Thứ Ba, 31 tháng 5, 2011

iPhone 4 Display Of The Year, Can iPhone5 Be Better

The Apple iPhone 4 is one of the most popular smartphones on the market and when it comes to the display you will be happy to know it has won a "Display of the Year' award, wonder if the iPhone 5 can better it.

The retina display on the iPhone 4 pushing out a stunning 640×960 gives you superb crisp images; The Society for Information Display (SID) gave the "Display of the Year Gold Award" to the iPhone 4.

The iPhone 4 has the same screen size as the iPhone 3GS yet Apple managed to pack more pixels giving the updated 640×960-pixel Retina display, the viewing experience and of course customers who use this smartphone will tell you how fantastic it is. If you own the iPhone 4 please let us know what you think of the retina display, all comments welcome.

Can Apple better the iPhone 4 Retina display with the upcoming iPhone5 (iPhone 4S) aka whatever the name will be? Will the new smartphone expected to release in September have a larger display with more pixels?

Recap: Apple is making cuts on iPhone 4 production to make room for the new iPhone5, can we expect an iPhone 5g announcement in June at WWDC 2011. Please read here about the new iPhone 5 being a global phone when release (Both GSM and CDMA features)

iPhone 5 release date obliterated as factory burns, iPad 2 up in smoke

Whatever chance the iPhone 5 had of seeing a release date in June on the heels of the white iPhone 4, those odds just went up in smoke – literally – in an unfortunate explosion and fire at the factory where Apple has its iOS devices manufactured. As a result, iPad 2 inventory is expected to once again fall behind demand after Apple initially struggled to keep up after the March launch and had just recently caught up to the point where an iPad 2 review would ship to a customer a week or two after it was ordered. But while the exact impact on iPad 2 availability remains to be seen, this should put to bed the pipe dream that saw Apple somehow introducing the iPhone5 a mere six weeks after first shipping the white iPhone 4. The lack of any reports about iPhone 5 manufacturing being underway at such facilities (this kind of news always leaks) already made it clear that Apple wasn't about to attempt the PR-suicide stunt of ending the iPhone 4 era a month and a half after it launched a new iPhone 4 model. But even if Apple were planning to secretly launch the iPhone 5g in June, those plans would certainly have to be scuttled after the factory damage.If nothing else, those who've been holding out hope a soon-arriving iPhone 5 will now be able to erase any doubt and weigh their actual options: buy an iPhone 4 now or wait for awhile longer before Apple announces what comes next. The cautious among us will likely still opt to wait another two weeks to see what Apple does with its early June WWDC Keynote. But even if there were a surprise iPhone 5 4G or even iPhone 4S (whatever the heck that's supposed to be) planned for June 6th, Apple wouldn't be able to ramp up from zero inventory at this point in time for such a launch; it'll have a difficult enough time maintaing inventory levels of the already-shipping iPhone 4 and iPad 2. Our revised advice: if you've been meaning to pick up an iPad 2 but haven't gotten around to it yet, hurry before they suddenly get harder to find for awhile. And our iPhone buying advice hasn't changed: the arrival of the white iPhone 4 made it clear that the iPhone 5 won't come until late summer or fall, and while either option is defensible, it's difficult to ask someone to wait for a phone whose release isn't known beyond the fact that it isn't soon, and whose features are at this point still a blank slate. Here's more on the iPhone 5 news.

iPhone 4 Display Of The Year, Can iPhone5 Be Better

The retina display on the iPhone 4 pushing out a stunning 640×960 gives you superb crisp images; The Society for Information Display (SID) gave the "Display of the Year Gold Award" to the iPhone 4.

iPhone 5 mystery release date elicits carrier 4G conspiracy plot

If the four major U.S. carriers haven't conspired, separately or collectively, to delay the iPhone 5 release date until later this year, then it sure as heck looks a lot like they have. While most signs point to the iPhone 5 (here's the scoop on iPhone 5 features) arriving the latest of any new iPhone generation in its respective year, no clear reason for a delay on Apple's part have surfaced. Even as Apple attempts to extend the iPhone 4 era with the white iPhone 4, the Verizon-specific iPhone 4, and whatever other iPhone 4 tricks might be up its sleeve, it's still a mystery as to why the iPhone 5 apparently isn't on track for summer 2011 release, even as customers prepare to feel the burn. For insight as to what's really going on, one might best look at those who have the most to gain from a late iPhone 5 arrival, and their primary motivation for it. The latter is clearly 4G, and the former comes in the form of Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and even Sprint.

Why would all four carriers want the iPhone 5g to arrive late? They don't, per se. But what they do want is for the 4G era to officially commence in the minds of the public. Each carrier appears to believe, for various reasons, that it has the upper hand when it comes to the 4G era. Sprint already has a sizable 4G network; Verizon has the marketing lead on the faster 4G LTE variant; AT&T is acquiring T-Mobile which should give it a combination of homegrown 4G LTE combined with a broader non-LTE 4G base. The trouble is, outside of geeks and enthusiasts, few care about 4G or even understand what it is. That won't change until there's a 4G enabled iPhone. So while Apple doesn't like to adopt technology while it's still largely in the vaporware stage (4G LTE barely exists on Verizon or AT&T), Apple may nonetheless feel the pressure to make 4G happen with the iPhone 5. And oddly enough, each carrier potentially benefits from a iPhone 5 4G happening later than sooner.

First there's Verizon, which is in the process of betting its reputation on a 4G LTE network that it's barely begun building. The millions of Verizon customers who just bought the Verizon iPhone 4 when it launched earlier this year are going to be more likely to upgrade to the Verizon iPhone 5 if more time has passed since the launch of the former. Then there's AT&T, which still has almost no 4G presence at all. The carrier needs time to integrate T-Mobile's network into its own, which will allow it to offer "4G" of one kind or another in various places. Assuming the iPhone 5 includes multiple 4G variants, AT&T could be the big winner – but not until the merger is sufficiently complete; a 4G LTE iPhone 5 launch right now could do AT&T more harm than good. And then there's Sprint, which is about to become the only major U.S. carrier without the iPhone, and the smallest. Sprint is unlikely to add the iPhone to its lineup until 4G happens, so if Apple needs more time to make a 4G enabled iPhone 5 happen, then so be it. Bottom line, the carriers desperately want 4G to be accepted by the public, as it's their collective best shot at continuing to upgrade cycle of new smartphone hardware this year and next, even as speeds and capacities begin to surpass what a pocket sized device might reasonably need. And because the public will begin caring about 4G at the precise moment the iPhone gains 4G, the behind the scenes pressure on Apple to release a 4G iPhone 5 is enormous. If pulling that off takes a little longer than expected and the iPhone 5 release date is held back by a season as a result, the public may be less than thrilled but the carriers won't mind a bit. Here's more on the iPhone 5 news.

