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Alleged iPhone 5 Design Documents Show Bigger Screen

iDealsChina claims to have engineering diagrams of the new iPhone 5. The images look pretty much like an iPhone 4 with the exception of a larger screen which seems to take up a larger portion of the front face. The designs are consistent with the photo of the bezel that was posted previously by the site, though there have been some questions of that image's authenticity.

 

 

 

 

We just got what appears to be mold engineering drawings for iPhone 5. These would be used by case designers to create plastic, TPU, aluminum, silicone and leather cases. A while back we hear rumors that iPhone 5 would have a curved back but these images show iPhone 5 with the same form factor as iPhone 4 but with an edge to edge screen.

Chinese accessory manufacturers clearly get access to early design documents as has been evidenced multiple times. The early iPad 2 cases were indeed accurate representations of the iPad 2. iDealsChina was also the source of a design rendering of the 4th Generation iPod Nano which turned out to be an accurate depiction of the then-unreleased iPod Nano.

 

If this is indeed an accurate design document, we would expect to see accessory companies to start creating actual cases. We should warn that even if this is a real "design document", we've also seen cases for products that have never been released. The most notable is the iPhone Nano which saw several case designs from different manufacturers.

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Wish list: 27 features we want on the iPhone 5

1. 4G or LTE

 

Let’s start with the obvious. Verizon and Sprint already have 4G or LTE (Long Term Evolution) phones. These have much faster data access than the current 3G phones.

 

The gotcha is that AT&T doesn’t have much of a 4G network in place (it could be argued that AT&T doesn’t even have much of a 3G network in place!) and while Apple’s new phone will possibly support Verizon, it’ll almost definitely support AT&T.

 

No matter what, I want a 4G phone and if Apple can deliver, it’d be a point in its favor.

 

2. Unlimited data

 

It used to be that my number one desired feature was the addition of a personal hotspot capability. I like my MiFi, but I’d rather not carry around an extra device (or bill). Now that iOS 4.3 will include mobile hotspot capability (although, predictably, AT&T is spoiling the fun), I’d like one other feature.

 

I want unlimited data. I have unlimited data on my iPhone 3G. Actually, that’s why I still have an iPhone 3G. I like my unlimited data plan and don’t want to have to spend time worrying about whether or not I’ve exceeded some silly arbitrary limit.

 

Give me unlimited data on either Verizon or AT&T and you’ve got my attention.

 

3. Native Google Voice integration

 

We all know the challenges Google Voice faced getting onto the iPhone, and some users are happy it arrived — in any form.

 

But that’s not good enough. I want native Google Voice, so tightly integrated into the iPhone experience that you can use Google Voice as your incoming and outgoing number just as if you were using the regular (albeit crappy) iPhone dialing interface.

 

4. Less sucky traditional phone experience

 

That brings me to my next wish list item: sucking less. Look, we know everyone seems to love the iPhone, but that’s despite the iPhone calling experience, not because of it.

 

AT&T’s legendary dropped or failed calls are certainly part of the suck, but definitely not all of it. In order to call or be called, you often have to do a bunch of swipes and button pushes, which makes using the phone a more difficult and distracting experience than it needs to be.

 

While we’re on the topic, let’s talk about a wish list item in a wish list item. Ford Sync instantly turns a perfectly functioning iPhone into a lump of autistic plastic. You all know I’m a huge Ford fan. I also know that Ford now has a MyFord Touch system in place, but I gotta tell you, I’m hating on Ford Sync. Every time I get into the car, it takes over the iPhone, turning it essentially into a dumb screen and blocks almost all the functions of the phone.

 

I know some people like Ford Sync, but I dislike it — intensely. Today I got a call on my phone while in the car and I just wanted to answer my phone. Instead, Sync decided to pipe the call through the car’s speakers (good so far), but when the call ended, I actually had to pull into a nearby gas station, stop the car, and fiddle with the iPhone screen by hand to end the call. Sheesh!

