iPhone 5S to Get Upgraded Camera and Processor, Could Ship to Retailers in the 3rd Quarter

[Syk]

My iPhone 4 does it's job well but man have I noticed it chugging and starting to get a little lazy. I don't think I could do another year + and wait for a 6 in 2014.

Just my thoughts though

My iPhone4 is still on 5.0.1 and jailbroke. Since I backed up my blobs I should be able to restore back to 5.0.1

It's been kind of sluggish here lately.

I've been thinking about doing a wipe and loading it as a new phone and keep it ticking along.

I wanted the Note2 but if there's a chance of an iPhone with a 4+" (4.3/4.8") next year I think I rather have that. I don't want to sign a contract for the 5s if it's just going to be a spec bump which I think it will be.

I think I'm going to hold out this year if that's the case. I'll probably pick up an iPad mini this year though

 

[dampfnudel]

No problem. You'll get to order it in June of 2014.

Which will be a few months after you get the opportunity to buy AAPL for under 100 (unless people really go nuts for that new retina iPad mini).

 

[osaga]

HTC One is the nicest looking smartphone outside of Apple. Still the design could be improved. The iphone 5 below it is nice, but it's not great. And Sony is doing nice work as well. Steve knows what I'm talking about, wherever he is.

The main reason people are attracted to apple products is because they're attractive. Why this isn't discussed more is a shame.

 

[linuxcooldude]

If they were to use plastic, they would play in a market segment in which there would be more customers, but less total profits to be made than in the segment that they have chosen. Conversely, were they to use platinum, there would be so few customers that t is likely that total profits would be reduced.

Originally they started out using plastic with the first iPhone, then to steel. If they continued to manufacture with the same plastic shell they would still be in the same market segment as they always were.

Seriously? Apple calculated that their unique and sexy design will sell many more iPhones compared to a cheaper common plastic-based design. More phones means more profit. When the iPhone 4 arrived three years ago there was nothing else that looked and felt like it. It was a must-have. And the few dollars difference in materials is nothing in the context of a $600 phone.

A few dollars per phone can mean everything. A few dollars per iPhone sold for the past 3 years is a lot of money.

 

[dampfnudel]

If Apple releases the 5S with just a new camera and processor,

and if apple waits until fall to do it,

AAPL is doomed.

In other words, Apple wants to give new investors an opportunity to buy their stock on the cheap. It's so kind of Tim & Phil to do that.

 

[nofear1az]

I understand not everyone wants a big screen, but for me personally I would rather have one. It is frustrating my iPhone can do everything my iPad can and make calls. BUT, I still have to carry an iPad around to do anything as the screen size of my iPhone frustrates me. I don't need a phone the size of an iPad Mini, but an iPhone around the size of a note and I'm in heaven.

so stop feeling bad about it and go get an S3 or a Note 2. My friend who is a very much Apple devotee finally got a Note 2 and has no regrets. He still loves Apple stuff but now he won't even look at an iPhone. I was more conservative and am on a Nexus 4 and love it. People mistaken my Nexus for an iPhone 5 all the time, only because they don't know what a 5 is supposed to look like. hehehe

I hope Apple develops in the software area and brings some updates to iOS7, that alone would be a huge thing. Obviously, Apple realizes their competitors are beating them but with 'S' updates it isn't going to hold water. Those are so minor it's not worth even having an event for.

Why can't Apple make multiple size iPhones like have a 4" and a 5" model like they do with the iPad and iPad mini or the 13" MacBook versus a 15" MacBook. Why are they so set on having ONE SIZE fitls all phone. This is a no brainer. it's not 2007 anymore and people are not going to get excited by every 'S' release anymore.

 

[Pingg5460]

Personally I would prefer if they went back and improved the 4s. Make it thinner, have a more touch based home button, add different colors, red blues stainless steel look which would appeal to the younger generation and compete with Nokia and the rest. The shape of the 4s is much better in my opinion.

 

[nofear1az]

HTC One is the nicest looking smartphone outside of Apple. Still the design could be improved. The iphone 5 below it is nice, but it's not great. And Sony is doing nice work as well. Steve knows what I'm talking about, wherever he is.

The main reason people are attracted to apple products is because they're attractive. Why this isn't discussed more is a shame.

I agree. I couldn't believe that more of this has not been mentioned either. I still swear that the HTC One looks more like an Apple product than the iPhone 5 does. I mean seriously, compare them. Doesn't the HTC One look like it was formed from a block of aluminium like the Air was? oh wait! it was. hahaha

The iPhone 5 is not a SJ's era product. It's a bad design in all. I just can't believe that Jony Ive would put his handwriting on it. especially over a HTC One.

Funny part is, if the HTC One had an Apple logo on it, everyone would be talking about how cool and sleek and uniformed it is and how it's the best lookiing phone ever...but since it doesn't, nobody cares. It proves it is all about branding.

Look at a Honda Pilot - ugly as sin... look at a Ford Explorer and yet people will buy that Pilot all day long cuz they believe it is 'more reliable'. Believe me, Honda is as ******* as any other company out there, I know cuz I own a Honda Accord although, I still like it it's a constant maintenance breakdown.

