[UPDATED] The Latest News On The White iPhone 4 & Its Impact On The iPhone 5 Release

UPDATED 4/27/2011: Apple has announced the release of the white iPhone 4 for Thursday, April 28th. The current header on their homepage features a photos of the white iPhone 4 with a title that simply states: "iPhone 4 in white — available tomorrow." At this moment, little is known about whether or not the new white iPhone 4 will feature the A5 chip or other rumored improvements, but we will have an official word tomorrow.

The iPhone 5 News Blog has surmised from the onset of the white iPhone 4 rumors that the white iPhone 4 would be just that — a white version of the iPhone 4 with no added features. Tomorrow will reveal if we got yet another iPhone prognostication correct.

(Thanks to reader Robby for the heads-up!)

iPhone 5 News Blog columnist Charles Moore reports on the latest news surrounding the white iPhone 4 and how it may impact the release of the iPhone5.

It's not the news a lot of increasingly impatient would-be iPhone 5 upgraders are waiting for or want to hear, but it's looking like the near-mythological white iPhone 4, originally intended to debut June 2010, and which has been the object of an Ahab-like obsessive quest by some iPhone fans over the past 10 months, is finally going to materialize.

On Wednesday, a tweet from Apple Senior Vice-President of Marketing Phil Schiller affirmed: "The white iPhone will be available this spring (and it is a beauty!)," reiterating a tweet to the same effect Schiller had made in March, which had in turn reiterated an announcement made by Apple in December 2010. On Thursday, Reuters' Hong Kong-based correspondent Kelvin Soh reported that according to unnamed industry sources, Apple's far-eastern subcontractors Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd., a division of Taiwan's Foxconn Technology Group, have at long last begun production of white iPhone 4s, and Bloomberg News reported this week that AT&T and Verizon would have stock of white iPhones by the end of April.

Actually, the impatient and financially flush can have a white iPhone now from whiteiphone4.com which offers a White iPhone 4 Full Conversion Kit for $259 (pictured).

So, why is this bad news for folks with their sights set on an iPhone 5? Well, noting concrete, but it seems highly improbable that Apple would have Hon Hai ramping up production of a white variant of the iPhone 4 if it was about to release an iPhone 5 anytime soon, and my deduction is that if the white whale iPhone does materialize over the next couple of weeks as predicted, then the prospects for an iPhone 5 release before fall (or mid-late September, which is technically late summer) at the earliest will be looking slim. As The Register's Tony Smith noted on Wednesday, Apple be looking to a white iPhone 4 rollout as a way to rekindle interest in the the current model, extending its production lifespan, if the iPhone 5 really won't be out until late 2011 or even early 2012.

Also on April 13, the Taiwan-based industry-watcher Web journal Digitimes's Yenting Chen, Daniel Shen, and Steve Shen reported that "Apple has not yet released a production roadmap for iPhone 5 as shipment volumes of iPhone 4 have continued to mount and related suppliers are not yet ready to shift their production lines for new products, according to sources at Taiwan-based touch panel makers… amid growing market speculation saying that Apple will delay the launch of the iPhone 5 until September, or even 2012 because of a shortage of upstream components."

Mssrs. Chen and Shen x 2 also relate that their unnamed insider sources tell them that Apple has not yet released a production roadmap for iPhone5, that touch panel shipments for iPhone 4 have remained steady, and that they have not seen a timetable to stop current production in preparation for the next-generation of iPhone, speculating that with demand for the iPhone 4 still strong, Apple may have decided to stick with some incremental upgrades or enhancements of the current version (such as the Verizon variant several months ago and the rumored white iPhone 4 release, as well as perhaps a bargain-basement prices an entry-level iPhone 4 model, and/or adding 4G support with a new 4G LTE chip by Qualcomm when it's ready) and hold back an iPhone 5 release until its customary June or July time envelope in 2012, while its engineers undertake a major overhaul of the iPhone 5 to resolve some design and component issues. Or not.

The takeaway here is that if Apple releases a white iPhone 4 in the next month or so, the odds of an iPhone 5 announcement at the June World Wide Developer's Conference, or in July have to logically be considered low, but what do I know?

Looking for more on how the white iPhone 4 will impact the release of the iPhone 5? Read Michael Nace's opinion piece about it here.

Further Indication iPhone 5 Release will be Q4 2011

It’s a rumor which has been around since Apple officially announced the date for WWDC 2011, and now Reuters have added further fuel to the fire.  We’re talking about the next generation of iPhone not being released soon after the conference as has been the tradition, but in September instead.
Quoting a trio of individuals with ‘direct knowledge of the company’s supply chain’, the report says production of the iPhone5 won’t begin until July or August, leading to a September shipping date.This ties in with the previous rumors suggesting a Q4 release for the phone, which given Apple’s preference for short lead times indicated a late Q3/early Q4 announcement.  Why they’ve decided to extend the life of the iPhone 4 this time isn’t known, but it could be down to many things:

1. The White iPhone 4.  It’s still supposed to be on its way, don’t forget!
2. iOS 5.  Perhaps the new software isn’t quite ready?
3. Supply Problems.  Touchscreens, new camera lenses etc.
4. A change in Apple’s release structure across the board.

