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iPhone 4S with A5, Sim-less? "Major New" iPhone 5 Due in 2012

Too bad

Everyone I know is showing off their new androids with slightly larger screens which in a fairly recent survey I read, most people want.

They'll have to work slightly harder than just a speed bump so it doesn't get unfairly thrashed in all it's reviews.
 
I firmly believe that multitudes of features/specs in a smartphone/tablet don't do the user any good unless the UI is polished enough so that the user can take advantage of those features/specs.

This may conflict with some conspiracy theorists, who claim that Apple purposefully excludes specs in order to "save" them for the next version. While this may be true, the above principle is part of the reason.

With that said, I will put it in plain English. Android phones will improve at a faster rate than iPhones. That's a consequence of the decentralized business model. For example, say Samsung comes out with some Android smartphone. Every other OEM will be working feverishly to come out with a better smartphone. This makes the rate of improvement faster, even though they adhere to the design principle that I stated above.

This is mere common sense. There's no "evil conspiracy" going on at Apple to tack on a few features at a time in order to gradually entrench users into iOS. There is a tradeoff between including several features in a device and ensuring that the device still performs well. I'm willing to bet that Apple has stringent performance standards.
 
I think apple is working on a smaller sized sim card; not a sim-less phone. I don't think it would be ready for the iphone 4.5 though.
 
t0mbola said:
My theory is that you will get a normal SIM card, use an iPhone 5 SIM adaptor to transfer SIM data into your phone. When your done you will keep the SIM so you can use it in other phones or when you wipe your iPhone. As I said before, when you put SIM card into different phone, after singing in to mobile network the SIM data in iPhone 5 will be wiped.

Let me know if I make sense now.
Click to expand...

If the iPhone holds your SIM data, and you put your SIM card in another phone, then they'll both have to be (at least temporarily) connected to the cell network so the provider can figure out what you've done and "wipe" the iPhone's SIM data. Right there you've created a situation the carriers will never accept. If the same account is on the network twice, something is seriously wrong.
 
WTF is Apple's obsession with removing the sim card? I mean, I'm sure it's control (i.e. you're locked into the device) but man, the sim is a key benefit to GSM networks.

They'd better tread lightly, or the line between GSM and any other carrier (whom may not have the iPhone) will become very thin...
 
arn said:
because the carriers don't like it?

arn
Click to expand...

Not only the carriers, also the people who don't like simlocking.
I have a simlock free iPhone and thanks to that I can pack my bags and leave when I want(I've only changed carriers once, but it is nice to know I can do it when I want. A virtual SIM will just make it harder to switch.
 
I just think it will be VERY funny if they do end up calling it the iPhone 4S and the one after that the iPhone 5. The amount of time weeding through these threads of useless "it's going to be called this....." "it's going to be called that....." to find useful information is a chore. EVERY "rumor" about the next iPhone thread someone always has to start their little iPhone, iPhone3G iPhone3GS chart. We get it. You "think" they are going to name it the way you put in your little list. And if they name it that you can sit there and say "told you so". We got it, ok? Thanks.
 
Jonasgold said:
Not only the carriers, also the people who don't like simlocking.
I have a simlock free iPhone and thanks to that I can pack my bags and leave when I want(I've only changed carriers once, but it is nice to know I can do it when I want. A virtual SIM will just make it harder to switch.
Click to expand...

While I agree that this is an issue in the past, from the original post it seems to indicate that while there is a single sim inside the phone; Apple will allow any carrier which support the iPhone to use this protocol.

would exist as a built-in chip inside the iPhone to allow users to activate their devices with a broad array of carriers
Click to expand...

What is a major blow, will be the convenience of changing phones (for what-ever reason a person might have; to try a different phone or need a cheap phone to prevent damage on iPhone). Another group which this will hurt are the unlockers... like individuals who use the iPhone on T-Mobile in the States. As theoretically the "broad array of carriers" will not include those carriers.
 
firewood said:
Apple doesn't care about losing that ground because, as other mobile device manufacturers will soon find out, that isn't very profitable ground.

Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleScruff1
Android will probably gain more market share ...

of a high percentage low profit margin customers.
Click to expand...

As a consumer, I care more about me than I do about the manufacturer. Of course an Apple fanatic doesn't understand that.
 
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How much smaller does the SIM need to be than a micro SIM? Small enough that measuring dimensions in nanometers makes the most sense? Honestly.

Obviously people won't be happy until we need microscopes and tweezers to install/swap the damn things.
 
Lord Bodak said:
If the iPhone holds your SIM data, and you put your SIM card in another phone, then they'll both have to be (at least temporarily) connected to the cell network so the provider can figure out what you've done and "wipe" the iPhone's SIM data. Right there you've created a situation the carriers will never accept. If the same account is on the network twice, something is seriously wrong.
Click to expand...

this is allowed just fine here, u can order up to 4 sims called "Multisim" to use one account for up to 5 phones/tablets whatever.
 
KnightWRX said:
Sure it was snappier, but it's not like the 3G was completely unusable. The fact is, it took quite a while until someone said "hey, this 3GS device is pretty fast, let's write software to push it to its limits, sure it won't run on the iPhone 3G, but so what ?"

But my recount, it took close to 1 year before we reached that point (and the iPhone 4 basically being out and a lot of 3G owners upgrading to it).

The 3GS was much more than "snappier" than the 3G. It could completely destroy it in raw processing power.
Click to expand...

In conclusion, anyone buy iPhone 4 is clever. They made a good decision.
 
wait, so an anonymous source is claiming the next iphone will be called the iphone 4S and will be faster than the iphone 4?

wow, i hadn't heard this one before at all. thanks MacRumors!
 
KnightWRX said:
I was thrilled when they announced the 3GS, it was a major upgrade from the 3G. Moreso than the iPhone 4 was for the 3GS. Now that was a "meh" update. Just changing the outside look and mostly keeping the same internals.
Click to expand...

You have got to be kidding me - the iPhone 4 was the BIGGEST upgrade jump the iPhone has had - brand new CPU, brand new screen technology, front facing camera, LED flash, Gyroscope.

The 3GS brought a speed increase with a higher clocked processor, GPU, compass & higher resolution camera.

The 3GS might have been a bigger upgrade for you but to the rest of the world the 4 was a MILE ahead of any iPhone upgrade before it.

Posts like this make me feel sick.
 
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bushido said:
this is allowed just fine here, u can order up to 4 sims called "Multisim" to use one account for up to 5 phones/tablets whatever.
Click to expand...

It's not the same. Not at all.
Each sim within the "mulisim" account is unique. Each one has its own serial number and public/private encryption keys. Each one functions as a stand-alone sim card.

The "multisim" bit lives in the HLA computers of the carrier, which link all those sims under the same account.

I do own a multisim in Spain (ipad+iphone) so if you do remove your sim cards and look at the serial numbers printed on the outside. They're different.

Alternatively, you can type *#06# on your phone, and besides the IMEI of yoru iphone you'll see the ICCID of the sim card. Each sim card is unique, even under a multisim account.
 
Trakker said:
You have got to be kidding me - the iPhone 4 was the BIGGEST upgrade jump the iPhone has had - brand new CPU, brand new screen technology, front facing camera, LED flash, Gyroscope.
Click to expand...

The iPhone 4 didn't have a brand new CPU. It had the same Cortex A8 CPU that the 3GS had, with about a 33% increase in clock speed.

So the iPhone 4 had : new screen (higher resolution = less FPS in games), front facing thing-a-magig, LED flash (bout time) and a Gyroscope.

iPhone 3GS had : New CPU. New GPU. Video camera (3G had a stills camera which a few jailbreakers managed to turn into a video camera), Compass.

That's 4 new features each. Except the internals of the phones are the same. The A4 is simply merged the CPU and GPU used in the 3GS into a SoC (System on a Chip).

