MacRumors Roundups: What We Expect for the iPhone 5S, 5C and iWatch

[Piggie]

I have a very important question actually and I would love your thoughts on it.

Do you think if any of these rumors were VERY wrong. Let's say there was not going to be a fingerprint scanner, so not having it would be seen as a letdown.

Withing say no more than a week away Apple would leak in a story very strongly saying some analyst/expert has legit news that a fingerprint scanner is not ready for the market yet, and kill the expectation almost stone dead before the launch?

There is no way Apple would actually want to have a product that's lacking something the rumors are saying would they?

It would make economic (share price) sense to put up a fake leaked story to try and kill a false expectation.

 

[ls1dreams]

My predictions:

Definitely:
- Faster CPU
- iOS7

Maybe:
- Slight camera changes
- Will they finally bump the minimum memory from 16gb->32gb ?!?!? 4 generations of phones now have had the same 16gb standard (early 3gs-5). Memory upgrades are a huge profit center for Apple though, so they may still hold this back which would really piss me off for a phone in 2013. The HTC one only comes in 32+, but the Galaxy S4 is 16b+.
- Screen type changes, but not size

Unlikely:
- All this talk about a fingerprint sensor in the home button. I don't see it happening.

Will not change:
- Screen size


Overall I think this will be a very minor hardware upgrade. Most major smartphone innovations are done now. I'm more curious to see what they are going to do with the MacBook Pro line.

 

[NightFox]

My predictions:

Definitely:
- Faster CPU
- iOS7

Maybe:
- Slight camera changes
- Will they finally bump the minimum memory from 16gb->32gb ?!?!? 4 generations of phones now have had the same 16gb standard (early 3gs-5). Memory upgrades are a huge profit center for Apple though, so they may still hold this back which would really piss me off for a phone in 2013. The HTC one only comes in 32+, but the Galaxy S4 is 16b+.
- Screen type changes, but not size

Unlikely:
- All this talk about a fingerprint sensor in the home button. I don't see it happening.

Will not change:
- Screen size


Overall I think this will be a very minor hardware upgrade. Most major smartphone innovations are done now. I'm more curious to see what they are going to do with the MacBook Pro line.

So the only difference between a 64GB iPhone 5 and a 64GB iPhone 5S would be a faster processor (would be lost on most people) and a marginally 'better' camera? I think even for an 'S' version Apple would have to add a bit more than that or it's going to be one short keynote.

 

[juanmanas]

I have a very important question actually and I would love your thoughts on it.

Do you think if any of these rumors were VERY wrong. Let's say there was not going to be a fingerprint scanner, so not having it would be seen as a letdown.

Withing say no more than a week away Apple would leak in a story very strongly saying some analyst/expert has legit news that a fingerprint scanner is not ready for the market yet, and kill the expectation almost stone dead before the launch?

There is no way Apple would actually want to have a product that's lacking something the rumors are saying would they?

It would make economic (share price) sense to put up a fake leaked story to try and kill a false expectation.

agree. Apple would have killed that rumour already.

----------

So the only difference between a 64GB iPhone 5 and a 64GB iPhone 5S would be a faster processor (would be lost on most people) and a marginally 'better' camera? I think even for an 'S' version Apple would have to add a bit more than that or it's going to be one short keynote.

Apple's market for the 5s is not the actual iphone 5 owners, but 3gs,4 and 4s.

The iphone 5c is also for them, and to bring to Apple those who want an iphone but couldn't afford it, and had to buy android.

 

[Boomish69]

How is the iPhone 5S awesome? exactly like the 5 except for fingerprint sensor and better rear camera lol we've waited a year for this ****??!?!?

Exactly my thoughts...gee whizz a fingerprint scanner, I've been thinking for years thats exactly what I need

Just give us a bigger screen option!! I might actually consider upgrading.

 

[ls1dreams]

So the only difference between a 64GB iPhone 5 and a 64GB iPhone 5S would be a faster processor (would be lost on most people) and a marginally 'better' camera? I think even for an 'S' version Apple would have to add a bit more than that or it's going to be one short keynote.

That's my guess. The big selling point this time will be iOS7.

