Apple’s next generation iPhone 5 is expected to be released next month, likely the 21st. However, over the past several months, a number of images and reports online have revealed parts of of the next generation iPhone, leading to speculation about the device’s features. Most recently, repair site UBreakiFix leaked images of what claims to be a fully assembled iPhone 5 front panel and screen.

The site reportedly obtained the parts from one of their distributors and if genuine, would likely be one of Apple’s many manufacturers. The front panel and screen do not reveal any major details about the device that haven’t already been released prior to this report, but does show what the parts would look like once fully assembled. The next generation iPhone 5 is expected to have a 4 inch screen, up from the current 3.5 inches.

This would be the first major change since the introduction of the iPhone in 2007 and allows apps more screen space. The iPhone 5 is expected to be announced on September 12th, alongside a new iPad Mini and the public release of iOS 6 followed by an official release on September 21st.

Are you excited about the upcoming announcement and iPhone 5 release date event? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

{via MacRumors}

Over the past several months, numerous reports about the next generation iPhone 5 have appeared online, including a fully assembled iPhone 5 unit and other parts. Most recently, high resolution images of the upcoming iPhone 5 and iPad Mini dock connector cables were posted by site iResQ. The flex cables shown in the images are reportedly for the next generation devices and are seen in both black and white, suggesting that they are from a device of that color.

The parts assumed to be for the new iPad Mini have a part number of 821-1516, different from another part found earlier that indicated a headphone jack on the bottom of the device. The part found earlier had a part number of 821-1476. This is the first time that a part for the iPad Mini has appeared as it has been entirely speculation until now.

Images in the report also show the dock connector of the devices up close, pointing out that it in fact does have 8 pins and likely a ninth in the surrounding metal enclosure. The next generation iPhone 5 and the iPad Mini are both expected to be announced in the second week of September, likely the 12th and will be accompanied by the public release of iOS 6.

{via MacRumors}

Apple released the Smart Cover with the iPad 2 early last year and since then the cover has become a model for numerous third party accessory makers who have developed their own versions. However, according to a patent application put out by the United States Patent & Trademark Office, it appears that Apple is looking to take the technology in the Smart Cover one step further.

Since then publicizing of the patent, speculation on the web suggests that a new Smart Cover with a flexible AMOLED display, and even solar panels and a keyboard may be part of Apple’s upgrade to the cover. The touchscreen display on the cover is expected to display information such as emails, messages, and calendar events.The patent suggests that the inner cover would double as a keyboard and could house other technology such as a solar panel and the outer edge would have the ability to control other media such as music with pause and play controls.

According to Apple’s explanation in the patent, the Multi-Touch display in the cover “greatly enhances the overall functionality of the tablet device”. Considering that the current Smart Cover connects to the iPad via magnets, the Smart Cover in the patent would likely have to have some form of inductive charging to power the display and pull up information.

The patent lists the inventor of the tech as Fletcher Rothkopf, currently a product manager at Apple but has also dealt with design and iPod engineering. With this new Smart Cover, Apple can very well revolutionize what cases can do on a device and instead of being just a protective covering and an afterthought, can actually assist in the functionality of the device itself.

{via 9to5Mac}

Apple’s next generation iPhone 5  is expected to be releases later this fall and numerous news reports and images spreading across the web suggest that the announcement is imminent.

On Monday, a report from AppleInsider speculated that Apple is in fact already working on accessories for the upcoming iPhone 5 release. The report mentions that the first case is likely a Bumper case, which was introduced with the iPhone 4 and would likely be adjusted to fit the larger 4 inch screen of the next gen iPhone.

However, the second case is reportedly a new and different design and is said to have “major impact on the accessory market.”. iLounge reported that while the case would disrupt third party case makers, the design would not be “hugely surprising”. Further speculation suggests there may even be a kickstand included in the case, as seen in some third party cases available for the iPhone 4S.

Early Monday, a report from iMore suggested that Apple’s sixth generation iPhone, as well as the rumored iPad Mini and perhaps even a new 5th gen iPod touch would be announced on September 12th. Apple announced availability of the Bumper case on the same day as the iPhone release, and released the Smart Cover on the release day of the iPad 2, so it is very likely that this iPhone 5 release would follow suit.

