• iPhone 4S, with 8MP Camera, Production to Begin in August?


    Due to the launch of iPhone 4S planned as early as September 2011, Digitimes reports that Apple has lowered its expected shipment volume of iPhone 4 ahead of the September launch for the fifth-generation iPhone – “iPhone 4S.”

    for the second quarter of 2011 from 20 million units, to 17.5-18 million units consisting of 16 million units of the 3G version and 1.5-2 million units of the CDMA version, according to Taiwan-based supply chain makers. Bases on global sales of 18.6 million units of iPhone 4 and shipment volumes in the first quarter of 2011, there are an estimated 1.5-2 million units in stock, the sources indicated.

    Production of iPhone 4S will begin in August and the earliest launch may be in September. All the 3G and CDMA chips for iPhone 4S will be supplied by Qualcomm and the rear camera will be upgraded to an 8-megapixel resolution model with OmniVision Technologies and Taiwan-based Largan Precision to supply image sensors and lens kits respectively.

  • iPhone 4S Coming in September With Minor Cosmetic Changes?


    Citing a new report from Forbes, analyst Peter Misek, claims the upcoming next generation iPhone will likely has minor cosmetic changes over the current iPhone 4, the device will be dubbed “iPhone 4S” and will debut in September. Misek also claims that Apple will add more supported carriers including Sprint and T-Mobile and China Mobile on the way.

    According to our industry checks, the device should be called iPhone 4S and include minor cosmetic changes, better cameras, A5 dual-core processor, and HSPA+ support,” he writes in a research note.

    But he also says that “industry checks indicate Apple will likely announce Sprint, T-Mobile, and China Mobile as new carriers.

    We previously learned that Apple has been providing an improved iPhone with A5 chip to some select developers for testing purposes and since them the name “iPhone 4S” has gained popularity.

    Misek went on to say that Qualcomm are not yet available in quantity to be added, so faster LTE 4G networks will not be available.

    As for LTE, he says the Qualcomm LTE chipset Apple would have used “is currently not achieving yields sufficient for inclusion in the iPhone 5.” He says Apple had hoped to have the LTE chipsets ready, but was planning a version without LTE called iPhone 4S.

  • iPhone 5 to Hold two SIM Cards for Dual Phone Lines?


    According to iDealsChina the iPhone 5 will not only hold one, but two SIM cards to support dual phone lines. This sounds very odd and I think iDealsChina could have misinterpreted the information from their source.

    The iPhone 5 is rumored to include a Qualcomm just like the Verizon iPhone that allows for both GSM and CDMA connections in the same phone. Perhaps this is what they mean by dual SIM-cards?

    iDealsChina, a Chinese parts reseller, is the site that brought us iPhone 5 design images. The site has a mixed track record of correct & incorrect rumors. They incorrectly reported that an iPhone nano would launch in 2008.

  • What Do We Expect in iPad 2?


    There are a lot of expectations for iPad 2 hardware out there but ours largely falls in line with AllThingsD:

    Aesthetically, the iPad 2 is expected to be slimmer and lighter than its predecessor, with a larger speaker and an improved display designed to deliver a better experience in bright sunlight. It will likely run on a 1.2GHz, dual-core, ARM Cortex-A9 chip and Imagination’s SGX543 GPU architecture–a big improvement over the SGX535 Apple uses today. A Qualcomm multimode chip will allow it to run on both GSM- and CDMA-based networks around the world. And it will have double the RAM–512MB, same as the iPhone 4. Finally, it will feature those front- and back-facing cameras we’ve been hearing about for some time now–one for FaceTime and Photo Booth, the other for POV FaceTime and shooting photos and video.

    The star of the show might be iOS 5 preview which will likely showcase new voice navigation features with Siri’s AI, perhaps a new maps application and certainly Cloud/MobileMe/iWork/iLife integration.  And notifications have to be getting updated.

    We’re getting pumped.  12 hours to go.