Just think about the release of the 4s - it was virtually identical to the 4 except for a faster processor and a better camera. They didn't even upgrade the memory.

Maybe they'll pull off something innovative, but my guess is that anything new will be software and not hardware.

 

[skratch77]

Apple picked a horrible time to launch this phone.did they not take a peak at what Samsung was doing with the note 3 launch on the 4th?

Note 3 will out spec the hell out of the 5s and apple will have a huge marketing battle with Samsung if the release it the same time.

I'm sorry but a finger print scanner is not going to help them compete! Apple needs the 5s to be 5.0 inch 1080p screen and the 5c to use the same old 4 inch screen.

 

[pianophile]

Fingerprint scanner = awesome

I don't understand all the apathy about the much-rumored fingerprint scanner. Do you enjoy tap-tap-tapping that damn PIN all the time?

This could be a huge first step toward password-less authentication throughout the Apple ecosystem, and if you think that's no big deal, I couldn't disagree more.

 

[Boomish69]

I'm sorry but a finger print scanner is not going to help them compete! Apple needs the 5s to be 5.0 inch 1080p screen and the 5c to use the same old 4 inch screen.

Yep that's something like I hoped for, all this time and thats what they come up with! well lets wait and see I only hope the rumours are wrong, weird it seems like Apple really are doing the least amount they can get away with. It might sound very cliche but dam I think things would surly be very different if Steve was still alive. He'd get the screen size thing..

 

[skratch77]

Yep that's something like I hoped for, all this time and thats what they come up with! well lets wait and see I only hope the rumours are wrong, weird it seems like Apple really are doing the least amount they can get away with. It might sound very cliche but dam I think things would surly be very different if Steve was still alive. He'd get the screen size thing..

I have no idea what apple is thinking.They only make one size phone and think its perfect instead of making options for people to buy what they seems fit for there needs.

Samsung is complete opposite and have a screen size in every segment.

I'll just use this years top dogs!

Gs3, gs3 mini, note 1 then note 2

Gs4,gs4 mini,gs4 active,gs4 zoom,galaxy mega 5.8 galaxy mega 6.x galaxy note2 and soon the note 3

Samsung is hitting every segment with different sizes and features.

 

[asthamapheo]

cant wait! launch it already! the graphite iphone is what i'm going for...

 

[Piggie]

Are we saying the Finger print scanner will also be used for iTunes password and not just unlocking the device?

I never lock my device but am always sick of putting in an iTunes password

 

[kobalap]

I have to use a Samsung galaxy 4 at work. I found it awful, laggy, the GUI is terrible. Can anybody explain what so innovative about Samsung? I honestly don't get it...

It can track when you are picking your nose and make gagging sounds. It can also track when you are oggling a woman and send an alert to your wife.

Gotta love "innovation".

 

[egoistaxx9]

the iphone 5c seems a cool phone for kids, now i'll dont have to worry if my son loses the phone.

 

[kobalap]

I have no idea what apple is thinking.They only make one size phone and think its perfect instead of making options for people to buy what they seems fit for there needs.

Samsung is complete opposite and have a screen size in every segment.

I'll just use this years top dogs!

Gs3, gs3 mini, note 1 then note 2

Gs4,gs4 mini,gs4 active,gs4 zoom,galaxy mega 5.8 galaxy mega 6.x galaxy note2 and soon the note 3

Samsung is hitting every segment with different sizes and features.

This is like the shot gun approach. Put up as many pellets in the sky as possible. One of them is bound to hit a bird.

You can always tell a company doesn't know what to do. Because they try to do everything hoping they stumble onto the right answer.

 

[dmylrea]

I agree that the new features aren't really worth it for someone with an iPhone 5 already. Those people are out of luck until next year (or until they ditch the 5 for a Snapdragon 800-based Android that is going to be the top phone this year).

Fingerprint scanner is a gimmick. I bet that at first, it winds up being kludgy and inaccurate. Unrecognized finger scans, people not knowing how to scan their finger correctly, etc. The forums will fill with fingerprint scanner problem posts.