 

5. An antenna that doesn’t suck

 

According to Consumer Reports, the iPhone 4 — even on Verizon — still fails when gripped in certain ways.

 

It’s pretty simple. I don’t want to buy a phone that fails when you hold it. If Apple can fix this, I’d be more interested in the iPhone 5.

 

6. iPad2-like dual-core CPU

 

This is probably a no-brainer, but if the iPad 2 has a faster A5 CPU, I want it in the iPhone 5.

 

7. Screen rotation lock on a switch

 

Some wish list features are simple. The iOS 4 firmware introduced a screen rotation lock capability, but it’s buried deep inside swipes and taps. I’d like a setting that lets me turn the side switch into a screen rotation lock switch.

 

I don’t always need to lock screen rotation, but I’d like to be able to turn it on and off with a simple flip. I found the feature in the first iPad iOS release to be very helpful and I want it back on the iPhone 5.

 

8. Ability to set icons on folders

 

While we’re on the topic of little software features that can make a big difference, I want the ability to set an icon for a folder. I do appreciate that Apple made it to the 1980s and discovered folders, but those little tiny icons — all pretty much the same — don’t go far to support Apple’s vaunted claim to digital design skill.

 

It’s a simple request: I’d like to change the icons on folders. Windows 95 could do this. This way, for example, the folder for games could look different than the folder for network diagnosis apps.

 

This is one of those features that’d have been fixed in a heartbeat if Apple allowed developers to write utilities. Instead, we’re all inconvenienced and have to wait for someone in Cupertino to grow a clue. Sigh.

 

9. Wireless iTunes sync

 

My loathing of iTunes is only exceeded by that of my colleague Ed Bott, who has been known to say, “I dislike iTunes with a passion that burns like the fire of a thousand suns.”

 

Heh. Couldn’t have said it better. While I dislike the iTunes application, what’s worse is having to schlep my iPhone and iPad to the computer, find the right cable, and connect the device in order to perform a sync.

 

This should be a wireless process. Heck, Apple introduced the wireless AirPort back in 1999. You’d think the iPhone and iPod teams would have figured out how to program WiFi syncing after all these years.

 

10. Better battery life

 

My iPhone 3G can’t make it through a single day of moderate use without desperately needing an overnight recharge. While the iPhone 4 has about 25% better battery life, it’s still pitiful when considering daily use.

 

11. Proximity charging

 

You wouldn’t think Palm would beat the iPhone on any major features, but the idiotically named Palm Pre actually did. Palm introduced electromagnetic induction charging with their Touchstone charging dock.

 

All you need to do is place the phone on the flat surface of the dock and it charges. No cables, no muss, no fuss. If that’s not something you’d expect out of Apple, I don’t know what is.

 

12. Removable, replaceable battery

 

While we’re on the topic of batteries, let’s cover one of my bigger pet peeves. The iPhone doesn’t have a replaceable battery. It’s like Apple thinks the iPhone’s battery life should define our useful work day. When the iPhone is out of juice, it’s time for its human to take a nap.

 

But nay, I say. I want a replaceable battery. I could just use add-on battery packs, but I’d also like a replacement battery pack so if my battery begins to deteriorate, I can get a new one. Sure, I know that’d defeat Apple’s goal of selling me a new device, but I don’t want to have to sign up for a whole new, two year plan and a phone that hangs up when you hold it, just because my battery needs replacement.

 

Making phones without replaceable batteries is simply a scummy marketing move and I don’t like it. Make an iPhone 5 with a replaceable battery and I’d be more tempted to get one.

 

13. Bigger screen

 

The iPhone 4’s Retina display is actually pretty impressive, and at a 640×960 resolution, beats many comparable Android devices.

 

That said, I’d like a bigger screen. Of course, I’d like more resolution on the bigger screen (isn’t it time for 1024 pixel-wide screens?), but I’d settle for just a physically bigger screen.

