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iPhone 4G Facts and Rumors

11/17/2009 | By Diana Adams
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Before I get started here I want you all to know that this post will discuss rumors about the next version of the iPhone. Since this product doesn’t exist yet, it is impossible to check facts, so instead, let’s just have some fun.

I have divided the post into the major rumors out there and done my best to go through them with you. Some of the information here may, in fact, turn out to be real but the majority of what I am posting today could could end up being complete fiction.

Here they are:

The Name
While most posts on the internet refer to the name iPhone 4G for the next iPhone there is a strong possibility that it will actually be named something different. Building 4G networks is a huge undertaking that takes time. The major cellular networks are still spending the majority of their efforts now building out their current 3G networks. I think there is a strong possibility that there will be another release of the iPhone before 4G networks are ready for it. Another possibility is there will be a dual 3G/4G radio installed in the next iPhone model. At any rate, the name of the next iPhone may very well be iPhone Max, iTablet, iPhone Ultra, iPhone Video, iPhone Mini or something like that.

Camera (using iChat)
The vast majority of the rumors out there support the idea of a revamped camera on the next iPhone. It will likely be in the 4-6 Megapixel range. The real change, however, is not the resolution of the camera but its placement. It will very likely be on the front of the phone and not the back. This opens the door for video conferencing using the current Apple iChat technology. I believe you will be able to have portable video conferences with Mac and PC desktop users on the next iPhone. It would be an obvious time to release iChat for the PC as well.

Display (16×9)
This is where we get into the rumors about the iTablet. Many are saying now that the next iPhone will have a larger display (some say significantly larger). If it is too much bigger, the whole idea of it even being a called a phone changes. I think the more likely scenario here is that there will be two separate products: a smaller iPhone and a larger touch screen driven tablet that is closer to the size of a netbook. Either way, a 16×9 iPhone screen may be on the way.

Battery
Until I read about it, I did not know that the single biggest reason people upgraded from the iPhone 3G to the iPhone 3GS was the extended battery life. It has also been suggested that users would prefer a user installable battery instead of one that has to be swapped out at an Apple Retail Store. Expect a battery upgrade in the new iPhone.

Magnetometer
Currently an iPhone 3GS figures out what direction it is pointed by extrapolating data it is receiving from the internet (Google Maps and cellular towers). When you are in a remote area it fails to function as a compass. There is a rumor that a magnetometer will be added in the next iPhone to make it a real compass that could be used with pre-downloaded maps to navigate when cellular and internet services are unavailable.

Memory
It is logical to assume that 64GB or even 128GB models will be available in the next version of the iPhone.

When
This is anyone’s guess!!

More Articles By Diana Adams

Author: Diana Adams

By day, Diana is the CEO/owner of Adams Consulting Group, Inc, a technology services and business solutions consultancy firm serving the specific needs of its clients in advertising and public relations. By night, she lives and breathes by writing. After publishing a small cookbook last year, she is now working on her new masterpiece, scheduled for publishing next year. “I could write all night long and not get tired of it. I think that is when you know you’ve tapped into a true passion. Whatever that thing may be, if you could do it all day or night long, lose track of time, ‘wake up’ ten hours later, and still thirst for more, that is a passion, and I feel like I’ve found that in my writing.” Diana also spends many hours each week assisting the homeless men and women in Atlanta. You can find her on Twitter at @adamsconsulting.


18 Comments

Russell Poulter

November 17th, 2009

Apple wont be exhibiting at MacWorld in 2010 (http://www.betanews.com/article/Apple-to-pull-out-of-Macworld-2010-if-there-is-one/1229467024) so it won’t be announced then. I’ll put my money on a June/July announcement, similar to when the 3GS was announced.

[Reply]

Dude

November 17th, 2009

A 16×9 iPhone is not going to happen, the names don’t make sense given the nature of Apple, doesn’t make sense NOT to put a camera on the back of the phone it’s possible that a camera could be on the front & back, memory would likely reach 64GB, Apple won’t have a presentation at MacWorld, last year was their last.

