard for Apple to swallow a decreased spec such as pixel density, when the company seems to think that this is one of the features that places the iPhone above the rest of the field.

The claim was 300 PPI was required at 12" viewing distance. The iPhone 4's 3.5" screen has something along the lines of 326 PPI. A 3.8" screen of the same resolution brings it down to 304 PPI, still above the required 300 PPI at 12".

Apple has never feared "spec decreases", they just spin it positively. "New massively magical 3.8" screen for better viewing of content with less zooming!".

 

[cajun67]

Why Why Why would it take 16 months to just make a minor refresh to the current iphone 4?

Actually, the more I thought about it today, I gradually realized... the extra four or five months we waited wasn't for the hardware but for the operating system.

Pessimistically... if you have a "meh" hardware rollout, you better have some kickass software running on it.

Apple is ramping up production because they will also be available on Sprint and T-Mobile, and will have a major push into China.

I think it would be a step backwards if Apple discontinued selling a $50 last-gen iPhone, and that's the main reason I'm still clinging to the rumors of two handsets. The fact that the iPhone 4 now takes several days to ship means that Apple is trying to empty the channel of product while they slow down production, so the iPhone 4 as we know it is almost gone, and I think it's safe to say that the 3GS will die off completely with the Oct refresh (despite being the second most popular smartphone on the market right now, behind the iPhone 4).

 

[newyorksole]

I was starting to believe that Apple wasn't going to change the look of the iPhone 5, just some internals.

But with all the competition that's out right now and the length of time they waited they can't just keep it the same.

iOS5 and iCloud are amazing, but they need to have amazing hardware to go with it.

Don't let us down Apple.

 

[Maschil]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A5313e Safari/7534.48.3)

why is it when someone says if its not a redesign there going to android? like seriously androids suck to the T!!! Every one said evo was better...look that phone has had some many problems now the galaxy II is posses to be better? really people? It has the same design as the iPhone...if y'all are such android fans y are y'all on "Mac" rumors?

well said lol i had a droid x and an ipod touch.....slowly i went to a 3gs then an ipad 2 than a macbook pro the software of apple is what got me.... my apple products give me less stress which to me is worth the double amount i pay for their products in contrast to windows/android etc...

----------

150,000 iPhone 5's that happen to be a much better than the iPhone 4 phone in an iPhone 4 type casing.

Again guys : The case does not make the phone. The iPhone 5 can very well have only a slightly modified exterior and still be an heck of an upgrade.

excellent point...

 

[bushido]

OT: after tmobile, Vodafone lets u preorder the iPhone 5 in Germany now

 

[oiuh151]

I can't understand how anyone could believe this..

So Apple waits 16 months and bring NO CHANGES to iPhone (excluding A5).. I'm surprised they admit the A5 process is used, why not say they are going to stick w/A4, shrink the screen size 2 1/2 inches, and bring back the 3MP VGA camera.

While you are at it, give us tips about Apple working on shorter battery life and bring back firewire compatibility.

NEXT rumor...

Has it ever crossed your mind that the delay was for the software and not the hardware?

 

[Reach9]

...**** This.

For the first time, i'm really pissed off at this rumor.

If Apple releases an iPhone 4 with an A5 chip after 16 months since the last upgrade, then I will be looking elsewhere. Wow, i never thought I would ever do this, but it's true.

A warmed over iPhone 4 won't do it, not for such a long wait. I've been holding off with my iPhone 3G waiting for the 5. An iPhone 4S won't cut it, sorry.

This is why we need competition. We shouldn't allow Apple to become the best, it's not going to help you as a consumer unless you're investing in Apple.

********.
I hate this analyst, whether he's right or wrong.

 

[Jibbajabba]

I am personally tempted to stop going here for a while ... getting increasingly bored of iphone 4 / 4.5 / 4S / 5 'news'

 

[KnightWRX]

For the first time, i'm really pissed off at this rumor.