 

14. Less non-screen real-estate

 

On one hand, I’d like to see a bigger screen. On the other hand, much of the iPhone’s face is used up by physical space that’s devoted to a simple button and speaker. I’d like to see much more of the physical real-estate dominated by the screen.

 

This would either result in a smaller phone if the same size screen is used, or the same size phone if a bigger screen is used.

 

15. Physical, slide-out keyboard

 

Okay, I know Apple will never do this, and I further know that this is what distinguishes me from the typical iPhone lover. I hate, despise, detest, and loathe the iPhone keyboard. To paraphrase Ed, I dislike the iPhone onscreen keyboard with a passion that burns like the fire of a thousand suns.

 

I want a slide-out keyboard. I’d like to actually push buttons and not have to use my pinky to type. This, of all the items listed above, is the biggest reason I might go with an Android device instead of the iPhone.

 

16. Integrated AM/FM radio

 

Here’s another no-brainer. Even the unreliable, but oh-so-slick iPod nano has an AM/FM radio, and that thing is the size of my thumbnail.

 

17. Integrated internal HDTV tuner for OTA broadcasts

 

Many of us get our HDTV from cable or satellite connections. But many local stations broadcast HDTV over-the-air. Now, quite obviously, Apple and antenna technology don’t mix, but it’d definitely be quite cool to be able to pick up and display over-the-air HDTV on the iPhone 5.

 

This one also goes into the “ain’t gonna happen” category, but it’s still a cool idea.

 

18. Ear thingies that don’t suck

 

Now, this one might well be personal, in that many of you seem to like the earbuds that come with the various Apple devices. I can’t stand them. First — and by far — foremost, they don’t stay in my ears. They fall out, all the time.

 

I’m not thrilled with the sort of earbuds that actually go into the ear, because they’re kind of gross, but at least they don’t fall out as quickly. And while I often use regular earphones, those are often too bulky and big.

 

Here again is where Apple can innovate as only Apple tends to do. Solve the crappy ear-thingie problem, create ear devices that are not earbuds, that stay in my ear, and that are actually comfortable. If you do, I’ll definitely be interested.

 

19. Biometric security

 

ZDNet’s own Jason Perlow has often talked about the need for biometrics. This is a less-than-sexy area where Apple could really change the game.

 

First, of course, the iPhone 5 could have biometric security to avoid having to type in a passcode for access. But imagine the potential if Apple could build a biometrics API that could allow other applications on the PC and Mac to use the iPhone as second factor, biometric security device. In one move, PCs and Macs would have a nearly ubiquitous method for doing biometric validation.

 

This wouldn’t be the first time Apple pushed a technology into the mainstream with near universal adoption. Few remember then-CEO John Scully’s interview in Playboy, where he predicted CD-ROM would revolutionize personal computers (it did, until the Web upstaged everything). Apple also drove adoption of Firewire and WiFi, both previously obscure technologies.

 

So, if Apple adopted biometrics in its iPhone, it could be awesome.

 

20. Card slot (SD or otherwise)

 

Here’s another place where Apple apparently won’t budge off it’s high horse. Many of use would rather put large amounts of material on the iPhone and iPad without having to go through some weird upload/download dance or the abuse that comes from using iTunes.

 

To be honest, this avoidance of a slot really disturbs me. If Apple makes media machines, there are better ways to move information around, and while GSM and CDMA connections might be growing in availability, neither is universal. Sometimes, it’s still better to physically move data.

 

21. Integrated, flip-out stand

 

Apple designers seem to like things that feel like smooth pebbles. They seem to hate seams. So the possibility that Apple might introduce the iPhone 5 with an integrated, flip-out stand seems pretty far-fetched.

 

That said, watching things on the iPhone can be annoying, especially since we all wind up propping the thing up on all sorts of strange contrivances. Sure, there’s an army of add-on devices out there, but it’d be nice if a simple feature like this was integrated into the phone.