The next generation iPhone, being called the “iPhone 5” is expected to sport a larger 4 inch display, a smaller dock connector, as well as other minor changes including placement of headphone jack and FaceTime camera. The iPhone 5 is expected to be released alongside the public release of iOS 6.

The release date of iPhone 5 and iPad Mini has been the cause of speculation for several months now. Multiple news sources and rumor sites have found images, mockups, and even parts of iPhone 5 and iPad mini. According to a report from iMore, Apple’s next generation iPhone 5, new iPod nano, and all new 7.85 inch iPad mini are all going to be announced during special media event on September 12th.

The iPad mini will be announced at the same September 12 event, as will the new iPod nano. We haven’t heard a release date for the iPad mini yet, but it could be the same as the iPhone 5. It seems likely the new iPod touch will make an appearance on September 12 as well, though we haven’t heard any specific information about that yet either.

The report also mentions that following the announcement on the 12th, Apple will likely release the iPhone 5 for sale on September 21st. Apple announced the iPhone 4S on October 4th last year, and released it on October 14th leading to speculation that the company may do the same again and release the iPhone a couple of weeks after announcement.

Although in reports, the next generation iPhone is referred to as “iPhone 5”, it is also very likely that Apple will simply call it “the new iPhone”, much like “the new iPad”, released several months ago. The report also notes that the 7.85” iPad and even iPod touch 5th gen is slated for announcement that day, although details on the 5th gen iPod touch are not confirmed. The iPad mini was entirely rumor based initially, a number of credible reports from NYTimes and WSJ have essentially suggested that there is indeed such a device in existence.

The sixth generation iPhone is expected to have a taller 4-inch screen, high speed LTE networking, a smaller dock connector and unibody construction. iMore has a proven track record with release dates, correctly reporting the launch date for the iPad 3 and the pre-order date for the iPhone 4S.

{via MacRumors}

Apple’s next generation iPhone 5 has been the target of intense speculation over the past several months, however no solid evidence that an iPhone 5 even existed was available. But, over the past several weeks, parts of what appears to be a next gen iPhone 5 have appeared in images and videos across the web. The parts and rumors suggest that Apple’s new iPhone will have a taller screen, a smaller dock connector, and several other design changes.

On Sunday, Japanese site iLab posted images, released by CydiaBlog, of a fully assembled iPhone 5 hardware, in line with rumors of the new design. The site alleges that these photos are of the next generation iPhone, expected for release during September. Cydiablog offered their thoughts on the images with the following:

The leaked parts shows the bigger screen, different internals (such as a new flex cable holding the Home button in place), and the camera modules (front and rear). The camera module cutout looks to be larger, there is an enhanced version of speaker and microphone configuration at the bottom, new smaller dock connector (instead of 30-pin Dock Connector, 16-pin connector could be introduced). Another notable design change in the new iPhone front panel shows the FaceTime camera has been moved to a centered position above the earpiece speaker (it is currently to left of the earpiece in iPhone 4S and iPhone 4).

The images appear to confirm that the next generation iPhone would have a unibody back plate, unlike the current iPhone 4S which houses the internals in between two pieces of tempered glass as well as a screen with a higher length and same width. The next generation iPhone is expected to be released later this fall, alongside the public release of iOS 6.

Do you think this could be the next gen iPhone? Do you like the overall design? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

{via MacRumors}

Apple’s next generation iPhone 5 has been the source of intense speculation and the driving force of the rumor mill. On Friday, the rumors continued following a report from The Verge, after the site acquired images of what appears to be an iPhone protoype. The images were cited in a court document in Apple’s extensive court battle with Samsung.

The images show an iPhone prototype with a taller screen, smaller dock connector, and two-toned back plate, the same design details revealed several weeks ago. The image (above) on the right is the image acquired by the publication and shows the prototype, while the one on the left is a mockup from design firm BlackPool Creative, which created the model based purely on rumors and leaked parts.

The leaked parts were first seen in a video from mobile parts seller E-Trade Supply, which showed the new iPhone 5 backplate next to a current iPhone 4S.

Apple’s latest design, based on rumors and leaked parts appears to combine a number of design aspects from previous generations of iPhone, including the metal backing from the original iPhone and the flat form factor from the 4 and 4S.

Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 5 sometime during the September timeframe alongside the public version of iOS 6 as well as an iPad Mini and a tweaked iPad.

{via MacRumors}

Apple’s next generation iPhone, being called the ‘iPhone 5′ has been rumored to be in the works. In recent weeks, parts of what appears to be the next generation iPhone 5 have appeared online, including a metal back cover which seemed to justify rumors that the next iPhone will have a larger screen and a smaller dock connector.

On Thursday, a report from Reuters mentioned that Chinese vendors have begun to take orders for an ‘iPhone 5’, parts of which may be created entire from speculation with no specs or announcements from Apple.

Sellers on Taobao, a unit of Alibaba Group, are accepting orders for the iPhone 5, in some cases asking for a deposit of 1,000 yuan ($160) for the new phone. One seller, “Dahai99888″, who started accepting pre-orders this week, is asking for full payment upfront, at a cool 6,999 yuan ($1,100).

Taobao sellers that Reuters spoke with said they planned to buy the iPhone 5 in Hong Kong or the United States and then bring it to mainland China. Apple products are often available in Hong Kong before they are released on the mainland.

Chinese vendors often create models, and prototype devices based on rumors on the web of what an upcoming Apple product may look like. The report also focuses on similar vendors selling cases for the purported ‘iPhone 5’, which may also have been created based on speculation. Case vendors have been wrong in the past about iPhone’s design, more specifically the rumored tapered design.

Images of the claimed next generation iPhone 5 posted by KitGuru show iPhone design consistent with rumors on the web, including the elongated body, smaller dock connector, new speaker grill, and a headphone jack located at the bottom. Although the photos may appear to be genuine, the rough and unfinished body of the device, as well as the absence of an LCD display show that this may, in fact be a physical mockup based on previous rumors. KitGuru did not specify as to where the images came from, but mentioned that it was seen “in the Far East”.

Numerous parts for the upcoming iPhone 5 have been found, but it is unclear whether many of these claims are genuine, especially when considering that some Chinese vendors and casemakers have been wrong in the past. Apple’s next generation iPhone is expected to be released in October, along with the rumored iPad Mini and the final version of iOS 6.

{via MacRumors}

Apple’s iPad is one of the leading tablet computers out on the market, and rumors in recent months have suggested that the Cupertino, Calif., company is planning to unveil a smaller “iPad Mini” to take on 7” tablets from other competitors such as Google and Samsung. Gotta Be Mobile has posted images of a physical model of what the iPad Mini may look like. The model looks to be similar in size to the rumored 7.85” display and sports the new smaller dock connector previously seen on leaked parts of the next generation iPhone 5.

The model is not made of materials that would likely appear in the final device, however, it does appear to be a case mold and shows the shape of the rumored device. It is unclear whether this could point to a finalized shape and size, but that could be subject to change based on Apple’s decisions on screen size and technology inside. Case designs are normally accurate but can also provide misleading information as cases can be made entirely off of speculation and based on rumors being reported on the web.

Image Credit: Gotta Be Mobile

The report mentions that in a measure of pixel count from the model, the iPad Mini will be approximately 213 mm by 143 mm, slightly thinner than the full size 9.7 inch iPad which comes in at 185.67mm wide, 241.3mm tall, and 9.39mm thick.

Google’s Nexus 7 tablet has a width of 120mm which means that the iPad Mini, if our calculations are close, might be around 23.67mm wider than the Nexus 7. The Nexus 7 tablet measures in at 198.5mm high which means that the iPad Mini may be a little taller than Google’s 7-inch tablet.

If rumors about iPad Mini turn out to be true then we could expect the release date to be around October timeframe same as the next generation iPhone 5 and the public release of iOS 6.

{via MacRumors}

Apple Inc. (AAPL) MacBook Pro model has been around for quite some time now, serving as the perfect combo between a consumer and pro product, in accordance to the vision of late CEO and Chairman of Apple, Steve Jobs. AAPL introduced MacBook Pro in 2006, and replaced the Powerbook G4, launching the Cupertino company into a wave of success for many years to come.

In recent weeks, rumors have been floating around the web that suggest Apple is going to drastically redesign the MacBook Pro and introduce a design very similar to that of the MacBook Air.