 

[Rocco83]

so stop feeling bad about it and go get an S3 or a Note 2. My friend who is a very much Apple devotee finally got a Note 2 and has no regrets. He still loves Apple stuff but now he won't even look at an iPhone. I was more conservative and am on a Nexus 4 and love it. People mistaken my Nexus for an iPhone 5 all the time, only because they don't know what a 5 is supposed to look like. hehehe

The integration between devices is what is holding me into my iPhone right now. Depending on the how the HTC One pans out though I may break free of my Apple shackles. The iWatch doesn't excite me - doesn't seem like a product you can use snorkeling and rock climbing like a Suunto, I use a projector for a TV screen so the TV set doesn't excite me. I was really hoping for something nice in 2013 to keep me sitting comfy inside the walled garden.

I miss Steve

 

[maxosx]

So much for innovation.

This is Apple profit taking at it's finest. So certain they will go unchallenged and that they don't really have to improve much, they are taking the easy and profitable way out.

I was truly hoping they would surprise us with a 4.8" to 5.0" modern sized display. Even if that meant to produce two iPhone models.

Keep the current size for those who remain convinced that it's of critical importance to have one hand free... to drive, or eat, or whatever else they do with it when using their iPhone.

Then produce a larger model for the group that wants exactly what is driving buyers to Android... a larger, more comfortable, more efficient display.

People who use a smartphone as their substitute for a computer when on the road, in airports, traveling daily for work. Flying to the UK and other destinations for business. When one enters any of the large international airports you see a lot of Android phones, simply because they do feature a larger display. Phablets are an example of demand for larger displays.

Oh well, if this is a rumor planted by Apple purposely to mislead readers, and they do end up creating an iPhone with a suitably sized display, I'd bet serious money that AAPL will also rise in share price. There will be a lot of happy customers and a good spike in sales.

 

[lymanicempire]

I don't want a 5s I want a 6!

I don't want an iPhone n, I want an iPhone (n+1)!

 

[aperry]

A few dollars per phone can mean everything. A few dollars per iPhone sold for the past 3 years is a lot of money.

This is not complicated math. The difference in materials between plastic and glass/steel probably accounts for less than 5% of the profit on each phone. Instead of making $200 on a phone, they make $192. So if the revolutionary glass/steel design attracts more than 2% additional buyers compared to the older common plastic designs then it's a profitable decision. And if you don't think that physical design alone accounted for more than 2% of the buyers then you're crazy. I had friends at work who ruined their keyboards with drool when they first saw the iPhone 4.

 

[linuxcooldude]

This is not complicated math. The difference in materials between plastic and glass/steel probably accounts for less than 5% of the profit on each phone. Instead of making $200 on a phone, they make $192. So if the revolutionary glass/steel design attracts more than 2% additional buyers compared to the older common plastic designs then it's a profitable decision. And if you don't think that physical design alone accounted for more than 2% of the buyers then you're crazy. I had friends at work who ruined their keyboards with drool when they first saw the iPhone 4.

Its not always about the cost of the materials alone. Some cost more to manufacture. How is the steel shell made? Is it cast or milled or pressure formed? The glass on the the iPhone use to be a complicated to cut out. all these things add to the cost of an iPhone. A lot of the Apple unibody designs are milled from solid aluminum.

 

[aperry]

Its not always about the cost of the materials alone. Some cost more to manufacture. How is the steel shell made? Is it cast or milled or pressure formed? The glass on the the iPhone use to be a complicated to cut out. all these things add to the cost of an iPhone. A lot of the Apple unibody designs are milled from solid aluminum.

Neither of us knows what the actual difference in cost is. However I'm sure it's insignificant compared to the additional buyers the design generated. It was a smart move, because plastic designs have been pretty much played out at this point.

 

[MrNomNoms]

That's fair. It does appear that when you go with a non-Nexus phone, you're at risk of slow updates. That would be frustrating.

True but in many cases it is only just recently at least in New Zealand when you can purchase Nexus phones from ones carrier. What frustrates me more is how Google now owns Motorola and yet Motorola are still behaving like douchbags when it comes to providing updates for their phones - you'd think that by owning a handset company that Google would make it the flag carrier for the Android brand by delivering updates on time and on a consistent basis.

 

[macUser2007]

HTC One is the nicest looking smartphone outside of Apple. Still the design could be improved. The iphone 5 below it is nice, but it's not great. And Sony is doing nice work as well. Steve knows what I'm talking about, wherever he is.

The main reason people are attracted to apple products is because they're attractive. Why this isn't discussed more is a shame....

Yep, design is what keeps me glued to Apple

But Apple needs to innovate and iOS has become stale and has fallen behind Android (Android 4.2.2 is about a year ahead of Apple, IMO and provides multitasking and customizations which are both simple to use, and very useful).

Apple has been unchallenged on the hardware front, but with the HTC One (and to a lesser extent with the Sony), the Android hardware landscape has come close. Too close for comfort, if I were Apple.

