64 GB metal iPhone 5 with 4G could shift upgrade balance of power

Here we are talking about the iPhone 5, when the iPhone 4 is still the current model being bought by people as we speak – and today I saw a guy using an original iPhone from circa 2007. Often lost in the ponderance over how the new iPhone will contend with competing phones is the query of whether the iPhone 5 will be able to compete favorably enough with the current and previous iPhones so as to motivate folks to ditch the one they have. Different corners have the iPhone 5 pegged as offering sixty-four gigabytes of storage, or being made of aluminum metal, or offering access to the nascent 4G networks of its two U.S. carriers. Here's a look at how each of these possibilities is likely to impact current iPhone users' willingness to upgrade to the iPhone 5 when the time comes.

Space: The iPhone 4 maxes out at half the storage of either the iPad 2 (understandable) or even the current iPod touch (a bizarre feat, four years running. which Apple still has yet to explain away). Those who were able to fill even a 60 GB classic iPod back in the day are currently stuck not being able to get all of that content onto their iPhone, meaning they either must carry an iPod classic in their other pocket or settle for only having a portion of their content with them on their iPhone, and that's before making room for iPhone-era goodies such as apps. Getting the iPhone 5 would solve one of the more common complaints about the iPhone over the years – it just doesn't hold enough to be the all-in-wonder Apple claims it is – and could trigger significant upgrades.

Metallica: The original iPhone was mostly metal, and yet somehow it was metal which scratched and dented easily. Assuming Apple has now figured out how to make metal in such a way that it's as durable as, well, metal, the change of pace could be an intriguing one. The glass body of the iPhone 4 seemingly never had a chance, as even though it's by far the most durable iPhone to ever come to market, quite a few people haven't been able to get past the "but it's made of glass!" initial reaction. Hey, people get stupid when it comes to consumer technology. And it doesn't help that as long as Apple keeps using the iPhone 4 body styling, the jackasses who started the phone "iPhone 4 antenna has issues" nonsense will keep getting their way. Because, again, people will believe anything when it comes to consumer technology. So a metal iPhone 5 would, if nothing else, convince iPhone 3GS and 3G laggards to go ahead and upgrade if they skipped the iPhone 4 for stupid and/or imaginary reasons.

Fourth gen: The fifth generation iPhone having fourth generation networking would manage to confuse an impressive number of people. But "4G" will be the buzz this year, as Verizon and AT&T join the already current chorus of Sprint and T-Mobile proclaiming that 4G networking is the future and the future is now. Nevermind that 4G still doesn't exist in most places (at least when it comes the two biggest carriers), advertising will convince the public that they must own a phone with 4G built in. And most of them will just assume they are using 4G, even if they live in a place which doesn't even yet have 3G. Don't believe me? Check all the folks who bought an HD TV and never have figured out that they're not watching the HD channels. So a "4G iPhone 5″ would go a long way in the marketing department, and motivate a lot of existing iPhone users to upgrade (with the exception of those current iPhone 4 users who mistakenly believe they're already on 4G because their iPhone has a "4″ in its name – and I encounter those types all the time). Nevermind that most of them wouldn't be able to put the 4G feature to use anyway; they'll want it. Here's more on the iPhone 5.