Apple and Verizon to deliver over-the-air iOS updates to Verizon iPhone

Apple has long used the proxy of iTunes to push updates to its iOS devices: when a new software update is available, users need to plug their device in via USB, click update, and the new software version is downloaded and installed.

Smartphone competitors have long offered a different, more direct method for software updates that happens over-the-air. Specifically, when an update to Google's Android operating system or HP/Palm's webOS is released, users are provided an update notification and can update the software right on their phone. No computer required.

Now, Apple wants to provide the same convenience to their iPhone users and is preparing to provide over-the-air iOS updates, starting this fall.

Multiple sources (one as far back as March) say the new feature will debut in iOS 5, meaning iOS 5 will not come over-the-air but following point updates to it will. Just like tethering in iOS 3, Apple has the technology but cannot just unleash it everywhere. Apple and Verizon Wireless are said to have been in talks over these wireless software updates since early this year. Sources could not comment on whether or not Apple is negotiating similar deals with AT&T or international iPhone carriers.

The iOS-based AppleTV has been able to update itself without iTunes intervention so the hooks are obviously in iOS. Two things to note:

Updates are now over 600MB. Apple would have to make these smaller to get the carriers to agree to push these things as they are. We believe that Apple will make the updates much smaller by using incremental patches rather than full OS downloads
iTunes provides the backup to the iOS device so a failed update would need some sort of backup. We think there will be a Cloud-based backup system.

Obviously, if this is a feature in iOS 5, it should conceivably make its way to iPad and iPod touches as well. That means iTunes may no longer be a needed conduit for updating iOS devices in the future. It would also mean that the iPad could finally be a stand alone device.

Mockup below

iPhone 5 fire impact up in air as iPad 2, iPhone 4 availability steady

The impact on the iPhone 5 release date, initial availability, and even feature set from this week's factory fire is still up in the air, but the mishap has yet to impact availability of Apple's existing iOS 4 products including the iPad 2 review, iPhone 4, and iPod touch 4. With observers having spent all of 2011 scratching their heads as to just what Apple has up its sleeve for the iPhone 5 after watching the company uncharacteristically release a Verizon iPhone 4 and then a white iPhone 4 precariously close to what most thought would be the calendar end of the iPhone 4 era, the factory fire adds another level of intrigue. By all accounts, Apple has not yet begun manufacturing the iPhone 5, which dovetails with the common-sense assumption that the end-of-April white iPhone 4 means the iPhone 5 is more likely to be a fall than a summer 2011 product. But while factories don't rebuild themselves overnight, Apple's considerable financial resources suggest that it can find another way to get the iPhone 5 to market when it's ready to. Then again, this is the same company which couldn't deliver the original iPhone 4 or the iPad 2 to market in quantity during their respective launches, as evidenced by the fact that the iPad 2 is still up to two weeks backordered after its launch in March.For those who believe that the last minute white iPhone 4 means that the iPhone 5 isn't coming until the fall, easy logic says that Apple plans for the iPhone 5 to be a total revamp; if it were to merely be an unchallenging iPhone 4S, it would have been ready by summer and thus there would have been no April white iPhone 4. In that scenario, does this fire impact Apple's iPhone 5 plans? Doubtful. Apple is going to need a factory to manufacture the next iPhone in regardless, so it's not as if suddenly switching to a less-revolutionary iPhone 5 design would change those prospects. On the other hand, for those who still believe that Apple is about to recklessly launch an "iPhone 5g″ or an "iPhone 4S" at next week's WWDC conference, a mere six weeks after launching the white iPhone 4, the fire would make a bigger impact in that scenario. But common sense says that scenario went away the minute the white iPhone 4 surfaced anyway. So what's the real impact of the mishap on inventory? Keep an eye on iPhone 4 and iPad 2 availability on apple.com in the next few weeks. As of yet their lead times have held steady, as the store burns through in-house inventory. If those numbers begin to slip after existing inventory has been exhausted, then that says that the fire has had a major impact on Apple's ability to get product out the door – and would suggest that Apple will need to find alternate avenues for ramping up for the iPhone5 in the fall if the factory hasn't been repaired by then. But if those ship dates never do slip, then that'll imply that Apple had a Plan B in place already and there's little to worry about. Here's more on the iPhone 5.

Apple iPhone 5 may Have Thunderbolt features Possible

Apple has just introduced Thunderbolt technology into its iMacs and MacBooks so it stands to reason that the iPhone 5 could possibly feature this new port.

The latest news surrounding the Web comes via GizmoCrunch by way of SemiAccurate reporting that the iPhone5 could incorporate Thunderbolt technology, it seems that Mini-Displayport could be replaced with Thunderbolt I/O port (Light Peak) to give customers a much faster data transfer speed as well as charge up times simultaneously.

If you look below this news article we have put a poll together asking what port would you like featured on the upcoming September release Apple iPhone 5, please take a look at the different options and please vote your favourite.

Thunderbolt will give you better speeds than others such as USB2 and USB3, obviously the iPhone 5g will not give you speeds like the MacBook Pro, MacBook air or iMacs that would be crazy to think that, but even so Thunderbolt port on the iPhone 5 would be a stunning addition.

Please check out our poll setup below and vote now, thanks for joining in.

Here's more on the iPhone 5 features

Buy iphone 5 verizon network

Yet once again we bring good news for all iPhone lovers. You would simply want to buy iPhone 5/5g Verizon. We are living in a smart generation, and no doubt we deserve the smartest facility. In this advanced world, if you don't want being called an outlandish, you got to flow with the pace. It's understood that, you have waited long enough to buy iPhone 5/5g Verizon. And of course, all hopes were almost given up about Verizon Smartphone. But, if you happen to hear rumors that, people wants to buy iPhone 5/5g Verizon of late, they are right. The enlightening good news is Verizon the American Number One Telecommunication, Wireless and Broadband provider bring you the best iPhone connection ever.

