iPhone Atlas

New rumors say iPhone 5 to get larger screen, HSPA+

A new pair of reports suggest that changes are headed to Apple's next iPhone in the form of a bigger screen and a considerably faster data connection.

The first comes from Japanese outlet PC Watch, (via Mac blog Macotakara), which reported on a slide shown by carrier China Unicom at this week's Macworld Asia, suggesting that the iPhone 5 will add support for HSPA+ technology. HSPA+ is the standard that has a theoretical download speed of 21Mbps, up from the 7.2Mbps HSDPA/HSUPA 3G hardware that ships in the iPhone 4. In the United States, both AT&… Read more

Missing iPhone 5 may explain new cases from China

An iPhone 5 prototype allegedly taken from a factory run by Apple supplier Foxconn may be the blueprint for all the unofficial cases popping up in China.

Visiting Shenzhen, China, last week, members of the blog site M.I.C. Gadget, who cover stories on China, said they were tipped off by an "iPhone accessories supplier" that the prototype had been missing from Foxconn factory's in the Shenzhen district.

Whoever got their hands on the prototype reportedly wiped its software clean so that it couldn't be traced and then sold it to one of the case makers for around $3,100, leading to the flood of iPhone 5 cases being hawked by online marketplace Alibaba and other Chinese retailers.

Though the prototype was in a case designed to camouflage it as an iPhone 4, the phone itself sported a tapered teardrop shape, which some rumors have claimed the iPhone 5 will use. Compared with cases for the iPhone 4, the cases being created for the new iPhone are thinner but also wider and longer, says M.I.C. Gadget, in some aspects similar to an iPod Touch.

Assuming the story about the missing prototype is true, the blog site says it's "very sure that one or more of these case manufacturers have access to what is believed to be the prototype of the iPhone 5 with the finalized design."… Read more

Apple holding iPhone 5 event on October 4

As expected, Apple will be holding an iPhone event next Tuesday at its Cupertino, Calif., headquarters.

The company sent an e-mail to select reporters earlier today, saying the event will start at 10 a.m. PT next week with an "executive presentation." Although Apple didn't specifically mention the iPhone 5 by name, speculation abounds that the company will unveil one, or perhaps two, iPhones at the event.

Rumors have been swirling for months over when Apple would finally unveil its next iPhone. In previous years, Apple has shown off a new version of its popular smartphone at … Read more

iPhone 5 to offer 1GB RAM and voice control?

Apple's iPhone 5 will include a whopping 1GB of RAM and a voice-control system known as the Assistant, according to the latest reports hopping onboard the iPhone rumor mill.

Word of these potential new features was apparently leaked to TUAW by an unnamed but "reliable source" last week. However, the tech news site said it was hesitant to publish the details without corroboration.

But yesterday 9to5Mac said it received the same information from a "source familiar with the SOC's manufacturing," which refers to the phone's expected A5 processor, or system-on-a-chip.

Based on details … Read more

Fresh iPhone/iOS 5 rumors cite Twitter events, vacay days

Tired of speculation about when, exactly, the iPhone 5 and its iOS 5 operating system will appear? No? Well, we've got a couple more clues for you then, you incurable gadgiopath.

The Next Web is reporting that the dates of a couple of upcoming Twitter developer events suggest that Apple will release iOS 5 on or before October 10.

The events, TNW says, "seem to be focusing on the integration of Twitter into Apple's upcoming iOS 5 software." The first is in London on the 10th, and the second is in New York on the 12th. And neither event, TNW reports, is limited to Apple Developer program members. That means attendees won't be under a nondisclosure agreement--so, the theorizing goes, there probably won't be anything to disclose: by then it'll all be out of the iBag.… Read more

Some iPhone 5 panels have defect, report says

Taiwan-based manufacturing company Wintek is having some trouble with the iPhone 5 panels it is producing, a new report from DigiTimes claims.

Citing sources, the tech news site reported today that Wintek is finding a "delayed bubble" defect in some of the iPhone 5 panels it has produced. Although the source didn't say exactly what the defect does to the screens, DigiTimes says that it only appears after touch-panel lamination and during assembly.

Wintek is believed to be one of a few companies developing the panels for Apple's upcoming iPhone 5. According to DigiTimes' source, Wintek … Read more

Al Gore confirms multiple iPhones coming

Former Vice President Al Gore, of all people, is the latest to confirm that Apple will be selling multiple iPhones next month.

"Not to mention the new iPhones coming out next month. That was a plug," Gore said today during the Discovery Invest Leadership Summit in South Africa. The comments were reported by The Next Web.

Gore serves as a director on Apple's board, so is in a good position to know about the company's future products. The comments also jibe with increased chatter that the company would release two iPhones by the end of the … Read more

T-Mobile executive squashes iPhone 5 rumor

If you were a T-Mobile USA customer hoping to get your hands on Apple's next-generation iPhone this year, that prospect now looks dimmer.

A purportedly leaked shot of T-Mobile's internal blog, sent to TmoNews, depicts a rundown of a town hall meeting last week, wherein Chief Marketing Officer Cole Brodman told employees that an iPhone 5 was not in the cards for the company--at least not this year.

The post reads:

"Our business is working very hard to improve performance over the last couple of years and we've had some great success," said Brodman. New … Read more

What's next for iPod Touch: The color white

If you were hoping that the fifth-gen iPod Touch would offer a higher-resolution camera, built-in 3G, and maybe a latte dispenser, don't hold your breath. According to a report from MacRumors, there's exactly one notable change coming to the next Touch, and it's nothin' but a coat of paint.

Specifically, Apple will introduce a white iPod Touch model as part of its upcoming new-product lineup. And, well, that's about it. Added the report:

Only minor changes are expected for the existing hardware, with the addition of an oleophobic coating for the display and a revised … Read more