A September onwards release date should please a few people though, as anyone with an 18-month iPhone 4 contract will be a few steps closer to upgrading to the fifth model than expected!
Reuter’s sources also say the iPhone 5 won’t look all that different to the iPhone 4, something many have also suspected.  If the design doesn’t change, the good news is all those iPhone 4 cases won’t be useless; unlike any iPad 1 cases you may have…
Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference will take place between the 6th and 10th June 2011.

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iPhone 5 or 4S: My Name is?

Well the latest revelations regarding the iPhone 5 seem to blow quite a few of the previous rumours regarding this device out of the water. That is of course if they are to be believed.

Apple's newest iPhone has become known by us as the iPhone5 and was thought to be launched with this name, but this new information that has surfaced indicates that the handset will actually be called 'iPhone 4S' and will look like the iPhone 4, but with an Apple A5 dual core CPU within.

The handset apparently will also not come with an 8MP camera and not be able to record 1080p HD videos, but will have a 5MP camera that is only capable of shooting 720p HD videos, with the front camera being the same resolution. This information comes to us by way of a thegadgets article via what they claim is there 'Apple source'.

According to the thegadgets article there is no information on the screen size or resolution of the smartphone. However, their source did say that Apple has given the prototype versions of the 'iPhone 4S' to certain developers within the Apple headquarters and also some selected application developing partners who are getting the apps sorted for the phones release and that the prototypes must stay on the campus.

In addition, the source indicated that the iPhone 4S will not come with iOS 5, but will have a version of iOS 4 instead, believed to be iOS 4.5 or possibly 4.6 and that it is more likely that the iOS 5 will be revealed at WWDC 2011, with the release date being withheld. However, the shipping of the latest iPhone addition in 'September', is believed to be correct, with the white version being shipped from the start.

Earlier today we did a post on this topic, see article here and we would now like to know what your thoughts are on the 'iPhone 4S' name and the possibility of the iOS handset not coming with many of the features we were perhaps hoping for? Please let us know below.

Metal iPhone 5 not what doctor ordered, unless Apple has trick up sleeve

A spiraling information trail from overseas suggests that the new iPhone 5 will be made of aluminum metal and not the sharkproof glass which the iPhone 4 has employed. This would help explain why Apple appears to be keeping the white iPhone flame alive (hello, arbitrarily white iPad 2), as the move away from the tonally troublesome iPhone glass would help facilitate the possibility of a white iPhone 5. Here's the problem, though: forget about whether a metal iPhone 5 would be white, silver, black, or purple. The trouble with the prospect of a metal iPhone 5 is that the iPhone has been there before – and the results weren't pretty.

If asked to rank metal, acrylic plastic, and glass in order or strongest to least durable, most folks would leave them arranged in exactly that order. But the iPhone's history has shown otherwise. The original iPhone had a mostly metal back, and was easily susceptible to scratching, denting, you name it. The second iPhone body (3G/3GS) moved to acrylic and instantly offered a more durable iPhone experience. Then came the iPhone 4 and its glass body, which despite the connotations (and the "scratching" nonsense concocted by a few geek clowns), has turned out to be the most scratch-proof and durable iPhone material yet. And now Apple wants to move beyond that by taking the iPhone 5 back to the original metal, which was the weakest link in the iPhone's history? That doesn't add up.

Sure, an aluminum iPhone 5 would bring the iPhone in line stylistically with Apple's Mac computers, most of which sport a brushed metal aluminum body, as well as the iPad 2, which sports a brushed metal rear surface. But the metal bottom of the original iPad offered easy evidence that it's an overly scratchable and dentable design choice – and if Apple has come up with a newer, more durable kind of metal body for the iPhone 5, then suffice it to say that they weren't using it on any of their products as recently as a year ago.

Then again, Apple has made progress in moving toward metal surfaces whose durability is less weak than in previous years. For a long time Apple's "Pro" laptops were made of Titanium, which proved to be a poor choice in the long term for reasons ranging from scratching to surface flaking. And Apple has largely moved beyond the protectively absurd choice of chrome for the rear surface of the earliest iPods. But an aluminum iPhone 5 just doesn't seem like the right answer. Our buddies at The Mac Observer have done a nice job of trying to translate the original foreign language report in order to make heads or tails of it. But our gut says that while Apple clearly has a desire to bring its various major products into stylistic alignment, the idea of a metal iPhone 5 is something that Apple already proved to itself wasn't such a good idea the first time it tried it. Here's more on the iPhone 5.

