iPhone 5 News And Rumors: What You Need To Know

iPhone 5 News And Rumors: What You Need To Know

Well, the iPhone 5 was not released in October, like many fans had hoped. Instead the iPhone 4S was released. Also released have been a plethora of iPhone 5 news and rumors, and a mild amount of actual iPhone 5 news.

Apple has a history of secrecy when it comes to, everything. Generally they do not release any specifics of devices until the device itself is publicly revealed. However, this does not keep sources from speculating and the internet becoming flooded with what people think they saw in regards to the latest product or what they predict in the future for Apple.

Rumors are generally based on truth and history to some extent. There are some speculations that can be expected to be true based on the history of Apple.

iPhone 5 News: Release Date

Apple has always released their newest iPhone in June. This was changed with their previous release, the iPhone 4S, which was made available in October. Apple generally uses the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), often held in June (though the dates vary), to announce its latest products. Reports say this year the conference will be held June 10-15. Many sources have released iPhone 5 rumors claiming that it will be released around the date of the conference.

Apple is also planning to announce the iPad 3 on March 7^th. Many reports state to expect the release of the iPhone 5 a few months after the release of the iPad 3.

This is of importance because the iPad and the iPhone generally share similar technology. The iPad 3 is expected to have the newest Apple chip, the A6, and also run on the 4G LTE network.

The A6 is a quad-core chip. The ability of having a quad-core chip will dramatically increase the speeds over that of the previous A5 chip. The processor speed of the iPhone 5 is expected to be between 1.2 and 1.5 GHz and have 1GB of RAM.

Reports have stated that Intel is trying to help pitch its chip to be produced in the newest iPhones. However, Apple has recently spent a large amount of money to produce its own chips in conjunction with Samsung, and sources say they will not move away from this current practice. More iPhone 5 news will be available regarding what network provider they will use in the near future. It will be either the 4g network, or the superior 4g LTE network. It should be expected that the LTE network will be the chosen one, as it is supposedly being built in to the iPad 3.

Apple is always trying to maintain its status as a leader in the smartphone market, which would make us believe that they would not settle for the standard 4G. The iPhone 5 is also expected to contain TDSCDMA network capability, which is the 3G standard in China. The iPhone 4S is a world phone, which allows it to be used on both GSM and CDMA networks. It would be safe to assume that the iPhone 5 will also follow in these footsteps.

iPhone 5 rumors reveal it will be manufactured by LG. However, according to recent reports, it will not be producing the whole phone; rather LG will just be producing the display portion of the phone.

The iPhone 5 in The News: Price Tag Appeal?

People have been wondering what the price point will be for the new iPhone 5, and rumors are stirring. Some have been hoping for a lower price. Apple’s prices have always been right in line with other smartphone devices for the most part. Apple believes that they have no reason to change their current price point.

Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer suggested during a recent interview with CitiGroup, that the company will keep making great products, and if they keep making great products, people will be willing to pay for them. So, based on previous history, one could reasonably expect the new iPhone to cost around $199 for the basic version, and up to $399 for the fully-loaded model.

Think about it, if you looked out the window of an Apple store when the new iPhones is released and saw a line around the block every time, why would you lower the price? The iPhone 4S sold an incredible one million units on the first day.

More iPhone 5 rumors have been floating around of a version being made available with less memory capacity at a lower price point. This smaller phone had a name tossed around of iPhone Nano (taken from the iPod line). Originally with the phone lacking a removable MicroSD card, a phone with less memory did not seem like a viable option. However, now with iCloud being available to instantly upload data, pics, music, etc. from your phone, the need for a large amount of built-in memory may not be necessary. And, who knows, maybe a removable MicroSD will be available in the new iPhone.

iPhone 5 News: Picturing The iPhone 5 – Camera Technology

The camera on the iPhone 5 will be amazing, if every rumor is true. Even if only a few are true, it will still be a great camera. According to a few sources, Apple has recently filed for patents for a camera with 3D technology.

The camera on the iPhone 4S is 8 megapixels. So it is safe to expect a camera of at least that capacity on the iPhone 5. Some talk has been floating around of a camera up to 13MP; however a camera of this size seems a little unreasonable. I think either way, it’s safe to expect that Apple will not slack in the camera category, no matter what the final product is. In the iPhone 4S, Apple produced many upgrades to create amazing camera quality, and if the new camera is just as good, it will be nice, and if it’s better, well then that will be stunning.