[Reply]

another dude Reply:
January 11th, 2010 at 10:57 am

Yeah seriously. Did you do any research or even bother to learn anything about Apple before you wrote this Diana?

[Reply]

Krystyn

November 17th, 2009

wow. portable video conferencing via ichat technology and compass assisted where internet isn’t available? Hell yeah! Whether it’s 16×9 or stays the same, if they announce in Feb or Mid-Year, iPhone is going to leave bb and droids in a cloud of dust, baby!
#iphone #ftw

:)

[Reply]

MC Lav Reply:
November 24th, 2009 at 9:34 am

I really hope you are right but my faith in apple is not as strong as yours. Lets face the reality that Apples margin of superiority over the competition is shrinking. When I got my Iphone 3g it was undoubtedly better than anything on the market. The minor improvements in the SPECs of the 3GS (3MP cam, 600mhz processor, 256 ram… etc) were nothing special. Now the Storm and the Driod have equal or better hardware.

There are things I think the next gen phone MUST have and some things I think would be really cool. I would enjoy hearing your opinions as to whether you agree.

Must haves:

- Adobe flash support of some kind – more and more web pages are heavily based in flash. I notice that I get a message – cannot rendor page a lot more often. Havent noticed – try ( http://www.syfy.com/alice ) it wont show on your iphone. Droid, Pre, and Storm either do or will have flash support soon!

- A better battery – Maybe the phone will have to be thicker or heavier. Not everyone might want this but what is the point of a great phone if it cant get you through the day. I had to buy an external battery adaptor for 100 bucks just to get a solid day of use. Its bulky but worth it!

- Free turn by turn voice navigation – Garmin Nuviphone, Droid, and future android phones will have this. I own a stand alone garmen and I think the current maps on the Iphone suck (in terms of using while driving). After getting a message from my $250 dollar Garmin that it is 60 bucks to update the maps, I kinda think the stand alone GPS units are a rip off. Hence the need for a great low price or free phone based navigation like what is offered by google. (I cant be alone on this one)

- Minimum 6 megapixel camera with flash – I hate carrying a bulky camera with me but I find most of the time I want to take pictures are at night or in clubs and bars. The current iphone cam just doesnt cut it. Is an LED flash really asking too much? Isnt that a no brainer? FYI my friend recently visited Japan and the camera feature of phones is the most important thing to the Japanese customers. The technology is out there to offer great cell cameras from 8 – 12mp. Only upgrading the 3gs to 3mp was probably a cost saving measure and ultimately a lame choice on the part of Apple.

- Support for multitasking – Just like any computer as well as the droid and the palm pre – the time has come to allow multiple open apps with the ability to toggle tabs at the top or bottom of a screen. I dont want to be interrupted by texts while typing an email, a simple blinking tab would suffice.

Cool stuff that isnt essential but would be great:

- The video conference feature you mentioned! Very cool and if I know AT&T – Not going to happen. I would think that would take a ton of network resources. But awesome feature if they did do it!

- Higher resolution screen. I believe the droid has double the resolution of the current iphone. I like my screen but there is always room for improvement.

- Greater Ram and Power/speed – To keep up I would say minimum 500mb ram and 1ghz processor. Droid is already at 750 – 800mhz when going full throttle (at least thats what they claim).

- HD quality video recording- They have a ton of small hand held video recorders like the Mino Flip HD. If the iphone could do that it would be awesome.

- projector capabilities – such as the high end nikon cameras already on the market. The screen size limit wouldnt be an issue if you could project a movie onto a wall, table, or the back of an airplane seat!

- I read somewhere that technology has been developed to project full size keyboards that are responsive to touch. I.E. as a finger touches the projected keyboard, it registers on a sensor from the projector allowing a person to type via the virtual keyboard. I know this is a longshot but wouldnt that be pretty awesome!

- More integrated spell checking. As this article may already demonstrate, I dont do well with spelling and a solid spell checker for everything from email to facebook would be sweet!

