It’s been a year since the iPhone 5, which means that - going by well-established precedent - Apple are preparing to announce and launch their latest mobile devices. Invites have been sent out to a press conference that will take place next Tuesday (September 10th). The event is expected to feature the announcement of latest iPhone update - although for the first time the company is expected to unveil two models, not just one.
Obviously everything is still rumour and speculation at this point, but given a huge amount of leaks and reports by tech blogs it seems increasingly likely the press conference will offer minimal surprises.
The most intriguing prediction is that Apple will finally fragment the iPhone line by reacting to the increasing market share of budget Android phones. Likely to cost somewhere in the region of €300-400 without a contract, numerous photos have emerged of the alleged iPhone 5C.
The cheaper phone is expected to have a plastic body and come in a variety of different colours - the latter rumour backed up by the multi-coloured spots adorning the press conference invite. The phone’s innards are expected to be based on previous generation iPhones.
A more familiar ‘premium’ iPhone is also close to inevitable - perhaps even being offered in gold or ‘champagne’ alongside the traditional white & black models.
Going by Apple’s track record of releasing a major hardware update every two years, it’s likely this will be an incremental upgrade from last year’s iPhone 5, probably dubbed the iPhone 5S.
Few are expecting a radical change from the previous model, with small but significant updates like a faster processor, better camera and improved battery on the cards instead. There is strong speculation of one unusual new addition, however: a biometric fingerprint reader that can be used to unlock both the phone and its features, adding an extra layer of security and helping ensure only a phone’s owner can use it.
Again, going by precedent, the new iPhones will be available for order almost immediately. Both models will almost certainly come pre-equipped with iOS7 - the previously announced major update to Apple’s mobile operating system.
iOS7 will represent the most significant aesthetic upgrade of iOS since its launch back in 2007, changing most of the familiar icons and menus. Aside from the surface level makeover, some of iOS7’s most notable features include significantly improved camera options, a new ‘control centre’ providing quick access some of the phone’s most important features, and the inclusion of file-sharing app AirDrop.
It’s likely iOS7 will be launched for previous generation devices (iPad 2 / iPhone 4 and up, as well as the latest iPod touch models) very soon after the press conference, having been in beta since June.
And what of the iPad? Reports suggest the next-generation iPad and iPad minis will not be a part of the September 10th conference, instead being announced a few weeks or months later. However, possible details are ‘leaking’, with a fingerprint scanner again a recurrent suggestion. In the video below, one YouTube user claims to have gotten his hands on a sample of a new iPad’s slimmer, smaller body, and has quite convincing evidence to back up his claims:
The iPad announcement might be a while off, but expect some of these rumours to be confirmed or denied next Tuesday.
