iPhone 5 May Release on Verizon and AT&T Simultaneously

It's probably not too surprising but when the iPhone 5 eventually see release at some point later this year, the iPhone 5 may simultaneously launch on both Verizon Wireless and AT&T networks, which would be a bit of a bummer for those Verizon customers who have just picked up the Verizon iPhone. According to an article over on Ubergizmo and by way of Beat Week, apparently Apple has laid "too much groundwork" to no go ahead with a simultaneous launch of the iPhone 5 on both networks.

There's also mention that eventually Apple will deliver the iPhone 5 to both T-Mobile and Sprint as well as the mention of a carrier free iPhone 5 this summer, although personally I can't see Apple delivering an iPhone 5 without carrier intervention somehow.

I'm not quite sure where they got their information so for now at least this should be treated as pure speculation, although personally I see no reason why Apple shouldn't release the next generation iOS smartphone to Verizon and AT&T at the same time.

What are your views on this matter, do you think Apple should push out the iPhone 5 to both AT&T and Verizon simultaneously or do you feel AT&T should get the first bite of the cherry and Verizon gain the iPhone 5 at a later date?

iOS 4.3 hints at A5 processor in iPhone 5

iClarified reports that based on evidence found within the iOS 4.3 firmware, the iPhone 5 is likely to have the same dual-core A5 processor as the iPad 2. This is not at all shocking; last year, the iPhone 4 launched with the same A4 processor that debuted in the original iPad.

The iPad 2 is showing benchmark results well over 150 percent better than the original iPad, and we can probably expect the same situation for the iPhone 5. This means that, at least in terms of raw computing performance, the next-gen iPhone may be even more powerful than the first iPad. In terms of how fast the device will "feel," that's anyone's guess — but it's worth noting that early reviews of the iPad 2 say it feels at least twice as fast as the model it replaces.

iPhone location tracking: geeks hiding that Android is bigger violator

When the headlines arose across the geek techosphere this week about the iPhone's nasty habit of collecting and reporting location data, headlines which were then mindlessly parroted by the mainstream press, I couldn't but think the obvious: I'll bet the Android platform does the exact same thing, and the geeks pushing this story know it, and yet they've conveniently left that part out. Turns out I was wrong: Android is actually a much bigger offender. According to industry expert Christopher Soghoian, the iPhone reports your location data to Apple twice a day, but Android reports your location data back to Google several times per hour. But naturally, when the geeks who control the tech headlines went to write those headlines, they became "iPhone records your location, secretly reports it back to Apple" with no mention of their pet Android platform anywhere to be seen. And I'm not surprised in the least.Don't get me wrong: Apple and Google are both in the wrong here, clearly wrong on a moral level, and if they're not wrong legally, then the laws need to be changed immediately. Regardless of the reason for this data collection, even if it's as naively innocent as the companies' desire to figure where to tell the cellular carriers to build more towers or some such, it's not right – particularly without having warned users or given them the opportunity to turn it off. And the fact that the iPhone only uploads this data a couple times per day as opposed to the Android doing so repeatedly all day long doesn't mean Apple is less guilty. But it does make the headline writers even more guilty.

Any random headcount of smartphone users, if carried out among the true mainstream population and nowhere near the self-imposed bubble most geeks live inside of, will reveal that most consumers overwhelmingly identify more with the iPhone platform than the Android platform, regardless of which they're currently using. Ask the typical non-geek Android user why they're using Android, and the answers are most often "Because my preferred carrier offers it" or "Because the Best Buy geek insisted I buy it" or even "What's an Android?" But back inside that geek bubble, Android is a phone descended directly from the gods. It's programmable. It's hackable. It wastes no time on concepts like ease of use, which geeks find too restricting, and instead focuses on delivering infinite theoretical features whether any of them are in any way practical or not. It's why non-geek consumers buy one Android phone but, upon realizing the kind of geek-leaning nonsense they've been duped into using, rarely buy a second one (multiple studies have Android platform retention rate in the twentieth percentile). And it's why geeks will stop at almost nothing to protect their pet Android platform.