 

22. Tripod-mount screw-hole

 

Most cameras have a small screw-hole somewhere on them that allows the camera to be mounted to a tripod or other steady filming stand or structure. The iPhone, quite obviously, is too thin for such a screw-hole.

 

But, if Apple were to implement an integrated, flip-out stand, as I suggested earlier, the stand could have the screw-hole, giving us all a win-win.

 

23. Integrated IR transmitter

 

In our ongoing quest for that one-device-to-rule-them-all, the iPhone has come close. But there are some tasks it just can’t perform, and one of those is changing channels. Yes, I know, if you have an Apple TV, the iPhone can act as a remote control. But the Apple TV does not live alone in a well-equipped entertainment center.

 

Adding an IR transmitter to the iPhone would open all sorts of interesting possibilities for integrated device control. Plus, it’d just be neat. Once again, there are add-on devices that do this, but they’re clunky and hang off the phone in unattractive ways.

 

24. Laser detection

 

Okay, so while we’re dreaming, how about adding some laser detection technology into the iPhone 5? There are already some apps that attempt to determine distance through the iPhone, through a combination of imaging, the LED flash, and sound. Unfortunately, these tools are far from reliable.

 

One of the better ways to go is through laser range detection. A laser is shot out, and then it’s read by a detector, producing an almost perfect reading. Another use of laser detection is for telling temperature.

 

I’m sure that if Apple put a laser detector API in the developer kit, we’d see some amazingly creative uses in the App store.

 

25. Full, 1080p HD video

 

The iPhone 4 actually as a pretty good camera capability (setting unfair expectations for all those soon-to-be iPad 2 owners who wanted a camera on their iPads). However, the iPhone 4 can only capture 720p video, which is a poor cousin to full 1080p.

 

It’s probably time for the iPhone 5 to provide 1080p video recording capability. After all, the $99 Kodak Zi8 has captured 1080p video for a few years now. It’s time — especially with Apple’s claims in the media world — for Apple to catch up.

 

26. More colors

 

Many of you are probably too young to remember when Apple didn’t see everything in terms of black and white (and silver). There was a time when Apple had products that were in all the colors of the rainbow (you could even get an iMac in purple or orange).

 

Actually, that’s not strictly true. Apple has been willing to produce the iPod nano and iPod shuttle in a variety of tacky colors for years now. But all Apple’s main-line products are monochromatic.

 

Isn’t it time for Apple to sell iPhones in silly colors as well? Yeah, you know you want it!

 

27. Steve to introduce it

 

You all know I’ve had a lot of disagreements with Steve Jobs over the years. But I have nothing but respect for what he’s accomplished, his strength of vision, and his sense of focus. Fighting an illness is never fun and with such a public persona, it’s even harder for Steve Jobs and his family to get the privacy they deserve.

 

That said, while I may have had my reasons for suggesting you wait before buying an iPad 2, nothing made me happier than to see Steve on-stage, able to introduce it.

 

Look, it’s far more important for him to take care of himself, and if that means he has to stay home during a product introduction, so be it. But now, more than ever before, it’s just nice to see him up on stage, doing what he clearly loves to be doing, introducing new, insanely great Apple products.

 

That’s why — while it doesn’t strictly qualify as a “feature” — there’s nothing more I’d like to see come with an iPhone 5 than a healthy Steve Jobs to introduce it.

 

Bonus: things not on the list

 

Before I close out this wish list for the iPhone 5, I’d like to point out three things that didn’t make the list.

 

The first is availability on other carriers. While the iPhone was locked to AT&T (and AT&T’s dismal performance), it made sense to suggest other carriers. But now, that’s not terribly important.

 

Flash is the second item not on this list. I think Flash is important for the iPad, which attempts to replicate a real browsing environment. On the other hand, the iPhone screen is small enough that there’s really no need for Flash.

 

Finally, Nintendo is going whole hog with the Nintendo 3DS, a device that can display 3D games without the need of glasses. I have one word for the entire 3D thing: meh.