You seem to have a lot of emotional energy to waste.

 

[chrisfromalbany]

Why did the article stop there? I mean it is unbelieve already.. Why not be absurd..

-Due to supply shortages of Li-Polymer batteries and need get iphone 5 out, Apple has decided to give us HALF battery of iphone 4

-Due to the introduction of iCloud, Apple is going to revert to 4 or 8 gig models making us use to iCloud for storage

-In a push to be more green and feed the public's never ending appetite for Apple products, the new iPhone 5 comes in a soft plastic like edible shell

 

[3N16MA]

After waiting 1.5 years for a new iPhone, they can't stiff us with an "S" model... Apple is behind all those great looking 4" Androids... Every iPhone owner admits to drool over the screen size, the thinner factor and overall look of the Android phones.
Not releasing an upgraded 4" screen iPhone with 8MP camera would be the stupidest move ever. Lots of people would be disappointed and pissed off and would definitely sell out to other platforms.
Look what happened to Final Cut Pro X. Adobe is selling 50% more Premiere software thanx to a senseless "downgrade" from the amazing Final Cut Pro 7...

I am an iPhone owner I have never drooled over any Android phone.

 

[CodeCowboy]

Think "Features" not hardware...

As a PC user / Developer / Gamer I have been inculcated to think that specs = a device's worthiness.

However, Apple has kinda changed the game by making iOS devices do more with less. To the point that for most things it doesn't matter whether I have a 3GS or a 4, the net result is exactly the same in terms of app performance.

So that brings up the following question...since the iPhone 4 already has plenty of performance for most apps out there, why would I ever want to buy an iPhone 5 which had the same sized screen, the same form factor and a better CPU? I wouldn't. I would venture to guess that most other people wouldn't either.

What makes me question the authenticity of the information is that that model wouldn't really fit with Apple's general business approach. They don't sell you on specs, they sell you on features. Buy this new, upgraded iDevice because with it you can _______.

So maybe we should be thinking, what new features will the new hardware enable? (And also iOS 5 wouldn't be released on an iPhone 4S... would it?)

I sincerely doubt the answer will be, you get a higher resolution camera and can text faster with a better CPU and memory.

IMO at a minimum they will change the form factor for that intangible "cooler" effect. "Lighter, faster, better" being the result. Because, "the same, but faster" doesn't sell nearly as much.

 

[Maschil]

Why did the article stop there? I mean it is unbelieve already.. Why not be absurd..

-Due to supply shortages of Li-Polymer batteries and need get iphone 5 out, Apple has decided to give us HALF battery of iphone 4

-Due to the introduction of iCloud, Apple is going to revert to 4 or 8 gig models making us use to iCloud for storage

-In a push to be more green and feed the public's never ending appetite for Apple products, the new iPhone 5 comes in a soft plastic like edible shell

hilarious... just hope they dont pull that one off (bolded) LOL

 

[theperipheral]

Everyone, calm down. This is just a rumor. If Apple does something this stupid, lets all just go buy Samsung Galaxy S2's. No need in getting all upset yet, though.

Every day a new rumor exists...why do you believe ALL of them?

 

[oiuh151]

As a PC user / Developer / Gamer I have been inculcated to think that specs = a device's worthiness.

However, Apple has kinda changed the game by making iOS devices do more with less. To the point that for most things it doesn't matter whether I have a 3GS or a 4, the net result is exactly the same in terms of app performance.

So that brings up the following question...since the iPhone 4 already has plenty of performance for most apps out there, why would I ever want to buy an iPhone 5 which had the same sized screen, the same form factor and a better CPU? I wouldn't. I would venture to guess that most other people wouldn't either.

What makes me question the authenticity of the information is that that model wouldn't really fit with Apple's general business approach. They don't sell you on specs, they sell you on features. Buy this new, upgraded iDevice because with it you can _______.

So maybe we should be thinking, what new features will the new hardware enable? (And also iOS 5 wouldn't be released on an iPhone 4S... would it?)