The 3GS and the 4 are basically the same phone as far as internals go. I don't consider the outside appearance to "make or break" something as a major update. Who cares what it looks like, it's what it does that matters.

Trakker said:
Posts like this make me feel sick.
Click to expand...

If reading other people's opinions makes you sick, then you should stop reading forums...
 
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I love the idea of the sim-less phone - in theory!

Visit another country, just download a PAYG SIM for a network there and get local rates instead of roaming. Switch network providers in your home country - just sign up and download the relevant eSim. Easy peasy.

Of course, the networks will hate this; as it makes it a lot more convenient to switch between networks if you're not fiddling between two SIM cards.

And this is all dependent on everyone working together to make eSims a standard, which of course is very, very far from guaranteed.
 
iPhone 4S vs 5 vs 6?

Why are people referring to next year's iPhone as iPhone 5? The previously released iPhones are as follows:

iPhone 1
iPhone 3G
iPhone 3GS
iPhone 4

Wouldn't that imply that the iPhone AFTER 4S would be 6?? :confused:
 
KnightWRX said:
The iPhone 4 didn't have a brand new CPU. It had the same Cortex A8 CPU that the 3GS had, with about a 33% increase in clock speed.

So the iPhone 4 had : new screen (higher resolution = less FPS in games), front facing thing-a-magig, LED flash (bout time) and a Gyroscope.

iPhone 3GS had : New CPU. New GPU. Video camera (3G had a stills camera which a few jailbreakers managed to turn into a video camera), Compass.

That's 4 new features each. Except the internals of the phones are the same. The A4 is simply merged the CPU and GPU used in the 3GS into a SoC (System on a Chip).

The 3GS and the 4 are basically the same phone as far as internals go. I don't consider the outside appearance to "make or break" something as a major update. Who cares what it looks like, it's what it does that matters.
Click to expand...

The iPhone 4 upgrade also has higher res back camera, HD video recording, 802.11n Wifi, longer battery life, and a faster network chip too, IIRC. It was a huge advance on the 3GS, and the benchmarks show it.
 
Am I missing something?

Number 41 said:
The 3GS was a crap upgrade. It moved a little faster -- so what. It was functionally the same as the 3G. The only differences became apparent when iPhone OS4 bricked the 3G due to it's incredibly poor optimization (and "planned obsolescence" decision to deny multi-tasking to the 3G even though jailbroken phones could run it).

I wish I was on the proper upgrade cycle, but my contract with another carrier made me wait to go iPhone until 3GS. Now I'm stuck on the "down" upgrade cycle getting an old phone every 2 years while the even-year upgraders get cool new stuff.
Click to expand...

I am eligible for an upgrade every year. EVERY June I can upgrade my phone. I don't understand why everyone else talks about what "2 year cycle" they are on. I have the lowest voice plan, unlimited data and texts. I will do the same thing this year that I've done with every iPhone release. Sell my current phone and upgrade to the new one.
 
whooleytoo said:
The iPhone 4 upgrade also has higher res back camera, HD video recording, 802.11n Wifi, longer battery life, and a faster network chip too, IIRC. It was a huge advance on the 3GS, and the benchmarks show it.
Click to expand...

The components you listed don't matter to how fast the operating system or apps run though. The CPU, GPU, and RAM do. Yes, the benchmarks show a jump in performance from the 3GS to the iP4, but actually show a larger jump (percentage wise) from the 3G to 3GS. The processor/GPU combo in the 3GS is/was over twice as powerful as that in the 3G. However, when you go from the 3GS to iPhone 4, you only get a 33% increase in CPU power, and no increase in GPU. From "horsepower" perspective, the 3G to 3GS upgrade was far bigger than the 3GS to iP4. Same thing will happen this upcoming upgrade if they keep the external design relatively the same, but upgrade the "guts' to the A5 dual core, new GPU, and double the RAM. It will be a HUGE upgrade, but I'll bet my life that people will say it's a "minor" upgrade just because the externals look the same/similar. No one looks "under the hood" and Apple knows that.
 
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