Some recent pictures of what could possibly be the newest version of the iPhone have been showing all over the internet. These pictures supposedly came from a reliable employee in China at the Foxconn plant, which helps in the production of iPhones. This source also stated that there are many samples out floating around in the hands of Apple employees, so expect to see more rumors about the design soon.

iPhone 5 News: Smiling on the Outside – The iPhone 5′s Exterior

From these recently leaked pictures, it appears that the general layout of the buttons will be similar to previous versions of the iPhone, including the home button, volume, lock, silencer, front camera, and receiver. The phone appears to be wider, longer, and slimmer than the iPhone 4S. Reports have stated that the new iPhone will have a screen size of 4″ or larger, possibly up to 4.3″ which is the standard screen size some of the more popular Android phones.

When the iPhone 4S was released, it came with an “intelligent assistant” in its beta version, also known as Siri. Siri quickly became a hit among people looking for cheap entertainment. However, its usefulness among users is still questionable. But what is not questionable is that Apple will come up with a similar improved version on the new iPhone.

Airplay and Airprint, along with many other useful apps that were introduced on the iPhone 4S will most likely be included. Also sure to be included are a few new apps. Once the iPad 3 is released, more news on possible apps should become available.

MasterCard/Paypass capability has been speculated to be built into the phone, which would allow for ease of access to pay at retailers by simply tapping the phone on the payment system.

Some of these iPhone 5 rumors will prove to be true, and some will not. Actual news for the iPhone 5 is still short, as with all Apple products until the device is officially revealed. However, there is some truth to rumors, and with all this speculation about both the software and the hardware of this exciting device, it is sure to entice the interests of smartphone users.

How do you feel about these iPhone 5 news and rumors? What have you heard? What would you like to see? Do you already have plans to purchase the iPhone 5, or are you waiting for more iPhone 5 news to see the actual specs? Or are you sticking with your Android device, or maybe possibly holding out hope for the new Windows Phone 8?

Source:Thetechlabs

Nokia Lumia 900: Best Windows Phone Ever [REVIEW]

Nokia Lumia 900: Best Windows Phone Ever [REVIEW]

By Peter Pachal on Mashable

There’s a lot riding on the Nokia Lumia 900. While Windows Phones until now have generally been capable if not outstanding devices, the Lumia 900 brings Microsoft‘s mobile platform to a new level. Not only does it add a super-fast LTE connection from AT&T, but it’ll also serve as a flagship device for Nokia and Microsoft, at least until Windows Phone 8 devices come later in the year.

I’ve been using the Lumia 900 for the past week, and it’s a great smartphone. It’s also an excellent example of just how far the Windows Phone platform has come since its debut a year and a half ago.

Good Windows Phone apps used to be in extremely short supply, but I was pleasantly surprised to see many of the same apps that I use regularly on iOS in the Windows Phone Marketplace.

Foursquare? Check. eBay? Check. Spotify? It’s there. Readability? Yep. Kindle? Got it. Pulse? Totally. There’s even Foodspotting, yo.

Still, there’s no Instagram, Pinterest, Flipboard or Hulu Plus. So the Marketplace — recently clocked at 65,000 apps to the iPhone’s 600,000 — certainly has some catching up to do.

But if you’re not already locked into another platform, it’s reassuring to know Windows Phone has the essentials covered.

---

Metro Stretches Out

---

Most of those apps look gorgeous on the Lumia 900′s 4.3-inch OLED screen. Indeed, the increasing sizes on today’s smartphones are perfect for Windows Phone’s Metro interface. Its design favors big fonts and splash layouts that stretch to the screen’s edges and beyond.

Windows Phone works best when it’s got lots of real estate to work with.

For example, Foursquare makes the multiple menus in the app feel like one giant poster. My friends, activity and checkins are all partitioned into pretty columns. The iOS and Android versions look claustrophobic by comparison (see below).

The seamless Metro-inspired design isn’t automatic, however, and your mileage will vary from app to app. Most apps from indie developers are pretty blah.

The design occasionally trips itself up. Metro presents its iconography as if it were as familiar as street signs, showing symbols with no labels. It’s pretty easy to pick the wrong function, especially if it’s your first time launching the app.

