The iPhone is coming, the iPhone is coming! Yes, more than likely, there's probably a new iPhone coming sometime this year. Right now, right this very moment, we know absolutely nothing about it. Officially. There are plenty of rumors, and Taylor has done a great job of outlining how those rumors stack up right this very moment. Will the new iPhone have the same "problems" that the new iPad does? Who knows. But, it's good to talk about, get it out there.
Much like Samsung, Apple finds themselves in a curious spot this year. Interestingly enough, it's the same spot they usually find themselves in at least one time every year, since 2007. I'm referring to, of course, the launch of the first iPhone. Ever since then it's been all about what the new iPhone will have, what it will look like, and how on Earth can it compare to what's already out there? Okay, that last part has more to do with the launch of Android, and it's even more relevant today.
When the iPhone 4S launched, there were plenty of people and pundits out there who said it wasn't that great. It wasn't a huge improvement over the iPhone 4S. And hey, I'm not going to tell you that it was (because it wasn't). But, there were improvements in there, and it is definitely a phone that was worth upgrading last year. But, the fact that people let the rumors get to them, instead of looking at past releases, isn't necessarily Apple's fault. The iPhone 4S was going to be a "limited" update -- that's just the way it is.
But, like I said earlier, Apple finds themselves in an interesting position. Because this time around, the iPhone is going to change. Not just in software, but also hardware. This is going to be the refresh that everyone thought the iPhone 4S was going to be. The iPhone 5 will be the new, new handset, the one that everyone will stare at and all the other smartphone manufacturers will secretly drool over.
Will it be called the iPhone 5? Sure, why not? There's nothing wrong with that. It has nothing to do with whether or not it's actually the fifth iPhone to be launched (which it isn't. This isn't a secret, either.). It has to do with marketing, and no one can argue that Apple doesn't have that down pat. So, yes, it could very well be the iPhone 5.
But, there's also the possibility that Apple changes things up, and actually uses the new marketing scheme that they deployed with the iPad. There's a strong possibility that Apple calls the next iPhone "the new iPhone." There's been a long enough break between the launch of the original device to this handset, that I think they could "get away with it." Anyway, iPhone owners just call their phone an iPhone, so it probably wouldn't matter much.
They could also use this new marketing idea, or new naming scheme, because this is going to be the new iPhone that features a new hardware design. Whether or not you subscribe to the rumor that the new iPhone is going to have a larger display or not, that is just a part of it. Yes, the new iPhone will probably have 4G LTE-connectivity. And yes, it will have a Retina display again. But, what about the phone itself?
With Apple getting ready to unveil the next iPhone (at some point this year), and with Samsung getting ready to show off the successor to the Galaxy S II Android-powered device, it's an exciting time to be a fan of the mobile market. Much like Samsung, Apple has the opportunity to add a huge breath of fresh air to the mobile industry, and if the past is any indicator, then the next iPhone is going to show Apple's devotion to hardware, as well as a strong focus on new software.
The new iPhone is coming, ladies and gentlemen. And with it, if the past is any indicator, a brand new hardware design and a brand new version of iOS. Will it revolutionize the mobile market? Or will it be a sigh, as the other manufacturers enforce their dominance? Hopefully we don't have that long to wait.
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