On Monday, Ming-Chi Kuo with KGI Securities, predicted that Apple may discontinue the 17 inch MacBook Pro indefinitely. Kuo noted that declining shipments from Apple were the main cause of speculation. It is very likely that Apple may discontinue the high end Pro, possibly because of the high price tag, and the company’s obsession with making their products thinner and lighter.

Kuo has a solid track record, previously indicating the discontinuation of the 13.3 inch polycarbonate MacBook, which was phased out of Apple’s product line and educational offerings last July. Apple’s redesign of the MacBook Pro, and discontinuation of the 17 inch model shows Apple’s dedication to simplify their product lineup and keeping the original vision for their products, making them more portable without sacrificing usability.

{via AppleInsider}

On Thursday, a report from The Houston Chronicle noted that Apple’s Highland Village retail store will be opening on Friday, March 16. The store was originally scheduled to open on Saturday, March 17th, but was mysteriously bumped back a day to the Friday. This has lead to speculation that Apple is looking to have the store open for iPad 3 release date.

Apple’s iPad 3 keynote event is scheduled for March 7th, and will likely release the third-gen iPad in the following week as the company did with the iPad 2. In order to accommodate the long lines and large influx of customers, Apple’s new Highland Village Store will allow for better management of iPad 3 distribution and less traffic in Apple’s seven other retail locations in Houston.

The store, located in the Highland Village Shopping center at Westheimer and Drexel , was originally supposed to open in January, according to the source, but was delayed. March 17 was originally set as the new opening date, but the source said it was moved to the 16th a few weeks ago.

Apple’s Grand Openings typically take place on Saturdays, but may be moved to other days of the week to recognize special events or announcements. The March 16th opening would allow Apple exactly nine days following the announcement to ship the iPad 3’s to retail stores across the U.S.

Apple has does this in the past with the iPad 2, releasing the device on March 2nd and releasing it in stores at 5:00PM local time on March 11th. The Highland Village store is one of the few stores to adopt the same prototype design of the Upper West Side store in New York City. The Highland Village store is going to have the same glass-roof, front and back entrances, and tall brick wall above the glass. The store will be the first of Houston’s seven retail stores to be located outside of a shopping mall.

Apple recently sent out media invitations for iPad 3 keynote event scheduled for March 7th. The invite was an image of an iPad in use, with the line, “We have something you really have to see. And touch.” Much speculation has now developed off the invite, with a number of reports suggesting that the iPad depicted on the invitation is the iPad 3 itself. The iPad screen on the invitation appears to be of much higher resolution than other invites and press images in the past.

A number of blogs, including Gizmodo, put the invitation side by side to an image of the iPad 2 and zoomed in to view pixels on both. The iPad 3 invite appeared to be more vibrant, contain more pixels, and look very similar to a Retina Display. Apple’s use of the words, “we have something you really have to see”, may hint at the fact the the screen is of higher resolution.

The report also speculated on the possibility of Apple scrapping the home button, in an effort to make the iPad screen virtually free of buttons, and to highlight the pinch to close app feature introduced with iOS 4.3. Rumors of a home-button free iPad came after many users noticed that the iPad being used in the invitation appeared to be clean, with no home button present.

With rough measurements of photos, it was determined that the iPad may in fact arrive with no home button. Apple has a record of releasing hints about an upcoming product or event through its invitations, with details ranging from an app icon, or even the design of the invitation. Apple’s iPad 3 event is scheduled to be held on March 7th at the Yerba Buena Arts Center in San Francisco. The event will kick off at 10:00AM PT/1:00PM ET. Stay tuned, we’ll keep you updated.

Are you excited about the iPad 3? Is the Retina Display or lack of home button reason for you to upgrade? Sound off in the comments below.

As iPad 3 release date announcement nears rumors about technical specification of the third-gen iPad continue to pour in. Apple on Tuesday sent invites to the media for iPad 3 keynote event which is scheduled to be held on March 7th, at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.

According to a tweet posted by CNBC Apple’s iPad 3 tech specs would include a quad-core processor and 4G LTE network capability. The tweet mentioned that the keynote event would be held in New York which turned out to be false as Apple has already confirmed the venue of the event.