-Support for more file types – This will never happen but I would like the choice on what media files to play on my phone. Quicktime might be great but its not so “quicktime” when every video I have has to be converted in order to play on my phone.

- some sort of fingerprint or voice activated passcode. I like how the phone can be code protected but typing it in all the time gets tedious. If i could slide my fingerprint over something or just say a code it would be both cool and convenient!

I know this post was way long but I am really into the new cellphone technology and I cant help be frustraited that Apple did not really innovate at all with the 3GS.

Very long story short – I REALLY hope that you are right about the next iphone!

[Reply]

Bill Botts Reply:
December 26th, 2009 at 10:41 am

Many good requests but some are little over the top and don’t fit in with a phone too well. At some point, i guess you still will need another device – how much do you think could fit in one device?

Also, as a security professional, having a voice enabled passcode is the scariest thing. How would you know someone cannot overhear you? There is a reason this doesn’t exist for any reputable system, anywhere. It shouldn’t take a security professional to realize this.

…quit nitpicking

[Reply]

watcher

November 18th, 2009

I highly doubt the camera will be placed on the front. It would make it practically unuseable as a normal camera. It will be front and back or only back but never only front.

The suggested names are ridiculous. If you know Apple a bit it will probably be called “iPhone 4″ or something else that’s simple. Calling it iPhone Ultra will make it extremely hard to top the next year.

[Reply]

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JLP

November 18th, 2009

I agree with dude, Eurpean 3G phones have had dual cameras for a while, larger higher res ones on the back and small VGA ones on the front (not that many people use vide calling over here, but that might change with better mobile VOIP services and devices… i.e. the INQ range)

[Reply]

Kevin Edwards

November 18th, 2009

1) The Name – Yes, it won’t be called the 4G, but it won’t be called any of the names you suggest, especially not the iTablet.

2) The camera will most certainly not be moved to the front. Doing so makes some of the camera functions introduced in the 3GS very difficult and others impossible. If iChat is in the cards for the next iPhone, then Apple will add a second camera.

3) Display – 16×9 isn’t a larger display, it’s a different aspect ratio. The current iPhone is 480×320. 16×9 would be 480×270. Apple may increase the screen resolution, but it’s likely to keep the same 1.5 aspect ratio so that a 16×9 video can be displayed with controls/status bars. And while the resolution may increase, the size of the display won’t. They’ll just improve the dot pitch so the display *looks* better.

4) The battery – Absolutely no way will the iPhone have a user replaceable battery. Apple may improve the battery life, but only modestly.

5) Magnetometer – You’re just plain wrong here. The iPhone 3GS does have a Magnetometer. It’s impossible to figures out what direction a device is pointed by extrapolating data it is receiving from the internet. For that matter you can’t figure direction from GPS or cell towers either. These only show location. If moving, you can show direction of movement with GPS and cell. The original iPhone only did location from cell, the 3G did location from cell and GPS, the 3GS does location from cell and GPS and direction from the magnetometer.

6) Yes, 64GB is likely on the next iPhone. 128GB is not likely on the next iPhone.

7) When – likely June/July.

[Reply]

Scat19 Reply:
December 17th, 2009 at 12:39 am

Excellent response. The original article was ridiculous, mis-informed and poorly written. This is the only piece of text on this page worth reading.

[Reply]

another dude Reply:
January 11th, 2010 at 10:58 am

i agree. Kevin Edwards should probably have written it… what a waste of time…

[Reply]

Diana Adams

November 18th, 2009

Thank you everyone for all of your comments. It’s so cool how we can all learn about this together!

[Reply]

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xf

November 22nd, 2009

Can’t see only one front-mounted camera, since the display is the only viewfinder there is on a phone. Don’t think people really want videoconferencing in a mobile phone. (If we did, we’d all have had Picturephones on our desks long ago.)

What I think possible (but not likely) is two cameras: a low-res (QCIF?) videoconferencing cam on one side, and a high-res snapshooter cam on the other. Or a single camera on the edge that can be flipped to either front or back, although this seems too frangible for an Apple product.

[Reply]

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