Apple is rumored to announce the new iPhone 5S during a special keynote event on September 10. A number of leaks and reports in the recent past provide enough evidence to conclude that the next-gen iPhone will carry the same design as the previous iPhone.

According to a new report published by KGI’s Mingchi Kuo iPhone 5S will feature a new A7 chip. The new chip as the report suggests will be ARMv8 based application processor. This could give boost to the speed and performance to the new device which will run iOS 7 out of the box. In addition to a new processor the new hardware could use an upgraded memory from LPDDR2 to LPDDR3. Even though the RAM will likely remain the same at 1GB it will be speedier.

 Since Apple is in charge of both hardware  and OS design, it is capable of minimalizing memory capacity at an optimized state. Therefore, A7’s RAM will likely be unchanged at 1GB.

In line with recent reports published by various publications Kuo notes that the new iPhone 5S will support a sapphire home button with a fingerprint sensor. When Apple acquired Authentec it was speculated that Apple could use fingerprint sensor technology in future iOS devices. A fingerprint sensor below the home button could provide secure authentication to access the device and even eliminate the need to remember passwords as users could just tap the home button with their finger to log in or unlock the device.

Kuo’s report further suggests that the camera will largely remain unchanged in the new iPhone 5S. While the camera would be same 8 megapixel however, it could feature a larger F2.0 aperture and dual flash lights.

Another interesting prediction in the report is concerning a new color option in addition to black and white. Apple could introduce a gold color casing for the new iPhone 5S. We could also see new storage option for 128GB.

There have been mixed reports about the new gold casing and the new storage option. Apple does offer 128GB iPad so it is possible that the company could be looking at offering a high storage model to satisfy the need of pro users.

Based on these predictions does the new iPhone 5S excite you? Will you be upgrading your phone to iPhone 5S this year? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

{via 9to5Mac}

First Apple bought PA Semi and was then rumored to have purchased Intrinsity. Google recently purchased Agnilux. Now rumors are circulating Apple has it’s eyes on the biggest prize of all, ARM. Various news sites around the Internet, including Engadget and TUAW, are reporting a proposed deal around $8 Billion USD that would see the Cupertino giant acquire one of the biggest prizes in the mobile processor space.

To understand the magnitude of such a deal, you need to understand what purchasing ARM would mean. ARM Holdings, as the company is formally known, designs and manufactures processors and systems on a chip for many of the large companies in the mobile space. It either directly creates or licenses its designs to Microsoft, Nokia, Apple, and a host of other top corporations. ARM processors run the iPhone and iPad as well as the mobile devices of some of Apple’s key competitors.

It’s easy to see then that Apple’s motivation in buying ARM would be twofold. First, they would acquire the largest single manufacturer of mobile processors in the world. They could ensure a long term supply of processors for their iPad, iPhone, and any future mobile device platforms. They would no longer be beholden to an outside organisation for a key component. With the design know-how brought in-house, they could also dictate the design and function of future processors. If there’s anything Apple strives for, it is control over every aspect of the product development process. As TUAW points out in their article:

Last January, Apple COO Tim Cook stated, ‘We believe we need to own and control the primary technologies behind the products we make.’

The second motivation may be a tad bit more Machiavellian. By purchasing ARM, Apple puts itself in control of the fates of the mobile processors of their competition. While they would probably never dare to completely cut off their competition, they would certainly place themselves in a position where Apple benefited the most from the expertise and capabilities of ARM. And of course, they would be happy to make a profit off the backs of Microsoft and Nokia.

What do you think of an Apple-owned ARM? Would they become an unstoppable juggernaut by controlling every aspect of the design and manufacturing process of their devices? Do you think Apple should be allowed to purchase and consolidate a company like ARM? Leave us a comment and let us know.