Na sutinku su visais punktais, išskyrus 15-tą ir 20-tą. Nereikia to slide-out keyboard'o ir SD slot'o.

Jau kai physical keyboard'u uzsimano, tai baisu.. Ka, jie nori kuo storesni telefona tampytis?

Dėl tuo su tuo punktu ir nesutinku.

Reports Suggest Apple Won’t Include NFC Technology In The iPhone 5

An article today by The Independent (a UK publication) has suggested that the previously rumored inclusion of Near Field Communication technology in the iPhone and iPad will not be coming this year. The technology is perceived to become a new way for consumers to pay for goods and services and it was hoped by many in the retail industry that Apple could set the standard by adding the technology to the iPhone.

It appears however, according to several sources in UK mobile operators, that Apple had decided against the inclusion of NFC technology in the next version of the iPhone. One source told The Independent “The new iPhone will not have NFC, Apple told the operators it was concerned by the lack of a clear standard across the industry.”

It was previously suspected that Apple would implement the NFC payment system with its iTunes database of accounts, which as Steve Jobs mentioned in the iPad 2 announcement keynote, is probably the largest online database of credit-cards with 200 million associated with an iTunes account. It was presumed that this would give Apple a firm starting point and advantage as well as rake in Apple a share of the $6.2 trillion Americans spend on goods and services.

Nokia and more recently Eric Schmidt of Google have said that the technology will “revolutionize payments” and Google’s Nexus S handset does indeed implement NFC but there is currently no standout payment provider that uses the Nexus’ NFC technology for payments and it is barely supported at all in the retail sector at the moment. However analysts including Frost and Sullivan believe NFC will become an integral solution for payments within a few years and hitting €110bn by 2015 in payment values.

Alleged iPhone 5 Cases Suggest Great Similarity to iPhone 4

Alibaba is showing off in its listings what's rumored to be images of new iPhone 5 cases.

Although there's obviously no confirmation of such "legitimacy," the images at least appear to corroborate what we've been hearing for some time about the purported design of the forthcoming iPhone 5. Specifically, the changes between the most recent generations of the Apple handset won't be drastically different.

Last week, Wiley discussed the new engineering images that supposedly show the iPhone 5 with an edge-to-edge screen. As Wiley concluded, if these images do prove to be genuine then the iPhone 5 may not see a significant change in case design. The new images from Alibaba, which has a fairly decent track record of leaking accurate case images, suggest that widespread suspicions about the iPhone 5 may be correct. That is, the forthcoming iPhone refresh will bear a striking external resemblance to the iPhone 4, with the exception of a larger display and edge-to-edge glass.

Per Apple's annual summer tradition, the iPhone 5 is expected to be unveiled this June.

iPhone 5 To Have NFC, Says Person Who Knows A Man With A Friend Who Works At Apple

 

The iPhone 5 will feature NFC capabilities. The iPhone 5 won’t have NFC. The iPhone will indeed feature NFC, according to people familiar with the matter. That is, if you follow the Apple rumor mill you might have heard stories like these in the past months.

 

But the latest rumor posted by Business Insider is just so good and confusing at the same time that I could not post it here, for the sake of reference and sarcasm. Who knows, perhaps this person familiar with Apple’s plans may be right. Or not. But how familiar anyway?

 

If meeting with an entrepreneur who says iPhone 5 will have NFC because a friend who works at Apple said so is enough for you, there you have it. According to a tweet from Forbes reporter Elizabeth Woyke, that’s what the next-generation iPhone will do: magical near-field communication. Take it with a (huge) grain of salt, of course.

 

If I were to look deeper into this tweet and over-contextualize it, I’d say Woyke herself doesn’t quite believe the story, too. In fact, she said “Huh”.

 

For what it’s worth, several reports in the past suggested the iPhone 5 would come with NFC capabilities, although recent rumors dismissed those reports. Furthermore, a European carrier even mentioned an iPhone with NFC in a slide used at a press conference weeks ago.