New iPhone 5 Facilities

What do you got to lose if you buy iPhone 5/5g Verizon? The question is why would you want to buy an iPhone from some other provider when you can buy iPhone 5/5g Verizon? With other iPhone providers will you receive huge bills and experience poor network. So, buy iPhone 5/5g Verizon before you go though some more bad experience and enjoy the best service available in the country. Verizon as a provider is always trusted, and if you buy iPhone 5/5g Verizon they will always ensures the quality.

Are you still undecided to buy iPhone 5/5g Verizon or hard to believe the news? Here are some new features that come with iPhone 5/5g. The iPhone 5 will be thinner with clear glass back piece of 9.3mm thick. There will be face recognition security and custom SMS tones. Video chat, scratch proof and shatter proof screen, extended battery like for additional 14 hours talk time and hi definition audio. So, do you think to buy iPhone 5/5g Verizon will be simply out of the world?

Apple to Manufacture CDMA iPhones

Well, Verizon will be launching iPhones sooner than it was expected. Everyday all iPhone fans are looking for better service and smarter phones. Anyhow, an appealing fact why you must buy iPhone 5/5g Verizon is because, Apple is working on manufacturing only 3,000,000 CDMA iPhones in the next two months. Currently, 80 percent of the iPhone customers' use either the monthly plans or the company plans. Recent research pointed out that, to buy iPhone 5/5g Verizon will be a smart decision because, Verizon wireless network will provide the most benefited service ever. So, if you buy iPhone 5/5g Verizon it will be one of a kind and first to experience.

Recent Reports on Verizon

According to a source from Wall Street Journal, Verizon would start providing iPhone by the end of the year. The iPhone will be similar to what is currently available with AT&T, the iPhone 4. So, early next year you can buy iPhone 5/5g Verizon in the market. Currently, Verizon is also burning the midnight oil, laying out the GSM-based LTE (Long Term Evolution) web and it will soon start operating in 30 main cities.

Further reasons why would want to buy iPhone 5/5g Verizon is that, it will be thinner compared to any other iPhone models. Moreover, the new iPhone 4 suffer antenna issues and dismay is reported. This July there were rumors that, Apple will have to recall the iPhone due to its antenna problems. But, guess what! If you buy iPhone 5/5g Verizon and it will be worth the price you pay. The reason is simple, as with the modified next generation iPhone 5 will never face antenna issues.

Gen Muster an Analyst lament talking to a newspaper, "In other words, our surveys suggested that Apple is losing up to 20% of potential domestic iPhone sale due to antenna issues. We found that for every one respondent that acknowledged the antenna issues, about three complained about iPhone not being on Verizon". Now, do you know why you overheard your neighbors wanting to buy iPhone 5/5g Verizon?

Verizon President confirmed Smartphone

Let's hear out what Verizon President and Chief Operating Officer, Lowell McAdam got to say. He said that, customers can buy iPhone 5/5g Verizon starting early 2011. He further added that, Wall Street Journal made the right comment on Verizon Smartphone. There are 93 million Americans who rely on Verizon and the number is expected to increase as people are queuing to buy iPhone 5/5g Verizon.

Here is a piece of information that could take your breath away and urge you to buy iPhone 5/5g Verizon. Currently, Verizon wireless is testing a CDMA for iPhone 4 and 5. Verizon also confirmed that, they are working on bringing network changes and bring the best iPhone under their umbrella. Just to make sure people buy iPhone 5/5g Verizon, the iPhone 5 is featured with video chat which would run without Wi-Fi.

Another reason why you might want to but iPhone 5/5g Verizon is because, now you can enjoy high download speed with LTE web planted by Verizon. Also buy iPhone 5/5g Verizon and enjoy 128GB storage and boast 27.8 more pixels in your iPhone. The new iPhone is featured with dual core processors, and higher and powerful graphic chips that would boast high video resolutions.

Current AT&T Status

Why should you make sure that you buy iPhone 5/5g Verizon? AT&T fell 49 percent to $24.46 and Apple, based in Cupertino, California dropped $12.13 to $256.17. Reports say many AT&T and Virgin customers will flock to buy iPhone 5/5g Verizon. AT&T is also working towards HSPA Plus Service, something like LTE network, but they will have to bring in new phone which might take ages. The release of new iPhone by Verizon in the first quarter will also help Apple's sales growth to 15 million units from 11 million which indicated bad news for AT&T. What more assurance must you hear to buy iPhone 5g/5 Verizon?

So, the ongoing Smartphone war is finally coming to an end, but to buy iPhone 5/5g Verizon is yours choice. But, you no longer have to wait to buy iPhone 5/5g Verizon. So, thanks to all the fresh deal between Apple and Verizon. Another two months of wait and you can buy iPhone5/5g Verizon in the market. As the saying goes, there is no smoke without fire, so buy iPhone 5/5g Verizon your dream phone. At the moment, everything about Verizon new iPhone is positive. And, if you are really looking to lay your hands on the first Android phone buy iPhone 5/5g Verizon. Enjoy the Verizon's LET network.

[via buyiphone5]

iPhone 5 or iPhone 4S Release Date Before Black Friday?

As days go by, the rumor-mills for the iPhone 4S nee iPhone 5 is becoming more prevalent. This time, several sources are confirming its production will start in August and its fastest launch time will arrive on September, whereas some pundits believe its release date could go as late as October or even November – before Black Friday 2011.

For those who are unaware, last week saw a revelation that the next-generation iPhone will be called as iPhone 4S, whereas the model "iPhone 5" will only be revealed next year.

iphone 4 s iPhone 5 or iPhone 4S Release Date Before Black Friday?

According to DT, due to the large production unit for the iPhone 4, increased with the revelation of its CDMA version for Verizon; it would be lucrative for Apple to adjust its release date later than June.

Question is when?

In our previous report, we revealed that if all the upgrades for the next iPhone would only be about its A5 CPU and 8MP camera, without changing its display or entire façade like the previous model, it's believable that Apple can pull it for a quick release on September; which also means the next iPod Touch model would have its launch pushed on a later month – could be before Black Friday.

Then again, there's still some morsel of doubt that iPhone 4S may have a delayed release, and can be pushed before the holiday period, if some problems for its "manufacturing process" will occur again – just like on the White iPhone 4.