At a time when products like the iPhone, iPad, and even the Kindle are bringing an end to the era in which technology products had long been designed specifically with geeks in mind and to the detriment of the mainstream, geeks now feel that their way of life is being threatened. Thus they cling to the Android platform as if it's their last best hope for retaining their dominance over the consumer technology landscape. Conveniently for them, nearly all technology coverage, from traditional tech publications and tech blogs to even the tech reporting being done at major mainstream media outlets, is controlled by the geeks. After all, just try to imagine a non-geek growing up to become a technology reporter, and it's easy to understand why nearly all those covering tech are in fact tech geeks.

And at a time when their way of life is on the line, the geeks have gone increasingly over the top in both attacking the anti-geek iPhone and iOS platforms at every turn as well as shielding their favored Android platform. These are the individuals who concocted the "iPhone 4 antenna issue" while conveniently failing to mention that every smartphone, including all Android based phones, can also be made to lose a piece of their reception by being grabbed in a certain way. And now they've turned this disturbingly important privacy and spying issue into yet another self serving propaganda vehicle. Instead of accurately reporting that multiple major smartphone OS vendors are secretly tracking their customers, the geeks instead misreported this as being an Apple-specific issue. Their hope, apparently, is that it'll cause mainstream consumers to fear buying an iPhone and settle for an Android phone instead. After all, any time a geek can trick a consumer into buying a geek-leaning product, it's a good day. Safety in numbers. And just maybe, said consumer will magically become a fellow geek through the mere exposure of using a smartphone with a hacker operating system.

It's not that these geeks think Android can take over in a way Linux failed to. No, these geeks are insulated so deeply inside their bubble that they think Linux did take over. And now they think that if they can just keep misreporting the facts, if they can just keep making the iPhone and iOS look bad enough in the eyes of consumers, their pet Android platform will continue to rise by default. Sadly, to a large extent, it's been working. The question is whether Apple will find a way to fight back against the propaganda, or whether consumers will continue to figure out that the geeks are not on their side, or perhaps both. But in the mean time Apple isn't helping itself by being as immoral as Google when it comes to tracking customer location; such immoral actions on Apple's part merely serve to give the geeks more fuel for their immoral self-serving misreporting of the tech landscape.

The Global iPhone 5: Why Not Sprint, Why Not Now?

Verizon's CFO recently leaked information that the iPhone5 would indeed be a "global" device that works on both GSM and CDMA networks. Given the fact that Sprint operates on CDMA, why wouldn't the iPhone 5 be offered on the U.S.'s third largest carrier this time around?

Ever since the release of Verizon's iPhone, many had wondered whether Apple would design the iPhone 5 to be a dual network device, integrating both GSM and CDMA compatibility into one phone, or instead offer two separate devices for AT&T and Verizon, respectively. Lucky for us, Verizon's CFO Fran Shammo seems to have spilled the beans on a dual-network, "global" iPhone 5, as we reported in another article. Outside of an official confirmation from Apple — which won't come until the formal announcement of the iPhone 5 — it's apparent that the iPhone 5 will support both GSM and CDMA.

Given these apparent facts, why doesn't Apple extend the iPhone 5's availability to include the Sprint network?

In the world of U.S. mobile networks, Sprint is often regarded as the red-headed stepchild of them all: while AT&T touts speed and Verizon boasts of coverage, Sprint's business model is all about marketing its value pricing. Because of this, many performance-minded smartphone users opt for speed or coverage over savings, making AT&T and Verizon the top two carriers. But Sprint, after all, is the third largest mobile carrier in the U.S., with over 55 million subscribers. When you consider that AT&T, America's top provider, has 62 million subscribers, you begin to see how the difference between first and third isn't all that wide, and that opening up the iPhone 5 to Sprint's customers could be advantageous.

Especially considering that the Android smartphones are already on Sprint.

Recently, Sprint has been pushing Kyrocera's new Echo smartphone, a dual-screen marvel that seems to be paving the way for the next generation of Android 3.0 gadgets, both in the smartphone sector as well as tablet devices to go up against the iPad 2 (such as Sony's new S2 fold-up, dual-screened tablet). For as much as the iPhone 5 will need to compete with dual-screened devices like the Echo on the technological level, Apple will also have to match Android in availability as well.