 

Rumors are floating around about this iPhone 5 with NFC, and at this point it is unclear whether or not the device will have such a feature. Personally, I just wish there was a BlackBerry PlayBook reference in that tweet.

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Foxconn Source Allegedly Confirms iPhone 5 Prototype With Metal Back, Large Screen, iPhone 4 Shape

Those wacky guys at Foxconn just can’t keep a lid on anything these days, and now 9to5Mac is citing sources saying they have seen prototype iPhone 5 in the flesh.

 

Image shows a third-party metal back for iPhone 4, not an actual image of iPhone 5.

 

The sources claim that the next-generation iPhone 5 will retain a similar size and shape to the current model, with a couple of key changes.

 

The first change is the screen. Rumors have circulated for a while now, with many believing a 4-inch screen is on the horizon – bringing Apple’s handset in-line with the major competition. An edge-to-edge screen is also expected. No resolution was mentioned, however.

 

The other change involves the materials used. Again, rumors have suggested that a metal rear-plate will replace the current glass solution. The original 2007 iPhone used a metal enclosure which was later changed to plastic for the 3G and 3GS models to improve radio performance. If Apple does continue with the iPhone 4′s antenna system, it’s possible the material used on the rear won’t affect reception quite so much. Perhaps we could even see Liquid Metal come to the iPhone?

 

Conceptual Image Credit: Anthony De Rosa

 

As is so often the case with these things though, we’re sure there will be rumors and counter-rumors leading up to an official iPhone 5 announcement and we can’t wait to hear what they are!

Smagus toks atrodytų telefončikas... Tik gal kiek per platus ir tiek...

Next-Gen iPhone 5 to be Launched by June 20?

Recently Apple marketing senior vice president Phil Schiller confirmed that a white iPhone will be available “this spring”. It is important to note that he did not mention “White iPhone 4″ in specific. If Schiller was referring to the white iPhone 5, he then inadvertently slipped us a time frame for the iPhone 5 launch. Don’t you think?

We already know that the last date for spring season is June 20, so there’s your iPhone 5 availability date. Ok, let’s consider that Schiller was actually referring to a white iPhone 4. Even then June 20 seems to be a possible iPhone 5 release date because Apple might announce White iPhone 4 during iPhone 5 launch event at a reduced price. Apple typically keeps the current iPhone model on the market at a reduced price when unveiling a new model.



Based on earlier reports of suspicious-looking bookings at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, Apple might unveil its next iPhone 5 on iOS 5.0 between June 5 and 9. If we take Phil’s tweet into consideration, we now know that the white iPhone 5 will be available by June 20 at the latest.
Interestingly, white model of iPhone 4 was never rolled out because of the white paint issue it was having in the rear surface. My bet goes with White iPhone 5 and not iPhone 4. What do you think? Share your views or comments in the comment section below.

Na as manau kad iPhone 5 nuo 4 skirsis taip pat kaip 3G nuo 3Gs. Dizainas beveik tas pats. Tik yranga viduje keiciasi

Na rumorsai galvoja taip:

Labai nenorėčiau, kad "išimtų" tuos mygtukus pagrindinius ir paliktu liečiamus, man nepatogu būtų. Ir norėčiau kad iOS 5 su juo išeitų.

iPhone 5 To Feature 8-Megapixel Camera from Sony?

 

Sony CEO Howard Stringer, in an interview with Walt Mossberg at Carnegie Hall in New York City, said shipments of camera sensors to Apple will be delayed due to Sony’s facility in Sendai that was affected by last month’s earthquake and tsunami. Stringer’s statements come as a surprise considering Sony has never been a supplier for Apple’s camera-enabled mobile devices (iPhone, iPad 2, iPod touch 4th gen) as the company chose to implement Omnivision’s image sensors in the past years. Omnivision’s lens modules are used in the iPhone 4 (5 megapixel sensor), iPod touch and iPad 2.

 

Stringer just said that their camera image sensor facility in Sendai was affected by the tsunami. Getting image sensors to Apple will be delayed.