But the bottom factor is, the company wouldn't miss the fat holiday this year without revealing another hardware upgrade for the iPhone. That's too big to miss even for a company like Apple.

iPhone 5 Not Necessarily Delayed Because Of Deadly Fire At Apple Components Supplier Factory

You may have heard in the iPhone 5 news this week about a deadly fire that broke out in one Apple's top Chinese components suppliers' factories, and how the loss of life and inventory would affect both the iPad 2 review and iPhone 5. Blogs like Computerworld reported that the fire in Foxconn's iPad 2 warehouse directly affected iPad 2 assembly, stating by way of collecting reports from across the blogosphere that: "This tragedy will have a great impact on the iPad 2 production line," and that "two people were killed and 16 injured, 3 seriously."

While at first glance this piece would seem to be a prime example of reliable journalism, a closer look at the piece's title reveals how misleading and irresponsible the crux of this report truly is: "iPhone 5 release date delay, iPad 2 freeze: Foxconn factory fire."

Huh? What's this about the iPhone5?

Folks, there is absolutely no solid evidence to support that this explosion will affect the release of the iPhone 5g, or that Foxconn has even begun to manufacture iPhone 5 components. It is yet another way of reconstituting Apple-related news to make an impact on the iPhone 5 hype cycle.

Read the Computerworld article and all of the other corresponding reports: there is no actual reporting about the iPhone 5 being affected as a result of the explosion. All of the news on the Foxconn explosion and fire focuses on the causes of the explosion, the casualties, and its potential impact on the iPad 2.

Ascribing an impact to the iPhone 5 is beyond speculative — its presumptuous.

Just to make sure, I went back into the annals of Google News to find what I could on anything recent that points to active production of components for the iPhone 5. The last story to make its rounds was on March 18th, when a rumor surfaced via 9 to 5 Mac that a Foxconn staffer had leaked photos of prototypes, which results in a slew of new purported iPhone 5 pictures and specs.

Prototypes are one thing — full-on production is another.

Aside from that rumor, there has been little else to suggest that there is any production activity going on at Foxconn. And given the arrest of several Foxconn staffers recently over leaking photos of the iPad 2 a year before its release, it is even doubtful that 9 to 5 Mac's Foxconn source would be brave enough to deliver a true photo of an iPhone prototype.

Is it possible that the recent Foxconn explosion could have affected the iPhone 5 production timetable in some way? Sure, it's a possibility. It's also possible that the tsunami in Japan affected it. Or a mosquito flapping its wings in Rhode Island that led to some improbable chain-reaction that could shift the release of the iPhone 5. But all in all, it is the iPad 2 that is likely to be impacted by the explosion and not some phantom, fabled iPhone — so why do tech news sources present it to us as breaking iPhone5 news?

Oh yes, now I remember: it gets the iPhone community buzzing again.

Here's more on the iPhone 5 apple

Separated iPhone 5 LED Flash Rumor Makes Little Sense

Rumor has it that the iPhone 5 is due to get an upgrade on its rear-facing camera, bumping up to an 8-megapixel design. But new purported, leaked photos of iPhone 5 parts and cases show what looks like a LED flash on the other side of the device. Where's the logic in this new design?

The tech media is currently abuzz with newly-surfaced photos of cases and backplates that seem to show an LED flash that is positioned on the other side of the supposedly new iPhone 5 design. There is a great deal of excitement and anticipation surrounding this new development, with iPhone enthusiasts anticipating a dramatic shift in the iPhone 5′s rear-facing camera array, which is already purported to be getting an 8-megapixel upgrade.

While few are questioning the voracity and reliability of the photos and sources, even fewer are scrutinizing the logic of a separated LED camera flash, and what the basis would be for Apple to shift the iPhone's camera flash so dramatically far away from the sensor itself.

The few theories on why the iPhone5 could feature a separated LED flash are seemingly logical at first glance: we all know that there were light issues with the camera sensor on the white iPhone 4, and even flash and camera issues with lighting on the original iPhone 4 back in the Summer of 2010. It would be easy enough to assume that moving the LED flash to the other side of the iPhone 5 would somehow solve the problem.

But given the lights limitations of LED flashes, this seems doubtful at best.

While LED flashes have become increasingly popular on smartphones, the light that they emit is still not as bright as other flash forms, such as a Xenon flash. As a result, the camera flash from a LED is sometimes not bright enough to fill the photo with ample light in low-lit conditions. This is why devices like the iPhone (and all other smartphones with rear-facing cameras) have positioned the LED flash in close proximity to the sensor; it's a way of maximizing the amount of light that ultimately enters the camera, as reflected off of the subject.

By definition, moving the camera flash away from the sensor on the iPhone 5 would put an already lesser-lit flash at a farther distance from the sensor — and at a greater angle to the subject being photographed. It's hard to believe that moving the LED flash could ultimately help in this regard — unless the new flash turned out to be something of the Xenon type.

Shifted LED Flash on the iPhone 5 To Eliminate Red Eye?

Another theory suggests that the moved LED flash on the iPhone 5 could be to counteract red eye. But this new design seems dubious as well.

the Nokia Astound's 8-megapixel camera sensor array with dual LED flashes.

It is true that red eye is caused by red light being bounced back off of the irises of people into the camera, which is often caused by on-camera flashes that are in close proximity to the sensor or shutter. But in order to truly eliminate red eye, the flash source would need to be sufficiently far from the optical axis of the camera, and it is doubtful that moving it a couple of inches to the right would do the trick. In order to reduce red eye, it would make more sense for Apple to further refine the use of a pre flash on the iPhone 5g, a technique that causes a person's irises to contract, thus minimizing the bounce-back of red light.

HTC's Evo 4G also has two LEDs in close proximity to the sensor.

Does An 8-Megapixel Camera Require That the LED Flash Be Farther Away?

Finally, perhaps the moved flash on the iPhone 5 has something to do with the addition of a 8-megapixel camera? That could be the case, however, to date, no other 8-megapixel smartphone sports a separated LED flash like the one that is purported in the photo. The Nokia Astound features not one, but two LED flashes right next to the sensor. The same goes for Nokia's N86.

But it isn't just Nokia that is using this camera and LED flash set-up. HTC is doing the same thing with their Evo iphone 5 4G. Like the Nokias, it features two LED flashes in close proximity to the camera sensor.

What is apparent from these other smartphones with 8-megapixel cameras is that the 8mp sensors need more light, and they need that light relatively close to the sensor in order to avoid grainy photos. If this is the case, then why would Apple continue to use just one LED flash for an 8-megapixel camera, and put it on the other end of the rear plate?

Newer iPhone 4 case designs account for the LED flash so as not to interfere with it . . .