With this in mind, wouldn't it make sense to offer the iPhone 5 to Sprint's 55 million subscribers? After all, Sprint utilizes the same CDMA technology as Verizon. In this way, the iPhone 5′s "global" characteristics would jive perfectly with Sprint as it does with Verizon.

To date, there is no hard evidence that the iPhone 5 will indeed be offered on the Sprint network. The only credible shred of information about Sprint and the iPhone 5 was from Sprint's Chief Financial Officer Robert Brust, who simply said of the iPhone 5 in May of 2010 that "we'd love to have it." The iPhone 5 News Blog reported on this story way back in February that a Sprint iPhone 5 is a possibility. So, if the iPhone 5 surprisingly appears on Sprint at the end of this summer, remember that you saw it here first!

The iPhone 5 on T-Mobile?

Just today, there are fresh reports from Beatweek and other tech news sources that either the iPhone 5 and/or white iPhone 4 will be released on AT&T's newly subsumed carrier T-Mobile. Beatweek boldly claims that, "AT&T just bought T-Mobile. AT&T already offers the iPhone. As such, T-Mobile was probably already a lock to offer the iPhone 5. A late arriving iPhone 5 means Apple could, if it wants to, go ahead and do a T-Mobile iPhone 4."

While that deductive reasoning by Beatweek and others may make for a sensational headline, it represents irresponsible journalism at best: at the time of T-Mobile's acquisition by AT&T for $39 billion in March of 2011, T-Mobile made it resoundingly clear that the iPhone 5 — or any iPhone for that matter — would not be released to T-Mobile customers in 2011.

In a succinct article on IT Pro Portal, Desire Athow reports that, when asked about the iPhone coming to T-Mobile:

"In a FAQ published by the company earlier today, the answer is a resounding no. T-Mobile USA says that it remains an independent company as the acquisition process is expected to last at least one year. It added that it will not offer the iPhone 4 (and its successor the iPhone 5), instead redirecting customers to "cutting edge devices" like the Samsung Galaxy S 4G and the Sidekick 4G, also built by Samsung."

Unless the official statements from AT&T and T-Mobile were blatant lies, then there is no reason to believe rumors of a T-Mobile iPhone release this year.

Don't believe the hype.

iPhone 5 To Get Aluminum Back Panel, Redesigned Antenna, Apple's New Dual-Core A5 Chip?

Japanese blog Macotakara, which in the past has provided accurate details about upcoming Apple product launches, reports that Apple may abandon the glass back panel of the iPhone 4 and may use an aluminum back panel for iPhone 5.

The back of the first generation iPhone was made of aluminum, which was quite popular with users compared to the black plastic back panel of iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS.

Macotakara reports:

Decision to design similar to iPod touch instead of using glass is supposed that Apple seems to stop problems which are told widely damages from scratching, difficulties of painting white and weight of glass.

They have also posted a mockup design of iPhone 5 with aluminum back panel.

Macotakara reports that according to their source, Apple may also abandon the external antenna used in iPhone 4 and iPhone 5 may get a redesigned antenna system. As you might know, iPhone 4's antenna system has caused a lot of controversy. Consumer Reports, a popular product review and comparison organization doesn't recommend the GSM iPhone 4 and Verizon iPhone 4 due to the reception problems.

iPhone 5 is also expected to come with Apple's new dual-core A5 chip that will be used in iPad 2 and expected to be unveiled at the WorldWide Developer Conference 2011.

As mentioned earlier, there are couple of reasons why Apple may be planning to abandon the glass back casing of iPhone 4:

• Based on the data released by SquareTrade, a leading third-party warranty provider, iPhone 4 was more accident prone than iPhone 3GS. As much as 80% of all iPhone warranty claims were related to cracked and broken screens, out of which at least a quarter of the broken glass claims involved the back screen.
• One of the reason for the delay in launching the white iPhone 4 has been attributed to the difficulties in painting the glass back panel.

What do you think? Do you prefer iPhone 4's glass back panel or would you prefer the aluminum back panel? Let us know in the comments section below.