When navigating, you should proceed with caution, especially in social apps. Shares and check-ins can happen before you know what you’re doing.

---

Begging to Be Touched

---

Pretty design is one thing, but usability is another. Windows Phone begs to be touched, swiped and pinched, even more than iOS or Android. The big layouts practically beg you to see what’s on the next screen.

Here’s where the Lumia 900′s 1.4GHz Qualcomm processor shines. It’s only a single-core design (Microsoft doesn’t yet allow multi-core chips on Windows Phones), but it was more than enough to keep up as I pushed and pulled menus with my fingers. The whole interface feels alive as you touch it.

Besides the great UI, Nokia offers up some special apps to Lumia owners. Probably most useful is Nokia Drive, a free turn-by-turn navigation service that works with Nokia Maps (not Bing Maps, which are also pretty).

Nokia has also created dynamic Metro apps for CNN and ESPN that look fantastic, especially when it comes to video.

The CNN app highlights one of Windows Phone’s differentiators: live tiles. The photo from the most recent top story in the app is highlighted on the app’s icon on your home screen.

That’s great, but there’s no headline or even a slug to help guide the user. What, for example, is this picture of Barack Obama supposed to signify?

Live tiles have a lot of potential — but few apps use them, and those that do need work.

---

Nuts & Bolts

---

Back to the hardware. This is a really well-made phone; even though the screen is 0.8 inches larger than an iPhone’s, it doesn’t feel large in your hand.

That’s partly thanks to the polycarbonate casing, which is smooth but provides an excellent grip. Nokia offers bumpers that can better protect it, but it’s pretty durable. I don’t know why you’d want to cover it up. The camera is 8 megapixels, and to my eye the quality is on par with the iPhone 4S, though it records at “only” 720p resolution.

The Lumia 900′s screen shows off AMOLED’s strengths — bright colors and true blacks that make icons and artwork pop. The screen also uses anti-reflection optics to reduce its reflectance.

The upshot: a screen that’s much easier to see in bright sunlight. You can see just how much in the gallery below.

Finally, there’s that LTE connection. I managed to get download speeds up to 28.4 megabits per second here in the Flatiron district of New York City.

That’s pretty amazing, especially when you consider our office Wi-Fi typically got about 9 Mbps. Puttering along at AT&T’s “4G” HSPA+ speeds, my iPhone 4S maxed out at 1.9 Mbps.

---

Lumia Rises

---

The Nokia Lumia 900, which will be in stores April 8 for the tidy sum of $99.99 (with contract), is by far the best Windows Phone ever made. Not only does it have a great screen for Metro apps, it has the hardware to really deliver on the experience they promise.

This is the device that Microsoft needs to show off how good Windows Phone can be. Sure, you don’t get Instagram (yet), but the world of possibility it opens is unlike anything else out there.

Nokia Lumia 900, Home Screen

The Nokia Lumia 900 ($99.99 from AT&T with contract) is the first Windows Phone to have a high-speed LTE network connection.

---

Polycarbonate Shell

The Lumia 900 has a smooth-yet-grippy polycarbonate shell that comes in blue or black. A white version will be available April 22.

---

Foursquare Comparison

The Windows Phone version of Foursquare is a great example of how the Metro interface is vastly different from the Android and iPhone experiences

---

CNN App

A comparison of the CNN apps for Android, iOS and Windows Phone. Note how on the Windows Phone version the "chrome" (network icons, the time, etc.) is absent and headlines pop larger. Also, Nokia created this app, not CNN.

---

Vs. iPhone in Sunlight

Here's how the Lumia 900 looks next to an iPhone in sunlight. The Lumia uses special optics to reduce reflectivity.

---

Nokia Drive

The Nokia Drive app is a free turn-by-turn navigator for Windows Phone.

---

Live Tiles

These two pics, taken seconds apart, show how the live tiles work.

---

Office for Windows Phone

Office apps come pre-installed on the Lumia 900, letting you view and edit documents on the fly.

---

New York Times Web Page

Here's how Internet Explorer for Windows Phone renders a typical web page.

---

Mashable App

Mashable has no official Windows Phone app, but a few third parties have created apps of their own.

---

Windows Phone Hero?

Will the Nokia Lumia 900 take the Windows Phone platform to new heights? Stay tuned.