Separated LED Flash Could Lead To a New Photo Discoloration Problem on the iPhone 5

As we have reported in another article, photo discoloration was an early problem on the iPhone 4, and more than a few theories abounded as to why this was the case. While some suggested that it was the result of a software issue in how the iPhone 4 processed yellow light, others postulated that many photo discoloration problems were caused by iPhone 4 case designs, which were too hastily retro-engineered from iPhone 3Gs designs and did not account for the LED flash. As a result, some of the cases came too close in contact with the LED flash and resulted in partially concealing the flash strobe.

Anyone who has ever accidentally had a part of their finger over the flash of a camera knows how it can discolor a photo.

This purported iPhone 5 case — and separated LED flash — might discolor photos.

Newer iPhone 4 cases have re-designed the camera lens cutouts around the iPhone 4′s sensor and flash so as not to conceal it. However, in the recent purported photo of the iPhone 5 case, the cutout for the LED flash would be closely cropped to the flash itself, lending to the theory that photos could easily become discolored. Another unknown is what the effect of having such a expanse of colored case between the sensor and flash would cause — could it lead to further discoloration?

It is possible that Apple has a new patent for an LED camera flash that will be bright enough to be positioned on the other side of the iPhone 5. But I have combed all of the Apple patents, and I can find nothing to suggest this. I remain skeptical of all purported "leaked" photos of the iPhone 5 — and these recent ones are no exception.

Photo enthusiasts: what do you think? Can you find any evidence out there to suggest how this new camera array would make any sense for the iPhone 5 apple? We'd love to hear from you, and start a discussion on whether or not these new photos make any real sense.

Here's more on the iPhone 5 news.

iPhone 5 synchronized release to erase white iPhone 4 thickness debate

The iPhone 5, whatever it ends up looking like, will debut in synchronized fashion across its various carriers and in available color choices, putting to bed the disjointed iPhone 4 era in which the original arrived in the summer, the Verizon iPhone 4 variant in the winter, and the white iPhone 4 option in the spring. These moves were made out of necessity, as the Verizon wasn't contractually do-able any sooner, and the white model had been delayed due to production issues. One way or the other, we'll see all the iPhone 5 has to offer one day one unless something unexpected goes wrong. And that's good news, because the staggered iPhone 4 rollout has led to not only a disjointed iPhone lineup, but a disjointed perception of the lineup as well. In fact one need look no further than the debate, still unsettled, as to whether the white iPhone 4 really is thicker than the black model.

Apple, unofficially at least, claims they're the exact same thickness – but that's based on a private Twitter message attributed to Apple's Phil Schiller, far from something that can be considered an official company statement. Consumer Reports has claimed that they're the same thickness, but these are the same dumbasses who helped perpetrate the phony iPhone 4 antenna controversy, meaning that not only can they not be taken seriously with regards to anything they say about the iPhone, it's the to the point that the opposite is almost instinctively assumable. Meanwhile, all across the internet users have posted side by side photos which prove that the white and black iPhone 4 models are in fact of different thicknesses. And in our own in-house experience here, it's clear that the new white one is thicker than the old black one, based both on a side by side visual comparison and based on the ease with which eats fits into tight-fitting iPhone 4 cases left over from the black iPhone 4 era. The funny part is, though, that after a few days of usage, the difference in thickness appears to be shrinking between the two, which leaves us questioning our original diagnosis: after all, our tests were between a brand new white iPhone 4 and an older, used black iPhone 4. It's not the overall product which is thicker, but instead simply the ridge around the edges of the front and rear surface which make it thicker. And after a few days of use, those ridges have apparently worn down just a tiny bit – which would explain why the white model initially appeared to be obviously thicker than the black one but now not so much. Case solved? We're still looking into it.

But the bottom line is that Apple opened itself up to these kinds of situations, whether it be the white iPhone 4 thickness debate or the fact that manufacturers have had to release separate versions of many of their iPhone 4 accessories to accommodate the Verizon iPhone 4 model, by staggering the iPhone 4 lineup with a disjointed collection of hardware models. Even the slight differences have been enough to upset Apple's typically tightly cohesive ecosystem within each generation. And with the iPhone 5 later this year, Apple gets to hit the reset button and not only make all the iPhone 4 disjointedness go away, but also to put all of its iPhone 5 cards on the table up front so there's no mistaking what users are getting. Here's more on the white iPhone 4 and iPhone5.

Apple iPhone 5: Two Models Coming – Pro & Normal?

The Apple iPhone 5 is something that many people want to see but we have recently learned that it won't be with us until around September. This is good if you are waiting for your contract to run out but bad if yours has already! Something we would point out is that the Internet is full of rumors about the new Apple device and we have another one to tell you about today.

We have just read over on iClarified.com that there may in fact be two models of the iPhone 5 Apple coming the Pro and Normal versions. It might seem to be quite farfetched at the moment but it's not beyond belief especially if you are one of the many that believes Apple needs to give the new device a makeover and a shake up.

The original source of this information is the iphonedownloadblog.com where their author has published an article talking about the reasons to believe there will be two versions. The only problem we have with some of the information that was shared is that when they say that Apple is ordering parts and then re-ordering them of a better quality, surely this relates to testing the device to get optimum performance out of it before releasing it.

We are thinking that if Apple is going to release the iPhone 5 then perhaps it won't be too dissimilar to the iPhone 4 but with updated specifications including the A5 chip and perhaps NFC. We believe that it will pretty much have similar specs to the new iPad 2 review with a few slight differences because of the size differences.

What do you guys think? Will there be two iPhone5 models? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Here's more on the iPhone 5 news

iPhone 5 May Get Text-to-Speech and Speech-to-Text Feature

So now, we might get a new feature of Text to Speech in the next generation iPhone by Apple. The Patently Apple reports, Apple has filed a patent application for a system that provides you the ability of converting text to speech and vice versa on iPhone. The system for Apple filed a patent, would be also helpful in loudy background environment and as well as at those places where user can't talk loudly.
According to a new Apple patent application that was published this morning by the US Patent and Trademark Office, future iPhone's are likely to provide end users with effective new ways of communicating in both noisy environments like a restaurant or even during a quiet office meeting without stirring a mouse.

For this purpose, Apple might add a new sensor in handset for noise detection. And the new system will work like this; when the user at loudy environment, the iPhone automatically convert the speech from the end into the text. And when user less noisy environment i.e meeting, iPhone will allow user to write text, which would be converted to speech and send to the other end. Here's more on the iPhone 5 news

[via hackphone]

iPhone 5 Features

Dear Apple please be upstanding while we take you through a few pointers of the top 5 most wanted iPhone 5 features that will make us applaud you.