Rumors surrounding iPad 3 tech specs have been circulating the web since a long time and most reports and speculation seem to agree on the fact that the third-generation iPad will feature a faster processor with enhanced graphics. While most reports suggest it will be a quad-core processor, an A5X SoC image has been leaked which suggests that Apple could be looking at introducing minor changes to its custom-built processor. The company is known to be working on A6 and A5X simultaneously so it will be interesting to see the official iPad 3 specification once the device is unveiled on March 7th.

In addition to a faster processor many rumors suggest Apple will finally introduce 4G LTE networking on iOS devices with the iPad 3. Apple has not shown much excitement when it comes 4G or LTE networks as the company believes that it could cause serious strain on the battery.

iPad 3 is also rumored to have a slightly thicker back panel to accommodate larger battery so it’s highly possible that with improved battery life Apple could bring 4G LTE to the iPad.

In addition to these tech specs, iPad 3 is expected to have retina display with a resolution of 2,048 by 1,536 pixels and a much improved rear-facing camera.

Apple’s next gen iPad rumored to be called “iPad 3″ is expected to receive a 2048×1536 Retina display, a quad-core A6 system-on-a-chip, and possibly 4G LTE networking. Apple is consistently changing product cycle for the announcement of their next generation products, which was seen during the release of the iPhone 4S and the iPod refresh in 2011.

There have been many conflicting reports as to whether Apple will be retaining the current Apple A5 SoC, or switching to Quad Core A6 chip, which is almost double the power and would be able to handle a significant amount of usage and provide more RAM for applications.

Another interesting move by Apple could be 4G LTE networking, which is most notably available on Verizon and AT&T’s networks, which would allow the iPad to surf, download and upload at significantly faster than the current 3G speeds. However, many reports also deny that Apple will make the change to 4G LTE, with the high speed network still being in infancy and still being tested. It would be very un-Apple like to move to 4G LTE, which is a very risky move as it hasn’t been available for too long, making it very likely that Apple won’t be moving to LTE networks until the iPhone 5 at least.

As for the iPad 3’s cameras, rumors from iLounge suggest that Apple is looking to include a 5 or 8 megapixel rear camera and a FaceTime HD front camera. While the 5 megapixel camera seems more realistic for the iPad 3, an HD FaceTime camera seems unlikely.

Speculations of hardware additions for the iPad 3 have been circulating over the past few weeks, suggesting that the device is around the corner. Expect more rumors to surface in the coming weeks and around the first week of March.

CNET on Wednesday reported that Verizon is looking to make 4G LTE compatibility a requirement on all smartphones released in the future. Verizon’s 4G LTE provides faster data speeds and would be a major step up from 2G and 3G speeds currently operating on many smartphones.

This report has led to speculations about Apple releasing a 4G LTE compatible iPhone 5 in order to comply with Verizon’s network standards. Verizon’s proposal of “a hard requirement” to make all phones 4G LTE does have some exceptions, with the company noting that their Push to Talk network will remain operating on 3G speeds until further notice.

From now on, nearly every smartphone, wireless hot spot, tablet, and Netbook that Verizon offers will come with LTE guns a-blazing. Yes, Virginia, that includes Windows Phone and BlackBerry devices, too.

There will be the occasional exception, however. For instance, phones on Verizon’s push-to-talk network are 3G-only for now, and will remain that way until further notice.

Verizon’s clear, unyielding stance on 4G–“a hard requirement,” according to Verizon–may partially explain why it has picked up only one Windows Phone so far.

The report also goes on to mention that Verizon is leading the market with deployment of 4G LTE, with over 200 million people in 190 markets. Verizon plans to complete its LTE roll out by late next year, and is now pushing its slow roll-out by forcing users to 4G LTE enabled smartphones. AT&T has also announced plans for a 4G LTE network but has not set any specific goals for smartphone plans and accessibility’s with the network.

By late 2013, 4G LTE may become the standard on many US carriers including Verizon, AT&T and Sprint, making 3G the current 2G. As smartphones demand more speed and reliability, 4G LTE is definitely the next big step in cellular data.

