It’s the final lap of the rumor race as we approach Apple media event on Wednesday, September 12th, and time to summarize what we expect to see from what is sure to be one of the most anticipated events of the year thus far.
Of course the biggest thing to expect from the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco, California, is the reveal of the iPhone 5 (should it be called that). We’ve seen several mockups over the previous months, some realistic and some purely fanciful, but one has stayed pretty consistent; the taller and thinner version of the iPhone4/4S design is the most logical update for Apple’s next-generation smartphone. There were a few superficial changes that could make or break the record for the best selling smartphone of all time.
Definitely a much more stylish and sexy modification is the use of aluminum on the back of the iPhone, giving it a multi-tone look and probably a more sturdy feel. The most overwhelming change is the switch to a 9-pin dock connector rather than the traditional 30-pin dock we’ve seen since the first iPod; this particular rumor has had numerous amounts of “evidence” leaked to back verity.
It has been said there will be a few changes under-the-hood as well. The most expected addition is LTE support and recent rumors suggest it could access several LTE networks around the world, making it the perfect global smartphone. Other hopes for the near-future phone is NFC support for mobile payments, which can be supported by the addition of Passbook in iOS 6, and an updated chipset to perhaps a quad-core processor, as we see more and more smartphones gaining this power.
With the iPhone 5 aside, the final version of iOS 6 is said to be revealed and released around the same time as the new smartphone. What they have revealed so far has been a boost to Siri’s functions, including the ability to access movies reviews, sport scores, and launch apps, and Passbook, as mentioned before. The greatest updates to the mobile OS came from the separation from Google, which means Google Maps and Youtube will not be available right out of the package; Apple actually created their own Maps application with turn-by-turn directions and 3D maps. There are many other updates to the native apps like Mail, Photo Stream, Phone, Safari, and Facetime.
There have been several other bits of gossip jumping from blog to blog, mainly talking about updates to current Apple devices, like the iPod Touch and MacBook Pro line. Since the iPhone is getting makeover, why not include the iPod Touch as well? Along with the new dock connector, the iPod Touch could be joining its other iPod brethren and come in a variety of new colors. Other recent rumors suggests that a line 13-inch Retina MacBook Pros should be in production and ready to be announced this Wednesday, along with a long awaited update to the iMac.
If you’re wondering about the iPad Mini, it is now supposed to have its own event in October. Two events so close to each other really isn’s Apple’s usual style but things are rapidly changing over California, so we will see how much they can surprise us come the 12th of September. Let us know what you think is true or an unbelievable hoax in the comments below. Also tell us about any other Apple rumors you may have heard.
