No iPhone 5...Iphone 4S more likey?

[Gjeepguy]

I definitly see a iPhone 4S(or 5) coming this June. Same outer design, with upgraded internals. Same processor as iPad 2, HD facetime camera.

iPhone 5(or 6) will probably be a GSM/CDMA/LTE phone for all networks in Feb-March 2012. The formfactor will probably change and have 2 screen sizes 3.5" or 4" screen.

Thats my $0.02.

 

[syc23]

It won't be called a 4GS for obvious reason. I'd bet on 4S and the same design to remain with a dual core and GSM/CDMA combined handset. 3.5" screen to remain but if it get's a 4" screen with the same sized phone then that would be nice but unlikely.

 

[tritonj]

i really don't understand why everyone gets caught up in the labels, who cares what they call it. there will be a new phone in June and based on past history this phone will be a components upgrade not a redesign. it is pretty simple

 

[Reach9]

Anyone who thinks the iPhone 5 will be a iPhone 3G/3GS upgrade doesn't understand the details behind upgrades.

Btw, the 3G to 3GS upgrade was very big, internally. But externally they remained almost identical. That's because there wasn't any competition in the smartphone market at the time. Android was just starting up, and Apple had the majority of the market to themselves.
For this reason as well the iPad 2 is like a 3G to 3GS upgrade (mainly spec update).

But in 2011, the smartphone market is intense and Apple has to pick up their A game and really deliver a proper phone with a proper software.
From all their products, Apple needs to work on the iPhone the most.

I feel that it's mainly the people stuck in contracts with their iPhone 4 are the ones who are saying the next iPhone will be an iPhone "4S".
just a spec update? Are you kidding me? It's a huge update. The A5 Dual Core processor itself will blow any iPhone 4 away and will have a much longer life than any iPhone yet. Not to mention the other features.
The iPhone 5 should be able to last longer than iOS7, and your iPhone 4 will soon become obsolete, when Apple starts using the powerful GPU integrated with iOS.
Get with the times people.

 

[charliehustle]

I'd grab a white one, could care less about other ishh
I had white 3g and 3gs, and sucks how theres no white yet for 4.. oh well.. it is what it is.

 

[Interstella5555]

There may not be an iPhone 5, but there will be a 5th iPhone.

 

[vincenz]

They'll call it iPhone 5. They'll leave iPhone 4G till 2012 when AT&T and VZW both have their LTE 4G networks ready.

 

[mojohanna]

I laugh heartily at anyone who says "just" spec bumps. Hilarious really. I bet you think the iPad2 is an incremental upgrade as well?

Design means nothing. Specs/processing means EVERYTHING. Example: Lets say your laptop was slow, and you wanted it tuned up. If I took the case off, and replaced it with a more stylish version, would you consider that an upgraded computer?

The chips don't know that they have a more stylish case. They will perform exactly the same.

The iPhone4 has the same internal components as the 3GS. It was a minor bump, as far as capability is concerned. Yes the new screen is nice, but if I hook up my LCD to different computers, it desnt increase performance.

So, like I said, sure it might be called the 4GS. But if it gets the new A5, it will be a massive upgrade, more so then 3GS to 4. The new dual core proc will be relevent for many years, jsut like the 3GS has been. People who bought the 4 bought tech that was EOL, with every last drop squeezed out of it.

But no matter what happens, it will be the 5th version of the iPhone.

The only thing you are off on here is that the 3Gs does not have the A4 chip and it has less ram. So your comparison of 3gs-4g being "minor" and having the same internal components is simply wrong.

 

[ap3604]

All I need is the following and I'm sold:

- White version available at launch
- Upgraded A5 processor with at least the same battery life
- Better Att antenna design

Happy extras that arent necessary but would help:
- Bigger screen (with same body dimensions)
- NFC
- Even more battery
- HSPA+

 

[gdjsnyder]

I don't understand this thread at all. No iPhone 5, an iPhone 4S. Whether it's a spec upgrade or a redesign can't it be considered the iPhone 5, regardless, due to it being the 5th iPhone. And if Apple were to call it the iPhone 4S, there would never be an iPhone 5, because a new one after the 4S would be an iPhone 6. I never understood these threads saying there wouldn't be an iPhone 5, just a 4S. There basically the same, it's just what Apple decides to call them. My opinion is they will just continue numbering them accordingly, along with the iPad.