Champagne/Gold/whatever color 5S? Don't people put cases on their phones to protect them? Won't that cover up the color of their new phone? Why buy Gold, only to cover it up? Same with the 5C. Snazzy colors, but what about cases covering those new colors? Personally, I wouldn't want my phone naked and unprotected unless it's made from Kevlar and Gorilla Glass.

I wonder if the 5S will support the new 802.11ac WIFI like Snapdragon 800? Or USB 3.0? This is Apple's opportunity to catch up with what's due out in just a month or two from LG, Sony and Samsung.

 

[skratch77]

This is like the shot gun approach. Put up as many pellets in the sky as possible. One of them is bound to hit a bird.

You can always tell a company doesn't know what to do. Because they try to do everything hoping they stumble onto the right answer.

Thats all fine and dandy but the fact is Samsung is selling millions of these devices and att just added the galaxy mega to there line up.

Samsung took a chance with the phablet and hit a home run and everyone is now following.fact is Samsung sold more note 2s then HTC sold on its whole entire phone line up including the HTC one.

They will sell 10 million note 3s before year end if they get this phone out before october

Nokia lumina just announced a 6.0 in windows phone to compete with the mega while apple just sits back and hopes its loyol users will stick with them

 

[dmylrea]

This is like the shot gun approach. Put up as many pellets in the sky as possible. One of them is bound to hit a bird.

You can always tell a company doesn't know what to do. Because they try to do everything hoping they stumble onto the right answer.

Yeah, must be car companies don't know what to do with all those different size models and options they manufacture. Or drink makers with all those different sized bottles and cans and flavors. Or practically any other manufacturer or any other product.

It's not the "shot gun approach". It's offering a different products that fit the needs of different people, not forcing different people to change to fit a single product (which Apple is very good at).

 

[skratch77]

Yeah, must be car companies don't know what to do with all those different size models and options they manufacture. Or drink makers with all those different sized bottles and cans and flavors. Or practically any other manufacturer or any other product.

It's not the "shot gun approach". It's offering a different products that fit the needs of different people, not making different people change to fit a single product (which Apple is very good at).

Lol wonder why Mercedes makes a c250,c300,c300 4 mattic,c350 and then the bad ass c63 amg and then for the even bigger bad ass the c63 black series!

I guess they just want to shoot a bunch of cars in the sky lmfao

 

[7709876]

I can confirm their will be know 128GB.

I'm an Goldman Sachs analyst. I have an very reliable source of information.

and I am Steve Jobs

 

[skratch77]

Wtf are you on about? I just read an article on this site that said the 5S has a separate processor, just for motion tracking/gestures, the camera will have the same high-end features, such as 120fps slow-motion video recording, I <3 iOS 7 multitasking, & the MOST touted 5S feature... the über secure fingerprint scanner. So.... once again, wtf are you on about?

You just read a rumor from a news guy at fox about the specs of the a7 soc.

Here is some hard facts for you!

The moto x has a separate CPU to do exactly what those a7 rumors talk about and you can go to your local best buy and get that cell today.

The snapdragon 800 also has a separate chip from what I've read online also so no apple is not innovating anything just behind the curve as usual.

 

[Klosefabrinio]

anyone interested in the note 3/ sony i1 or everyone's going for the iphone?

 

[cwwilson]

How about a new iOS 7 beta, what's it been 3 weeks since the last release?

 

[435713]

I have to use a Samsung galaxy 4 at work. I found it awful, laggy, the GUI is terrible. Can anybody explain what so innovative about Samsung? I honestly don't get it...

FYI, my personal phone is an iphone 4s, running IOS 7, and in my opinion is a much nicer experience.

I only demo'ed a Galaxy S3 and wasn't into it. Friend went to a GS4 cause he wanted to change it up and said it was good but not what the fanboys make it out to be.

Innovative is just a buzz word everyone on the net uses when it comes to mobile. Probably are barking that word out when they are getting down with their significant other as well.

 

[utazdevl]

iPhone works 100% well, what is it on the S4 that one will use on daily basis? being realistic...I have used the S4 for a few days and there was nothing special that I needed which I couldn't do/use just as well on the iPhone 5.