{via MacRumors}

Rumors of Apple’s iPad 3 have been on the web since earlier this year, as early as the day that Apple announced the iPad 2, however, very little has been revealed about the 3rd generation device until now. On Friday, an image on a Korean forum depicted what appeared to be two displays, one claimed to be from the current iPad 2 and the other, the next generation iPad 3. The image on top is believed to be from the iPad 2 and the bottom from the iPad 3.

Both are 9.7″ in diagonal, although, the bottom screen has a different configuration for the attached cabling, leading speculators to believe that it is entirely for a new device. The current iPad 2 contains 3 brown cables from the screen to the circuit board, where as the iPad 3 display contains 3 wide ribbon cables that might be used for data. The new iPad 3 is also expected to include a higher resolution screen of 2048×1536, roughly 3 times the number of pixels in the current generation iPad.

The iPad 2 was rumored to support the Retina Display, however in order to preserve the 10 hour battery life and keep the costs low Apple did not include the high resolution screen. The leaked photo is the best source of speculation out there at this point, with very little to no evidence of an existing iPad 3.

Rumors also suggest that Apple is switching to a new type of display from a company named IGZO, which allows higher resolutions without sacrificing battery life. The iPad 3 is expected to be released during the first half of 2012, although recent reports also suggest a Fall 2012 time frame.

{via MacRumors}

Rumors of Apple’s iPad 3 have been swirling for quite some time now, from speculations on design, camera improvements, and performance boosts from an A6 chip. However, on Monday, an image published by 9to5Mac showed what was claimed to be two iPad home buttons. One was that of the current iPad 2, and the other was claimed to be that of an iPad 3, expected for release early next year.

The ‘iPad 3’ home button is visibly smaller than that of the iPad 2 and highlights a smaller icon on the face. While this may be a small cosmetic tweak by Apple, it is very likely that Apple may be looking to do away with the home button altogether or may be planning a smaller bezel of some sorts. Rumors of a 7” iPad also emerged this past weekend, and it could be in connection with these images.

Steve Jobs, prior to his resigning from CEO out rightly stated that a 7” iPad is too small, and 10” is the standard for a comfortable experience. If Apple is going to minimize the iPad in some form, the home button is definitely a great indication to gauge future screen and bezel sizes. The iPad 3 is expected to be announced sometime early next year, between the months of February and April, much like the announcement of the original iPad an iPad 2.

What do you think this means? Would you be interested in purchasing a 7” iPad?

{via MacRumors}

As WWDC 2010 gets closer more and more details about Apple’s next iPhone 4G / HD are being uncovered.

Today SuperPhone.cz claimed that they had obtained the next iPhone 4G / HD  screen parts and examined it under a microscope to find out the exact screen resolution. They confirmed that new iPhone 4G / HD features a 960×640 screen resolution and supports an IPS panel. This new screen resolution quadruples the total number of pixels when compared to iPhone 3GS and would make rescaling the apps which you have already purchased an easy task.

These claims certainly seem to be a good proof however, we would still need to wait for the official confirmation on June 7.

Earlier this week we reported on rumors about Apple introducing new iPhone 4G / HD in white and black color options. A Taiwanese website had managed to get hold of spare parts of the iPhone 4G prototype and published images of the white color front panel of the new iPhone.

There have many reports which state that the fourth gen iPhone leak by Gizmodo has proved to be a major loss for Apple in terms of iPhone 3GS sales however, it is worth noting that almost every year around WWDC speculation about Apple’s new products and services reach a new high. So, the actual impact of fourth gen iPhone leak would probably have little or no impact on actual sales. Any person who follows or has studied Apple’s yearly product timelines would wait for the Worldwide Developers Conference official announcements. When David Pogue questioned Phil Schiller about Apple’s withdrawal from Macworld Expo in 2009 he noted:

He noted that Apple marches to certain annual product cycles: the holiday season (Novemberish), the educational buying season (late summer), the iPod product cycle (October), the iLife development cycle (usually March), the iPhone cycle (June).

We have seen many fancy concept pictures of Apple products in the past but this time the details about iPhone 4G are clearly perceptible. Italian website iSpazio recently published their concept pictures of the white color iPhone 4G (or HD) and it certainly looks stunning.

Do you like the white color iPhone HD or would you like to see more color options? Let us know in the comments section.

White iPhone HD (Concept Pictures)