 

[kre62]

The only thing you are off on here is that the 3Gs does not have the A4 chip and it has less ram. So your comparison of 3gs-4g being "minor" and having the same internal components is simply wrong.

I'm not talking RAM, I'm talking processing power. Ram is just dumb storage that only increases performance when more is needed to hold more programs.

The "A4" chip is just marketing speak. Don't get sold. The main processor of the iPhone 4 is the exact samee Cortex A8 chip that resides in the 3GS. The GPU of the iPhone 4 is the PowerVR SGX535 chip used in the 3GS. The only difference is they put the components together on one chip. Big f'in deal, so the connection between the chips is physically shorter. I'm guessing thats about a 0.00001% increase in speed. Seeing as benchmarks pegged the iPhone4 at about 800mhz based on the 3GS performance, and it ended up being 800mhz, suggests that the SOC thing is just a gimmick, as expected.

So the iPhone4 chip is the exact same chip, just clocked 200mhz higher. Funny since the 3GS chip comes from the factory at 833mhz, and was underclocked by Apple to 600mhz.

 

[redbeard331]

I don't understand this thread at all. No iPhone 5, an iPhone 4S. Whether it's a spec upgrade or a redesign can't it be considered the iPhone 5, regardless, due to it being the 5th iPhone. And if Apple were to call it the iPhone 4S, there would never be an iPhone 5, because a new one after the 4S would be an iPhone 6. I never understood these threads saying there wouldn't be an iPhone 5, just a 4S. There basically the same, it's just what Apple decides to call them. My opinion is they will just continue numbering them accordingly, along with the iPad.

Just people posting more threads with speculative BS I guess, Engadget has already discovered some solid info showing that the iPhone 5 will be an all new phone, people saying they "think" Apple just keep the iPhone 4 around with "minor spec bumps", don't know what they are talking about. They were saying the same thing this time last year, and they were totally wrong.

 

[devilstrider]

Themes, lockscreen widgets and a new back material, perhaps Liquid Metal.

Sounds like android.

 

[Cod3rror]

Sounds like android.

And that is bad, why?

Great artists steal, remember?

Android notifications are awesome, I hope Apple implements the same method.

 

[Eso]

Do we need a sticky about this or what? There are some pretty simple concepts that so many people just don't seem to understand.

The next iPhone

The next iPhone will mark the fifth generation of the iPhone. Whether it's called the "iPhone 5", the "iPhone 4S", the "iPhone 4GS" (I know, it's dumb), or just the "new iPhone", it will be the fifth generation iPhone. Therefore, until we know the official name, it is referred to as the iPhone 5 on the forums. There is no implication that using the term iPhone 5 means that the person believes it will have a new physical design.

The iPhone "tick-tock" design cycle

This refers to the apparent pattern that the iPhone is redesigned (tick) one year with the iPhone in the following year using the same (physical) design with new specs (tock) and it's false. Often times people associate this with a major-minor upgrade cycle. Here is the history of the iPhone's (physical) design:

2007: new design (tick)
2008: new design (tick)
2009: same design (tock)
2010: new design (tick)

As you can see, the history does not support a tick-tock-tick-tock pattern of design. There is not enough information to know if Apple has moved to particular pattern of design if you ignore the original iPhone (tick-tock-tick-__?__). Only until the iPhone 5 is announced can there be an argument for any type of pattern.

Major v. minor upgrades

The physical design (whether a new design or the same as a previous iPhone) does not indicate the magnitude of an upgrade. The distinguishing specifications of the iPhone can be divided into three categories: internals, peripherals, and design. The internals affect the performance of iOS and all its apps. The peripherals expand functionality and improve the experience of using iOS, but have a minimal impact on performance. Finally, the design affects aesthetic and practical appeal, but it has no effect on the use or performance iOS. In order of importance, these specs are:

Internals
CPU
GPU
RAM

Peripherals
Radios
Screen
Camera
Sensors
I/O
Storage

Design
Form factor

As you can see, the physical design contributes the least amount to the overall magnitude of an upgrade.

If one speaks of the upgrade to the iPhone 3G as "minor" it is in comparison to another upgrade, such as the upgrade to the iPhone 3GS. To illustrate, the iPhone 3G upgrades included: Radio (3G and GPS), I/O (louder speakers), and Form factor (rounded back, non-recessed headphone jack, metallic buttons). The iPhone 3GS upgrades included: CPU (cortex A-8 and increased clock speed), GPU (SGX535), RAM (doubled), Radios (doubled 3G bandwidth), Screen (oleophobic coating), Cameras (additional MP with video), Sensors (compass), and Storage (up to 32 MB).