Few things that probably will never change about Android operating phones:
#1 - Bloatware - Insane amount of it (Disabling is it not the same - it should not be there)
#2 - Bloatware - taking up huge chunk of the RAM & storage - no wonder Android phone manufacturers keep bumping up the RAM - but guess what...Carriers are dumping more and more Bloatware to fill that "Extra" RAM....
#3 - Samsung has no innovation - throwing a bunch of features together into all sizes one could possibly think of is far from innovation - Also Android has too many accounts - realistically try using a android phone and see how much you truly have to setup before you are fully able to use the phone without doing a single additional thing..(this goes out to users who actually use their phones for more than just talking and playing games)..iPhone - One iCloud account does it all - add additional email accounts and thats it...Also on Android...Every App you download asks for "Access to phone calls, emails, sms" Why? (That also answers your security question...Muck like how Windows come pre-installed with Anti-Virus, Android now too comes pre-installed with Antivirus...iPhone - doesn't need one...Mac OSX - Doesn't need one - because the security is part of the OS's secure design from the ground up.

Gestures - How many gestures can one possibly do on a ~4" Screen? cant possibly put your whole hand on it unless your a 2 year old...iPhone offers 3 finger (maybe more? - I'm not sure) and I'm sure most people have never had the need to use more than two fingers on a smartphone....Samsung offers great (unnecessary) features but are they truly working at best each and every time? Sadly after playing around with a S4 for a few days nonstop, I can't confidently say that.

MultiTasking - personally iOS offers the simplest form of multi-tasking (You click twice - boom switch between apps....can it really get any more easier than that?)

Camera - iPhone has great camera, Samsung S4 has great camera, if we are going to compare camera...I think the HTC ONE (M7/butterfly) has the absolute best camera - that too in a 4MP - Like apple once said, its not just about the megapixels that matters, its the software that drives it. I would say iPhone 5 and Samsung S4 (& even Note II) are not any different in quality - HTC ONE definitely taking the lead..and then there's also the Nokia Lumia 1020 with its camera ---- whole new ball game.

What android has better at the moment - Google Now - the voice assistant is extremely accurate when it comes to recognizing phrases/sentences - Hopefully the Siri in iOS 7 final release is as good.

just my opinion based on people complaining about iPhone lacking features...btw how many "features" do windows phones have? Lumia & all other windows phones don't have anything thats innovative in that sense...yet people still like it...and they like it for its simplicity from what I have personally heard.

I wish Ubuntu Edge was successful, that OS would have put Android at the back of the line.

Your list completely misses the positives of the Android platform. I made the switch from iPhone to the Galaxy S3 (and Now S4 Active) last year, and here is what I gained:

1) Customizeability. I have things like living wallpapers, custom notifications, unique skins and a wide array of themes I can use to make my phone reflect my personality, or at least stand out from other similar phones.

2) Bigger Screen. I love my 4.97 inch viewable screen (and the 4.7 inch one I had before that). When I use my wife's iPhone 5, I feel like I am scrunching down to see things, and the keyboard just feels microscopic.

3) SD Card. I love being able to buy the lowest end memory model and add a card for 1/3rd the price of a memory model upgrade, and get more storage that I ever dreamed of. Yes, the bloatware sucks and takes up some space, but the SD card expansion not only negates the space taken by bloatware, but gives me more than I would otherwise choose to pay for.

4) Replaceable Battery. This is the HUGE win of the Samsung phones. I find that the latest iOS and Android upgrades, when combined with the larger screens, sucks the battery something awful. Even my old iPhone 4S wouldn't last the day once I put iOS 6 on there. With my Samsungs, It doesn't matter. Battery running low and I am about to head out, swap the battery and I am at 100% in 5 seconds. It is amazing. True game changer for me.

And all of the above are just the tip of the iceberg. Look, I love Apple as much as the next guy, but to claim that Samsung's phones only have a slight advantage over Apple's phones in the voice assistant area is absurd. And where is Apple's innovation? Every improvement to the iPhone since the introduction of apps has either been software based or just a carbon copy of something another phone already on the market has done (3G/4G, more megapixel campea, adding a flash, etc.).