The only thing that's giving me a pause on the HTC One is that it is not a stock Android OS. I really dislike the proprietary cr@p the manufacturers slap on, which then prevents timely updates, or any updates at all.

The HTC One is still running 4.1, for gawd's sake, and Android OS 5.0 will be out before HTC One comes to market.... But if their developer's edition runs stock Android, I'd run to the store.

 

[DaffyDuck]

Neither of us knows what the actual difference in cost is. However I'm sure it's insignificant compared to the additional buyers the design generated. It was a smart move, because plastic designs have been pretty much played out at this point.

The aluminum shell of the HTC One reportedly takes 200 minutes of milling time, then it gets sandblasted and edges are milled. For a plastic phone, the upfront cost of the mold is relatively high but production cost of each part produced on it is very low. Several of the same part can be made every second.

 

[Ironclaw27]

Sure it's not much of a change from the 5, although every iterration is 2x faster than the previous model.

Going from a 3GS to 5S is a significant step than going to a 5.

My 2c - it will have:

iOS7
new camera
new flash
upgraded processor (2x faster than the iphone 5)
A software feature unique to the 5S - 3GS was speed, 4S had siri so there will be something, and it usually starts with 's', probably security, or sleek design

 

[DaffyDuck]

The only thing that's giving me a pause on the HTC One is that it is not a stock Android OS. I really dislike the proprietary cr@p the manufacturers slap on, which then prevents timely updates, or any updates at all.

The HTC One is still running 4.1, for gawd's sake, and Android OS 5.0 will be out before HTC One comes to market.... But if their developer's edition runs stock Android, I'd run to the store.

Just an FYI, developer interest in the One seems to be fairly high. There are already 4 custom ROMs available even though it only has limited availability. See here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=2119

Also, Android 4.2 doesn't add much for phones. It has more tablet friendly updates. See here: http://www.androidcentral.com/what-s-new-android-422

Really, nothing there anyone would miss if Samsung, HTC or any other manufacturer decided not to implement it.

 

[Bahroo]

And you forgot to mention

* Much bigger battery
* Thinner and lighter body

The S4 is a major update, unlike the 5s.

wait im confused here, but why the hell are you mentioning the 5S? it doesnt exsist yet

 

[tekboi]

Wow DigiTimes reported something that almost anyone could have already guessed.

Exactly,


but seriously... we are getting tired of these minimal upgrades Apple.

 

[doelcm82]

Reasons people used to buy an iphone:
1. How they will be perceived by their friends, family, and the public. (true)
2. Because it is incredibly capable and useful device vs. other smartphones.
3. How it looks and feels to them personally.
4. Because it is easy/familiar to use.

Reasons people buy and iphone now:
1. Because it is easy/familiar to use.
2. ???

Step it the heck up Apple.

If Apple makes big changes to the next iPhone, many people will say:

"This is so different from what I am comfortable with! I may as well look at other kinds of smart phone's."

Apple has to ask itself what kind of customer it wants to keep: Those who value novelty about everything, or those who value quality and consistency?

 

[doelcm82]

I predict three reactions to the iPhone 5S (or whatever it is called), no matter how big or small the changes:

1. "That's not innovation! I'm switching to Brand X smart phone."
2. "I liked it the way it was! I'm switching to Brand X smart phone."
3. It goes on to be Apple's biggest seller and the dominant single phone model in the market.

 

[marc11]

Yeah....right. Despite - the release of the S4 - Apple is still insanely profitable - has $180 billion in the bank and a whole suite of hardware and software and services.

Samsung is a hardware company that relies on Google. Once Google decides to rely less on Samsung for hardware sales - and it will - Samsung will be hamstrung. Samsung's success in the mobile market relies entirely on the quality of the products Google owns and controls. End of story.

The relationship between Samsung and Google is deteriorating.

Google is the real competitor to Apple in mobile software. Not Samsung.

Once everyone has a 5 inch commodity screen and equal processor - Samsung loses its unique position.

Good lord, the S4 isn't even out yet and you are quoting how much money Apple has in the bank? Really fanboys you need to stop saying how large Apples bank account it, that has NOTHING TO DO with the future of the companies ability to come out with new products that people want to buy.

Hmmm gee, I want a new phone, Apple has xx money in the bank, so no matter what I am buying an Apple phone?? Really, you think THAT is the thought process of consumers these days???

I also hate to burst your bubble but Apple is a hardware company too...and please do not diminish Samsung, they are a HUGE multinational company that makes a tremendous amount of consumer products, some of which the best available on the market.

 

[macUser2007]

Just an FYI, developer interest in the One seems to be fairly high. There are already 4 custom ROMs available even though it only has limited availability. See here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=2119

Also, Android 4.2 doesn't add much for phones. It has more tablet friendly updates. See here: http://www.androidcentral.com/what-s-new-android-422

Thanks for the xda link.

However, I have to disagree on Android 4.2.2. On my Galaxy Nexus, 4.2.2 has made what I think is noticeable difference in terms of smoothness: transitions between screens are iOS smooth now 4.1 was not the same.