As you can see, the upgrades from the 3G to 3GS were more numerous and of a higher importance to those upgrades from the original to the 3G. Therefore, the iPhone 3G was a minor upgrade and the 3GS was a major upgrade (always relative, of course).

Was the iPhone 4 a major upgrade from the 3GS? Well, here's the upgrades: CPU (clock speed), RAM (doubled), Radios (doubled 3G bandwidth, added 802.11 N wifi), Screen (increased resolution and lamination), Camera (2 additional MP, flash, front-facing camera), Sensors (gyroscope), I/O (additional mic for noice cancellation), Form-factor (thinner, glass back, steel frame).

There were far more upgrades from the 3GS to the 4 than the 3GS had from the 3G, but the 3GS had more significant upgrades in areas of higher importance (the internals). That makes them roughly equivalent so they were both major upgrades. With the A5 processor, the iPhone 5 is shaping up to also be a major upgrade.

 

[devilstrider]

And that is bad, why?

Great artists steal, remember?

Android notifications are awesome, I hope Apple implements the same method.

Yeah I know. I have a iPhone 4 and the EVO 4G. Love those notifications and widgets.

 

[Reach9]

Do we need a sticky about this or what? There are some pretty simple concepts that so many people just don't seem to understand.

The next iPhone

The next iPhone will mark the fifth generation of the iPhone. Whether it's called the "iPhone 5", the "iPhone 4S", the "iPhone 4GS" (I know, it's dumb), or just the "new iPhone", it will be the fifth generation iPhone. Therefore, until we know the official name, it is referred to as the iPhone 5 on the forums. There is no implication that using the term iPhone 5 means that the person believes it will have a new physical design.

The iPhone "tick-tock" design cycle

This refers to the apparent pattern that the iPhone is redesigned (tick) one year with the iPhone in the following year using the same (physical) design with new specs (tock) and it's false. Often times people associate this with a major-minor upgrade cycle. Here is the history of the iPhone's (physical) design:

2007: new design (tick)
2008: new design (tick)
2009: same design (tock)
2010: new design (tick)

As you can see, the history does not support a tick-tock-tick-tock pattern of design. There is not enough information to know if Apple has moved to particular pattern of design if you ignore the original iPhone (tick-tock-tick-__?__). Only until the iPhone 5 is announced can there be an argument for any type of pattern.

Major v. minor upgrades

The physical design (whether a new design or the same as a previous iPhone) does not indicate the magnitude of an upgrade. The distinguishing specifications of the iPhone can be divided into three categories: internals, peripherals, and design. The internals affect the performance of iOS and all its apps. The peripherals expand functionality and improve the experience of using iOS, but have a minimal impact on performance. Finally, the design affects aesthetic and practical appeal, but it has no effect on the use or performance iOS. In order of importance, these specs are:

Internals
CPU
GPU
RAM

Peripherals
Radios
Screen
Camera
Sensors
I/O
Storage

Design
Form factor

As you can see, the physical design contributes the least amount to the overall magnitude of an upgrade.

If one speaks of the upgrade to the iPhone 3G as "minor" it is in comparison to another upgrade, such as the upgrade to the iPhone 3GS. To illustrate, the iPhone 3G upgrades included: Radio (3G and GPS), I/O (louder speakers), and Form factor (rounded back, non-recessed headphone jack, metallic buttons). The iPhone 3GS upgrades included: CPU (cortex A-8 and increased clock speed), GPU (SGX535), RAM (doubled), Radios (doubled 3G bandwidth), Screen (oleophobic coating), Cameras (additional MP with video), Sensors (compass), and Storage (up to 32 MB).

As you can see, the upgrades from the 3G to 3GS were more numerous and of a higher importance to those upgrades from the original to the 3G. Therefore, the iPhone 3G was a minor upgrade and the 3GS was a major upgrade (always relative, of course).

Was the iPhone 4 a major upgrade from the 3GS? Well, here's the upgrades: CPU (clock speed), RAM (doubled), Radios (doubled 3G bandwidth, added 802.11 N wifi), Screen (increased resolution and lamination), Camera (2 additional MP, flash, front-facing camera), Sensors (gyroscope), I/O (additional mic for noice cancellation), Form-factor (thinner, glass back, steel frame).