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Apple, Google called to U.S. Senate hearing on mobile privacy

As the controversy over persistent location tracking in the iPhone and Google Android devices continues to surge, representatives from Apple and Google have been summoned to a Senate judiciary hearing on mobile technology privacy in May.
Democratic Senator Al Franken, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, will hold the hearing, titled "Protecting Mobile Privacy: Your Smartphones, Tablets, Cell Phones and Your Privacy," on May 10.

In addition to representatives from Apple and Google, confirmed witnesses at the hearing include officials from the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission; Ashkan Soltani, independent privacy researcher and consultant; and Justin Brookman, Director of the Center for Democracy and Technology's Project on Consumer Privacy.

"Recent advances in mobile technology have allowed Americans to stay connected like never before and put an astonishing number of resources at our fingertips," Franken said in a statement. "But the same technology that has given us smartphones, tablets, and cell phones has also allowed these devices to gather extremely sensitive information about users, including detailed records of their daily movements and location. This hearing is the first step in making certain that federal laws protecting consumers' privacy—particularly when it comes to mobile devices—keep pace with advances in technology."

After security researchers revealed last week that Apple's iOS 4 operating system stores a detailed log of user's locations, Franken and other government officials sent concerned letters to Apple.

Last week, two customers filed a class-action lawsuit against Apple, seeking refunds for their iPhones. The plaintiffs claimed they would never have bought the devices if they had known of the location tracking.

A report from The Wall Street Journal on Monday further ignited the issue when it revealed that location tracking appears to continue on the iPhone even when location services are disabled on the device.

South Korea, France, Germany and Italy have all reportedly initiated investigations into the practice.

iPhone location data plotted | Source: O'Reilly Radar

Also on Monday, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan called for a meeting with Apple and Google in a letter to the companies addressing concerns over the storing of user location data.

"I want to know whether consumers have been informed of what is being tracked and stored by Apple and Google and whether those tracking and storage features can be disabled," said Madigan. "It's important that these companies ensure that their users' private information is protected."

iPhone 5 To Get Aluminum Back Panel, Redesigned Antenna, Apple's New Dual-Core A5 Chip?

Japanese blog Macotakara, which in the past has provided accurate details about upcoming Apple product launches, reports that Apple may abandon the glass back panel of the iPhone 4 and may use an aluminum back panel for iPhone 5.

The back of the first generation iPhone was made of aluminum, which was quite popular with users compared to the black plastic back panel of iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS.

Macotakara reports:

Decision to design similar to iPod touch instead of using glass is supposed that Apple seems to stop problems which are told widely damages from scratching, difficulties of painting white and weight of glass.

They have also posted a mockup design of iPhone 5 with aluminum back panel.

Macotakara reports that according to their source, Apple may also abandon the external antenna used in iPhone 4 and iPhone 5 may get a redesigned antenna system. As you might know, iPhone 4's antenna system has caused a lot of controversy. Consumer Reports, a popular product review and comparison organization doesn't recommend the GSM iPhone 4 and Verizon iPhone 4 due to the reception problems.

iPhone 5 is also expected to come with Apple's new dual-core A5 chip that will be used in iPad 2 and expected to be unveiled at the WorldWide Developer Conference 2011.

As mentioned earlier, there are couple of reasons why Apple may be planning to abandon the glass back casing of iPhone 4:

• Based on the data released by SquareTrade, a leading third-party warranty provider, iPhone 4 was more accident prone than iPhone 3GS. As much as 80% of all iPhone warranty claims were related to cracked and broken screens, out of which at least a quarter of the broken glass claims involved the back screen.
• One of the reason for the delay in launching the white iPhone 4 has been attributed to the difficulties in painting the glass back panel.

What do you think? Do you prefer iPhone 4's glass back panel or would you prefer the aluminum back panel? Let us know in the comments section below.

iPhone 5 May Sport Logo Antenna and Shiny Aluminium Casing

Okay so virtually everything is now known about Apple latest piece of tech the Apple iPad 2, so the rumours now move back to the main event, the approach of the next generation iOS smartphone, the Apple iPhone 5. Well the latest speculation on the iPhone 5 comes our way courtesy of the Boy Genius Report via Macrumors and Macotakara, which apparently has it that Taiwanese rag the Economic Daily News says that "anonymous sources" claim Apple may be changing the design for the new iPhone 5.

So what is the rumour? Well apparently Apple is considering moving away from the antenna design of the iPhone 4 and replacing with an integrated rear "logo antenna" and also that the iPhone 5 may sport an aluminium backing.

Macotakara has even come up with a mock-up of what the shiny aluminium iPhone 5 could look like which is pictured above.

So take a butcher's at the image and feel free to let us know what you think, would you love to own a shiny silver iPhone 5 or would you still prefer Apple to deliver on an all white iPhone rather than a aluminium model?