There are so many new features customers would love to have on the next generation Apple smartphone and if the iPhone 5 expected to release in September incorporated any of the ones we mention below then happy days all round as they say.

iDB have given a few features and we have a few more, 1080p video capture would be a fantastic addition if Apple could give users this on the new iPhone 5 because seeing 1080p streaming to the Apple TV would be amazing.

Many have the GSM iPhone 4 and Verizon has the CDMA version so it makes sense to give all a world phone, basically the new iPhone 5g should have both GSM and CDMA capabilities. The third feature has to be a 720p front-facing camera, which would be perfect for FaceTime as the video call would be of superior quality.

Number four has to be a brand new design, please get rid of the glass back and bring us the old aluminium back cover or push the boat out and make it carbon fibre.

The Apple Mac Pro and Mac Airs feature the Thunderbolt port so surely the new upcoming iPhone 5 should have the same port. So far that is the top 5 most wanted iPhone 5 features 2011, if you have any more features you would like the iPhone5 to have please let us know.

Pushing The Boat Out (More Features): Edge-to-Edge display, 3D cameras, 4G technology, Smaller SIM cards, better battery life, 8-megapixel camera or better, Speech to Text Conversion

Here's more on the iPhone 5 news.

Apple Cut iPhone 4 Orders, Making Room For iPhone 5 (4S)

Apple is getting closer to revealing more about the new iPhone 5 aka iPhone 4S because it is about to cut iPhone 4 orders, hopefully the new smartphone will be announced at WWDC in June.

Digitimes have heard by supply chain manufacturers from Taiwan that iPhone 4 orders in the second quarter of 2011 will be dropped from 20-million to 18-million with most of them made up of 3G models, 2-million of them will be CDMA units.

Apparently there are 2 million iPhone 4 units floating around the market at the moment and because the new iPhone 5 (4S) is coming soon with better features such as new camera, new processor etc they need to make room and have enough time on their hands to produce the new handsets.

The new iPhone5 also known, as the iPhone 4S will release in September, all speculation of course as no official announcement has been made. Cannot see it being that much different to the current iPhone 4 other than a few minor updates, time will tell when WWDC 2011 kicks of in June.

Please visit ITProProtal for more information; we would love to know what your views are on the next-generation iPhone.

Apple Likely to Integrate iCloud for the iPhone 5

Apple has been rumored to move from its current online file storage provider, MobileMe, to iCloud, which has recently been renamed to CloudMe. The overhauling of this internet service that started as iTools and renamed in 2008 together with the release of the then- launched iPhone 3G is said to unfold together with the release of the rumored next generation of iPhone, the Apple iPhone5. The iPhone 5 will be released with the much talked about operating system, the iOS 5. The beta version of the iCloud service is also said to be prepped up for the operating system for the Apple Macbooks, the Mac OS X Lion.

Sources say that Apple has purchased the domain name iCloud.com for $4.5 million from the Sweddish company, Xcerion who is responsible for creating iCloud. iCloud, on the other hand, was just rebranded as CloudMe with the company purchasing the domain name CloudMe.com.

News and rumors has it that Apple's rumored iCloud service is focused on music streaming and downloads with Apple recently closing a deal with at least two major record labels to allow the company to stream and distribute copyrighted materials to users and subscribers.

Apple's current MobileMe service which costs $99 annually offers users with 20 GB of virtual file storage memory for music which you can access from anywhere in the world using different devices, such as iPad, desktop or laptop computers and smart phones. But reporters and Apple close- watchers suggest that there are strong evidences pointing to the company's efforts to broaden the scope of their storage, with hopes that the service will become an online diary and locker where users can store their precious moments such as videos, pictures and music files.

Apple is also said to be overheard stating that they might make the MobileMe service- which will eventually be known as iCloud- free for its users. This strategy would lead to sky- rocket sales and convince more consumers to take a hold of their hardware devices. This plan would lead to more intrigues and speculations about Apple's need to upgrade the amount of memory storage that they have on their iPhones and other devices.

By fall of this year, we'll get to see the revamped and renamed internet cloud service from Apple- that, if rumors about the September release of the iPhone 5 are true.

Apple: iPad 2 launching in 13 more countries

Apple today confirmed that iPad 2 will launch in thirteen more countries in the coming days and weeks. China will get WiFi iPad 2 beginning Friday, May 6. The device will go on sale in Japan on Thursday, April 28, 2011 and in eleven additional countries on Friday, April 29, 2011: Hong Kong, India, Israel, Korea, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Turkey and UAE.
iPad 2 will be available at Apple retail stores at 9am local time, Apple said, in addition to select Apple Authorized Resellers. Online sales via the online Apple Store will begin at 1am. Further international availability will be announced at a later date, Apple said. Suggested retail prices in the additional thirteen countries are the same as US price points for WiFi and 3G iPad 2 variants.

Screw iPhone 5 rumors, the nano may be getting games

iPod nano rumors seem to be heating up this week. It started with a "leaked" nano case that shows off a rear-facing camera. Now, a patent has surfaced that shows the iPod nano not only gaining a camera, but also motion sensors and games.

Yup, you read that right.Video games on your nano. It wouldn't be the first time that Apple managed to sneak games onto an iPod with a small screen. The original iPod shipped with a hidden edition of Brick, a game originally developed by Steve Wozniak. Down the road Apple also added Parachute, Solitaire, and Music Quiz. Then it was officially game on time. Apple announced in September 2006 that games would be coming to the iTunes store and would include 9 other games for the iPod, including Bejewled. Again, it should be noted that these games did not require iOS and shipped long before both iPod touch and iPhone.

ipod nano Screw iPhone 5 rumors, the nano may be getting games

It seems that Apple's at least thinking about bringing games of this variety back to the iPod nano. Not every patent filed by Apple comes to fruition, so there's also a chance that this doesn't happen at all. That being said, there are a couple of things I wouldn't mind seeing in a new updated iPod nano.

FaceTime. The ability to take FaceTime calls from my iWatch would fantastic.
iOS notifications. James Gifford brought this one up in the comments a couple of days ago. The more I think of it, the more I think he's on to something. Imagine getting your iOS notifications to your iWatch? Missed calls, appointment reminders, and text messages would be fantastic on my wrist. FANTASTIC.

iPhone 5 To Get Curved Display Glass And LTE 4G In 2012?