There were far more upgrades from the 3GS to the 4 than the 3GS had from the 3G, but the 3GS had more significant upgrades in areas of higher importance (the internals). That makes them roughly equivalent so they were both major upgrades. With the A5 processor, the iPhone 5 is shaping up to also be a major upgrade.

I think it needs to be stickied. Some people need to see it on the front page.

 

[iMaconApple]

it will called iPhone 4GS...4"inch screen/4G/"S"=A5

 

[Jimmy James]

The 3G was the last dying breath of the original processor, the 4 is the last effort of the 3GS processor. So you keep buying tech that is maxed out. Better to get the tech as early as possible and have it be relevent longer.

Agreed. The 3GS was a big performance leap.

Sadly, nearly everyone on the boards was calling it a minor upgrade upon release. I guess they're fashion mavens.

At most there will be a larger display, on top of A5 chip, 8mp cam, 1gb of ram and maybe just maybe 1080p video and FaceTime HD.

8 MP? I hope not. I don't want a camera downgrade for the sake of a higher megapixel count.

 

[redbeard331]

And that is bad, why?

Great artists steal, remember?

Android notifications are awesome, I hope Apple implements the same method.

True, those of us that are jailbroken have been using widgets and Android like notification systems and our phones don't look nor sound like Android phones.

Besides, Apple's notifications SUCK, at this point they could copy anybody and it would be a massive improvement. And widgets are fine as long as they are done right, much better than the dead and boring icons like Apple's weathericon that hasn't changed in 4 years!

 

[WeegieMac]

The iPhone4 has the same internal components as the 3GS. It was a minor bump, as far as capability is concerned. Yes the new screen is nice, but if I hook up my LCD to different computers, it desnt increase performance.

Wrong, you speak in the most blunt terms.

Does the 3GS use an A4 chip? No.

Does the 3GS have 512mb of RAM? No.

The 3GS and iPhone 4 do NOT have "the same internal components". The iPhone 4 is not using the "dying breath of the 3GS processor", since it uses an entirely different chip.

 

[Sedrick]

If an iPhone is released this year with ANY change whatsoever, it will be the iPhone 5, or 5th version of the iPhone. Period. If you don't believe me, then think real hard as to how we got to iPhone 4 to begin with. Why can we even call this an iPhone 4? Because the other three iPhones were 1,2, and 3 regardless of whether they got a minor upgrade (OG to 3G) or a major upgrade (3G to 3GS).

You can understand people's confusion. (this from the wiki)

Model:
iPhone - June 29, 2007
iPhone 3G - July 11, 2008
iPhone 3GS - June 19, 2009
iPhone 4 - June 24, 2010

sure the '4' is the 'fourth' iPhone, but is that just because it's the next number in the sequence or are they now numbering them according to release?

I'll bookmark this thread so we can see who's right come June.

 

[milani]

Hi

I keep reading all the rumours on iphone 5 and I don't see it happening this year and id be very shocked if it did!

I think more likely we'll get the iPhone 4S with a few spec bumps same design and a white version so:

8mp cam
A5 Chip for speed
And the new iOS notifications

Thats about it!

What do you guys think?

What does iPhone "5" mean to you? Are you expecting holographic technology or something? Every iPhone has been an evolutionary upgrade - the only revolutionary model was the original iPhone. The truth of the matter is that the iPhone 5 will probably have marginally better internal hardware, and it may or may not have a new exterior design. The thing that attracts users is the operating system. iOS 5 should have some significant improvements to the feature-set, but as with the hardware, it will likely be an evolutionary upgrade - we probably won't see any radical changes.

Oh, and as I understand it, as far as the iPhone 3G vs. iPhone 3GS, the latter model was released as a response to Android. Apple had to release an iterative upgrade to the hardware to stay competitive in order to give more development time to the iPhone 4. I can't speak to the truth of that claim, but I've heard it said many times.

 

[fishmd]

I'd grab a white one, could care less about other ishh
I had white 3g and 3gs, and sucks how theres no white yet for 4.. oh well.. it is what it is.

Haha, just what I was thinking. If there is a white one, I will upgrade.

 

[wordoflife]

Who cares what Apple calls the 2011 iPhone?

As long as there is a new iPhone, I'm happy regardless of the name because it will be an improvment one way or the other.