Rumors also points to a transcript of the interview by the Wall Street Journal itself, which seems to confirm Stringer’s hints at image sensors set to be shipped to Apple in the near future:

 

Early on, he raised the irony of Sony supplying camera components for Apple devices. It “always puzzles me,” he said. “Why would I make Apple the best camera?”

 

It is unclear what devices he was talking about as Sony isn’t known to supply key camera components, known as image sensors, to Apple; A Sony spokeswoman declined to comment and an Apple spokesperson couldn’t be reached for comment.

Following Stringer’s interview, speculation is running wild on the Internet about whether he was referring to a brand new Apple product still in early production stages, or a new version of the iPhone or iPad. A report from April of last year, however, provides more insight into Stringer’s mention of image sensor for Apple: analyst Ashok Kumar claimed that Apple had signed on with Sony for an 8-megapixel camera lens to be used in the “2011 iPhone” — which would be the iPhone 5 set to be announced sometime between summer and fall. The report from Kumar also correctly indicated that Omnivision would be the supplier of a 5-megapixel sensor for the iPhone that Jobs would announce at WWDC 2010 — indeed, the iPhone 4 with a 5 MP camera module from Omnivision. In the past months, several bloggers also speculated Apple could implement Omnivision’s new 16:9 CMOS image sensor in the iPhone 5, although the reports didn’t provide any additional details. The iPhone 5 is also rumored to feature a bigger screen, the same Apple A5 processor seen in the iPad 2, NFC capabilities and a new aluminum design with internal antenna.

8mpx...

Rumor: iPhone 5 to Drop During 4th Week of June

The latest reports out of Asia - though some are already attempting to debunk it - suggest that the iPhone 5 (mock image above) will make a late June 2011 entry into the marketplace, even though Apple may still unveil the device earlier in the month at the company's Worldwide Developer's Conference, which begins June 6th in San Francisco.

Korean news site ETNews.co.kr reveals today that Apple will roll out the fifth generation iPhone during the 4th week of June. Information surrounding the release comes as Korean providers SK Telecom and KT are believed to be among the first who will receive and carry the iPhone 5 upon its debut.

As always, any unconfirmed reports regarding the iPhone 5 - or any Apple product for that matter - must be taken with a grain of salt. Still, it is worth noting that a series of recent stories and like-minded reports indicate that earlier suspicions of a fall 2011 iPhone 5 release may be inaccurate. If the latest report out of Asia is correct, it means Apple will retain precedent and once again roll out a new-gen iPhone during the summer.

Of course, Apple may have originally planned a summer release, but recent events - from product component shortages to the Japanese earthquake - may now force a late-summer iPhone 5 debut. If Sony CEO Howard Stringer's recent comments have been accurately interpreted, the 8MP Sony-built camera coming with the iPhone 5 has already thrown the new product's launch off schedule. Over the weekend, Stringer alluded to the Japanese earthquake hampering iPhone 5 production by seriously damaging a Sony camera sensor plant.

64GB iPhone 5 Could Be Possible With New Toshiba SmartNAND

Toshiba has announced SmartNAND, its next-generation 24-nanometer (nm) NAND flash product family. The SmartNAND series integrates leading-edge 24nm process NAND flash technology with a control chip that supports error correction code (ECC) and is available in densities ranging from 4 to 64 gigabyte (GB). It could possibly be used by Apple for its next generation iPhone.

The new SmartNAND 24nm product lineup is a replacement for current 32nm generation devices. Its advanced process combined with a faster controller and internal interface achieves faster read and write speeds and enhances overall performance. Optimized to suit design objectives, SmartNAND supports a range of read and write speeds including four read modes and two write modes.

Samples of the new SmartNAND family are available in mid-April and mass production will begin in the second quarter of CY2011 (April to June). Mass production of the 64GB version doesn't begin until Q3 2011 which is in line with recent rumors that estimate the iPhone 5 will be released this fall.