Sharp Developing Thinner p-Si LCDs for Sixth-Generation iPhone?

According to a report [Google translation] from Japanese newspaper Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun (via AppleInsider), Sharp has been tabbed as a manufacturer for next-generation poly-silicon (p-Si) display technology for the sixth-generation iPhone due in 2012. The technology, which permits electrical components to be integrated directly into the glass surface, is said to allow for thinner and lighter screens that consume less power than currently-used technologies.

Sharp will begin manufacturing of the displays in the spring of next year according to Japanese newspaper Nikkan. The company is said to have already begun preparing equipment at its Kameyama Plant No. 1, which is primarily used for building LCD TVs.
The article also contains an apology for last week's report claiming that Sharp had been cut out of the supply chain for future iPhones by a deal between Apple and Toshiba to push forward on a new plant for displays, a claim that Sharp had publicly refuted and for which the company had requested an apology and retraction. Consequently, today's report has led to speculation that Sharp may have intentionally leaked information about the new p-Si displays in order to counteract the earlier report about Toshiba.

iPhone 5 on September 13th: five reasons release isn't worth waiting for

If the iPhone 5 really is to be a September baby, it'll be unveiled in September 13th. And that being the case, our official advice has changed: if you're sitting around waiting for more information on the iPhone5 in order to make a decision on whether to buy an iPhone 4 now or keep waiting, and it turns out the iPhone 5 really is coming in the fall instead of the summer, go ahead and take the plunge on the iPhone 4 now. Bear in mind that this advice is conditional upon the iPhone 5 being held back until the fall; if it does indeed arrive this June then you're best off simply waiting another six weeks. But Apple traditionally holds its fall press event on the second Tuesday of September, namely the 13th in 2011, and if that event is to be the first sign of the iPhone 5 along with the iPod models which will debut that day, don't bother waiting. Here's why.iPhone 4 rocks: Several members of the Beatweek staff have been using the iPhone 4 since last year, and while we'll likely all upgrade to the iPhone 5 as soon as it arrives, here's what we've learned about the iPhone 4 in the mean time. It's by far the most ideal smartphone on the market. It's faster, more versatile, thinner, and lighter than any previous iPhone model, and offers significantly more battery life with a much better screen. The supposed "iPhone 4 antenna issue" simply does not exist except in the minds of the deviants who concocted it. On its own merits, it's nearly the perfect smartphone; we'd be hard pressed to come with things we don't like about it.

4G pipedream: Even if the iPhone 5 does end up offering 4G networking, that'll only work in the scant areas in which Verizon and AT&T have actually built 4G networks. For the vast majority of iPhone 5 customers, it'll be the same 3G or even EDGE experience that they'd have gotten on the iPhone 4. Unless you live in one of a handful of big cities where 4G LTE will arrive early, this is not a reason to wait for the iPhone 5.

Verizon already has the iPhone: For those Verizon customers who wanted an iPhone but skipped the iPhone 4 because they thought the iPhone 5 was just around the corner, we'll ask you this: what exactly have you gained by waiting? A few more months of being stuck with your existing phone, which you clearly don't want? And now you're looking at another few more months of doing the same? You're not winning this battle.

Question marks: In other words, it's all we know about the iPhone 5. Will it offer better specs and features than the iPhone 4? Certainly. What will those specs and features be, and will any of them be relevant to you? No way of knowing. Waiting means you're gambling that the iPhone 5 will offer something over the iPhone 4 which will have justified your wait. Waiting does not equal playing it safe; it's just a different kind of gamble.

Have it both ways: The real clincher is that even if you buy an iPhone 4 now, you can still buy an iPhone 5 later. Sure, you'll end up paying $200 above sticker for the iPhone 5 because you'll have used up your upgrade cycle on the iPhone 4 purchase. But nothing says you can't turn around and sell your iPhone 4 in September (for more than you paid for it, thanks to the magic of unsubsidized pricing), and put that money toward paying your iPhone 5 ransom. You'll still end up having paid at least little bit for the privilege using an iPhone 4 between now and iPhone 5 launch day, but it won't preclude you from getting to experience both iPhone generations. Here's more on the iPhone 5.