Read Charles Moore's new reflection on rumors that the iPhone 5 will feature a curved glass display and the coveted 4G in 2012.

I'm seriously dating myself by revealing that I remember well Volkswagen's introduction of the new Super Beetle model in 1971 with a curved, mildly wraparound windshield. All VW Beetles previously had had completely flat windshield glass, so the curvature was considered highly revolutionary.

I took a new Super Beetle belonging to a friend for a test drive and recall noticing how much better it rode and handled with its completely different suspension system, and the gracefully curved windscreen did much to eliminate the impression of viewing the world through a letterbox slot. The Super Beetle is my favorite VW Beetle of all time (I'll take a Cabriolet Champagne Edition by preference, thanks), the most recent example I've driven being a hotrod built by my daughter and her friend as a bare chassis up project, with a twin-Weber carburated Porsche engine and Porsche alloy wheels, as well as a rock hard suspension that makes it handle and corner like a go-kart — at least on smooth roads. It's seriously demanding to drive, but one seriously hot Beetle.

iPhone 5 curved glass screen like an old VW Beetle

Curved glass: cool on the old VW Beetle — how about the iPhone 5?

Anyway, I thought of the curved-windshield VW announcement of 40 years ago when I read a DigiTimes report by Yenting Chen and Steve Shen noting that the latest scuttlebutt being circulated around the OEM componentry supply chain in Taiwan is that Apple is fixing to adopt a curved cover glass for the iPhone5 according to DigiTimes customary unnamed industry sources.

However, Chen and Shen report that cover glass makers are reluctant to invest in the necessary glass cutting equipment due to high capital cost, so, Apple itself has reportedly purchased 200-300 glass cutting machines to be used by glass makers, or so the sources affirm, currently storing them at associated assembly plants to be brought into production service once yield rates for curved glass reaches a satisfactory level, and further that there's still been no timetable set for iPhone 5g volume production, at least in part because Apple is currently still working out logistics issues with suppliers including ones involved in cover glass, glass cutting, lamination and touch sensors to improve yield rates.

So why would Apple want a curved iPhone display? Unlike the Super Beetle windscreen of yore, a curved iPhone screen would seem to not offer any obvious advantages, and actually seems sort of like a step backward, since the curved

Curved design concepts like this one from HTC can make for more ergonomic phone calls — but is it a good idea for a touch screen?

screen glass of CRT computer monitors long since gave way to flat plane displays almost universally acclaimed to be an improvement. One rumor I heard suggested it might have something to do with 3D, working like some sort of lens.

And while we're at it, DigiTimes' Amanda Liang and Adam Hwang have posted a new report sayingthat China Mobile, China's largest mobile telecom carrier, has reached an agreement with Apple for China Mobile to develop an iPhone model based on TD-LTE which to be offered in 2012, citing comments by China Mobile chairman Wang Jian-zhou at the company's 2011 shareholders meeting on May 19, according to a report in the Chinese newspaper Southern Metropolis Daily.

In an earlier report, Digitimes' Irene Chen and Steve Shen noted that Apple is unlikely to launch LTE-enabled iPhone 4S smartphones in 2011 as originally planned due to problems concerning yield rates of LTE chips offered by Qualcomm.

Many thanks to all of the folks yesterday who sent in links to stories about this rumored new feature for the iPhone 5! iPhone 5′ers are the best at keeping up on all things iPhone!

What do you think the purpose of a curved screen might be on the iPhone 5? Cool looks? Ergonomics? And how would it affect gesture control on the touch screen? Let us know what you think!

Here's more on the iPhone 5 news.

iPhone 5 Will Feature Voice Recognition With iOS 5 Update

A new report suggests that Apple has further established its relationship with Nuance; a speech recognition company that will supply the software for iOS 5 (the operating system we'll see featured on the iPhone 5).Its been speculated for quite some time that Apple was expected to enhance the iPhone's speech recognition capabilities, especially since Google has been clearly taking the lead with its own speech recognition which they boasted at a conference back in 2010.

However, Apple is now right in the speech recognition game and is expected to feature speech recognition software that will be in the form of a personal assistant thanks to it's acquisition of Siri (the name of the software owned by Nuance) last year.

There was some speculation surrounding whether Apple would integrate the voice software on time for their public announcement of iOS 5 this June, but everything seems to be right on track.

Most people presumed that the fifth generation operating system of much anticipated iPhone5 will highlight some key features like speech recognition software alongside some other key features; but with that being the biggest attraction (based on what we know so far at least).

According to the same report, an "anonymous tipster" had reported that people over at Microsoft were pushing Apple to adopt their voice recognition software and were quite disappointed when they were informed of Apple's acquisition of the company.

The report goes on to say that Apple and Nuance had been in "months and months of intense negotiations" as Apple wanted to be ensured the ability to build on the technology in which they own quite a few patents on.

Check out this video and you'll see exactly why Apple decided to acquire Nuance; it's really quite clear

Thứ Hai, 30 tháng 5, 2011

iPhone 5 benefits from mystery appearance, unlike iP4

Mystery appearance for the win. When the iPhone 5 debuts, it'll be the first iPhone to surface since 2008 whose appearance won't already be known to the world. Last year the iPhone 4 was released after its prototype had already been exposed by those who found it in a bar. And the year before, the iPhone 3GS turned out to have a physically identical external design to the previous iPhone 3G. That gives Apple the potential for shock value in 2011 which is hasn't had for generations when it comes to its flagship smartphone product. Things could still go wrong. An iPhone5 prototype could once again become lost and found, though such a fiasco happening twice in a row seems unlikely. Or Apple could fail to produce an all-new iPhone 5 and be forced to punt with an "iPhone 4 part two" after all (which would be more like an "iPhone 4 part four" after the release of the original iPhone 4, the Verizon iPhone 4, and the white iPhone 4 in the interim). But assuming Apple manages to dodge both of those unfortunate pitfalls, the iPhone 5 will take the world by surprise when it's unveiled – and that'll count for more than it logically should.What's in a new design? A lot, actually. Consider how much the white iPhone 4 has boosted overall iPhone 4 sales by, despite the fact that it offers literally nothing more than a color change and the fact that it comes so close to the end of the iPhone 4 era. Then again, Apple could do as much harm as good if a redesigned iPhone 5 ends up being not to the public's stylistic liking. Most folks don't talk about it now, but the dirty little secret of the iPhone 4 era is that when that supposed prototype did surface back in 2010, many said it had to be a fake because it was too ugly, too boxy, to un-Apple-like to be a real Apple product. Then later Apple debuted the iPhone 4 and it looked identical to the "ugly boxy" prototype, and yet few called it out for being just that, despite having harshly judged it as such before learning that it really was an Apple design. So with Apple having spent the past year peddling an iPhone 4 design which not only was known about long prior to its launch but was also pre-judged to have been on the unattractive side, Apple has the potential to pull a double whammy with the iPhone 5g: it can shake things up by delivering any new-looking model at all, and shake them up even further by delivering something that's not as unattractive as the model it replaces. All Apple really has to do, seemingly, is to revert back to the curvaceous styling of the iPhone 3G/3GS era, which was widely liked, but of course updated so as to feel like a 2011 product and not a 2009 one. Here's more on the iPhone 5 news.

iPhone 5 Features

Dear Apple please be upstanding while we take you through a few pointers of the top 5 most wanted iPhone 5 features that will make us applaud you.