I sincerely doubt the answer will be, you get a higher resolution camera and can text faster with a better CPU and memory.

IMO at a minimum they will change the form factor for that intangible "cooler" effect. "Lighter, faster, better" being the result. Because, "the same, but faster" doesn't sell nearly as much.

So did you miss the iPhone 3GS release?

 

[StyxMaker]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_5 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/8L1)

get rid of the useless menu button, make the screen 4 and let us use gestures while remaining the size of the phone. i havent used the menu button in like forever on my iPad 2 since ive got gestures enabled

Can't get rid of the home button, the iPhone has to be usable with one hand.

 

[KnightWRX]

Can't get rid of the home button, the iPhone has to be usable with one hand.

A capacitative button like is used on other handsets/the PS3 ?

 

[guzhogi]

I hope the new iPhone gets a nice, new feature. However, since my iPhone 4 is still under contract for another year, I'll have to wait & see what the iPhone 6 (or whatever Apple will call it) comes out. Hopefully, it'll be a good upgrade.

 

[chrisfromalbany]

Why did the article stop there? I mean it is unbelieve already.. Why not be absurd..

-Due to supply shortages of Li-Polymer batteries and need get iphone 5 out, Apple has decided to give us HALF battery of iphone 4

-Due to the introduction of iCloud, Apple is going to revert to 4 or 8 gig models making us use to iCloud for storage

-In a push to be more green and feed the public's never ending appetite for Apple products, the new iPhone 5 comes in a soft plastic like edible shell

hilarious... just hope they dont pull that one off (bolded) LOL

quite the contrary.. I hoping for a 64 gig version I have my 32 gig max out.

 

[cajun67]

However, Apple has kinda changed the game by making iOS devices do more with less. To the point that for most things it doesn't matter whether I have a 3GS or a 4, the net result is exactly the same in terms of app performance.

Anecdotally, it seems that Apple is keeping iOS devices alive longer than their Android counterparts. The 3G was able to run iOS 4 (though lacking a major feature or two). The 3GS will run iOS 5. Because there are so many Android devices out there, I know that it takes a larger engineering effort to support all of that older hardware, and thus may be skipped over in favor of pressuring users to simply upgrade their hardware, instead.

However, buying a phone because you know it will still run the latest OS three years from now doesn't exactly bring in the "wow factor".

 

[CodeCowboy]

So did you miss the iPhone 3GS release?

Not at all, in fact I have a 3GS.

There comes a point in time, however, where performance matches or exceeds the need for that performance. (you only need so much speed to text for example) and then specs no longer matter as much.

It is my contention that we are there for the time being with iPhone 4.

My point was that I believe that for the screen size the iPhone 4 (and to a lesser degree the 3GS) run 90% of all apps with no performance degridation, and therefore no "need" for a faster CPU.

That's not to say that if you slap a faster CPU in it apps won't adapt and use it, but it isn't a compelling reason to upgrade until there is a compelling application to make that upgrade worth while.

Therefore in my mind some reasons to upgrade might be: screen size, screen resolution, form factor, some other new hardware gadgetry, and to a lesser extent camera resolution.

Memory and CPU seem almost meaningless as long as applications run smoothly on the platform.

 

[a17inchFuture]

I will admit i would be upset if the appearance of the iphone was the same...

Originally, i wouldnt have cared at all ... but after following this site for the last several months in expectation of its release, and seeing the newest mockups of the tapered design ... i would be very disappointed, like others have said, to have waited this long for a faster version of the same phone (and with a better camera).... good features, no doubt, but i'd prefer to see what apple would redesign on their next iphone... thats honestly what interests me most, as their aesthetic is truly fascinating and genre-defining these days... And its bound to happen eventually, and will undoubtedly interest us all to see what they do... So why not be open and admit thats what excites me most?!

P.S. I have a plain old iphone 3g (no "s"), if that gives you any idea how long and patiently ive been waiting....