There has been much speculation about the next iPhone. We’re all assuming it’s going to be called the iPhone 5, but then we thought the iPhone 4S was going to have the ‘5’ moniker attached to it too, and we all know how that turned out.
But seeing as we’re all fairly confident that Apple will indeed release a new iPhone at some point this year – there has been an iPhone each year ever since the original went on sale back in 2007 – we don’t really know a great deal about what it will actually be.
We’ve had rumors, obviously, but they are just rumors. That said, they are all we really have to go on right now, and with nothing other than some rumors and a little behind the scenes knowledge I’ve come up with five things that I want from the iPhone 5.
While a couple of these may not come to fruition, there is in affect no real technological reason why they shouldn’t. Anything missing will be a decision made by someone in Cupertino.
So, what do I want?
1) A larger screen – Perhaps a given at this point, I’d love for Apple to give us iPhone owners a screen that can compete with some of the Android behemoths our friends are toting. Not a huge screen though, nothing like the Samsung Galaxy Note! I still think that 4-inches is the sweet spot, and I’d love to see Apple bring us a screen of that size with a Retina Display.
2) 4G – While, being in the UK, I don’t particularly need a 4G chip inside my iPhone 5, we all know how Apple tends to put the squeeze on carriers. I’m really just hoping that a 4G iPhone un the United States will give the UK carriers the push they need to roll out a 4G network in the UK. O2 is currently in the middle of a limited trial of the technology in London, but that’s not good enough. Could Apple give them a poke, perhaps?
3) A new body – It’s almost a given at this point that Apple will redesign the chassis of the next iPhone. We’ve had the iPhone 4 and 4S with the same body – and what a body it is! – but now it’s time for something different, while still retaining the gorgeous looks of the 4/4S. A metal chassis may be just the ticket, though obviously there are concerns surrounding possible interference with the antenna if metal was to be used. Let’s not have another antennagate here please, Apple!
4) iOS 6 – Each new iPhone tends to come with a new version of iOS installed. We may only be in the early days of iOS 5 comparatively, but that doesn’t mean we can’t look forward to what may come in iOS 6! Full access to Notification Center widgets for developers is top of my list here, with better handling of app push notifications needed also. I’m not sure whether it is poor implementation on the developer’s parts or a bad API on Apple’s but I have far too many apps that just do not push notifications consistently enough. Let’s have that fixed, please.
5) A better battery – Having had an iPhone 4 that would routinely last for two whole days of usage, I’m finding my iPhone 4S will consistently die before the end of just one day. Why? I’m not really sure. There are the long-running iOS 5 battery issues, but with the latest betas unable to fix the issue I am starting to wonder if the thing just needs a bigger battery. If Apple does give us the larger screen I asked for earlier, then there is no reason why we can’t have a larger battery sat behind it, too.
There will no doubt be a few others that you think I should have added to my list, but those are the five that I find myself wishing for the most. Let’s see what Apple will actually give us later this year!
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