Number four has to be a brand new design, please get rid of the glass back and bring us the old aluminium back cover or push the boat out and make it carbon fibre.

Pushing The Boat Out (More Features): Edge-to-Edge display, 3D cameras, 4G technology, Smaller SIM cards, better battery life, 8-megapixel camera or better, Speech to Text Conversion

Here's more on the iPhone 5 news.

Moved Camera Flash Another “Fix” For the iPhone 5, or a 3D Camera?

Moved Camera Flash Another "Fix" For the iPhone 5, or a 3D Camera?

Thanks to a purported leak of an iPhone 5 case, new rumors of the iPhone5 featuring a repositioned camera flash could be the result of yet another flawed design on the iPhone 4. But could that other cut-out also be for a rumored 3D camera?

iPhone users eager for a sneak peak at the iPhone 5′s form factor have been abuzz3D in conjecture over a recently-discovered iPhone case being offered on the trade site alibaba.com that purports to be for the "iPhone 5G." While the iPhone inside the photo is most definitely a mock-up, the case itself is possibly believed to be the product of a design leak from one of Apple's China-based component manufacturers, giving the tech community a kind of "outline" of what the form factor of the iPhone 5 may end up being.

While many have focused on the sloped shoulders of the purported iPhone 5 case's chassis and seemingly-edge-to-edge screen, new reports are taking notice of a considerable shift in the position of the rear-facing flash. As opposed to the positioning of the iPhone 4′s LED flash — which sits just to the side of the camera sensor — the mysterious iPhone 5 case features a cutout on the other side of the rear face of the design.

If this indeed is an inside peak at what the iPhone 5 features, what would a repositioned camera flash mean? Given some of the issues with the camera flash on the iPhone 4, would this not constitute yet another "fix" on the iPhone 5?

Or, could that circular cutout be for something revolutionary for the iPhone 5, such as a 3D camera?

iPhone 4 Camera Flash Issues: a History

Camera flash issues are nothing new for the iPhone 4. Early on in the release of the iPhone 4 in the Summer of 2010, there were numerous reports of the iPhone 4 taking yellowed photos. Heather Kelly at Macworld did a thorough investigation of the issue way back in July of 2010, most of which was inconclusive, stating: "Hopefully, this isn't a hardware issue involving the camera's lens, and Apple can fix the problem with an update to the iPhone 4′s firmware."

It still remains to be seen what the culprit of the camera flash issues on some iPhone 4s are: while some believed that it was a software issue, others suggested it was a design flaw in the LED flash, or even an effect of shoddy, poorly-designed iPhone 4 cases.

More recently, Apple purportedly had to deal with similar problems with the white iPhone 4′s chassis. Cult of Mac, which predicted the release of the white iPhone 4 perfectly, indicated in a report from October of 2010 that the white plastic was letting too much light into the case, affecting the clarity of photos: "The handset's semi-translucent glass case leaks light in, ruining pictures taken with the internal camera, especially when the built-in flash is used." It was this flaw that caused the delay in the release of the white iPhone 4.

While Apple only made nominal changes to the positioning of camera components to compensate for the white iPhone 4, the iPhone 5 could feature a dramatic repositioning of the camera flash, particularly if it is looking to invest in an 8-megapixel camera and upping the ante on the iPhone being consider a serious picture-taker.

Is that a repositioned camera flash, or another 3D camera sensor?

Of course, if this is the case, it will be yet another "fix" for an iPhone 4 flaw: first the antenna, now the camera flash. As we've commented before, Apple cannot sell fixes like these as "new features," and raise conjecture about the quality of the previous device.

Could Two Cutouts on the Purported iPhone 5 Case Be For a 3D Camera Array?

There is another more exciting possible feature that the two cutouts on the iPhone 5 case could suggest: t a 3D camera array. Rumors of a 3D camera have gained little traction over the past year, with most reports focusing on a relatively nondescript Apple patent, which outlines the schematics for taking 3D photos. Typically, patents such as there are years away from seeing mainstream introduction, but the purported iPhone 5 case design features several elements that conform to the schematics of the 3D camera patent.

Could that cutout be for a second camera sensor with integrated LED flash?

To achieve a 3D image, two offset photos would need to be taken to create a "stereo" image.

All accounts of the Apple 3D camera patent's schematic show the placement of three sensors, whereas the purported iPhone 5 case only accounts for two. But other elements of the patent explain that Apple's approach to achieving 3D would be accomplished not through software alone, but through hardware as well, as Neil Hughes at Apple Insider explains, noting that current 3D software "must 'guess' at how to perform stereo disparity compensation for 3D images. Those guesses, Apple said, can result in images with artifacts in a composed 3D image that would result in a poor quality photo. Apple's method would instead employ a hardware-based approach with a 'deterministic calculation for stereo disparity compensation.'"

The notion of a "stereo" image, together with an example photo from the patent, suggests that perhaps Apple has managed to capture 3D photo-taking technology with just two sensors.

there's no doubt that 3D technology is a hot commodity right now, and even though we've written about how Apple Should Put the Brakes on 3D Photo Technology for the iPhone 5, 3D photo capabilities would be a mind-blowing new feature that would define the iPhone 5 not as a simple refresh, but rather as a next-generation device. It could also make up for the lack of 4G capabilities.

Chances are, 3D technology is still a way's off for the iPhone, and a shady iPhone 5 case design isn't nearly enough to put a 3D camera into the "probable" column for iPhone 5 features. But if that case is real, it's time to start think out of the box for what else it could be.