Thursday, June 2, 2011

Apple : Updated: iOS 5 rumours: what you need to know

Apple : Updated: iOS 5 rumours: what you need to know

Updated: iOS 5 rumours: what you need to know

Posted: 02 Jun 2011 01:59 AM PDT

We're expecting big things from Apple this year: the iPhone 5 is imminent, some rumours suggest we'll see the iPad 3 as early as this autumn and there's a new version of iOS, iOS 5, in development.

On 31 May 2011, Apple confirmed that it will be showing iOS 5 at WWDC 2011.

So what can we expect from the next generation of Apple's mobile OS? Let's ask the internet.

iOS 5.0 release date isn't until September...

iOS has been around long enough for a pattern to emerge: a springtime reveal and then a summertime launch with the latest iPhone. Not this time, Techcrunch says: while iOS 5 is likely to be shown off at the WWDC event in June, the iOS 5.0 release date will probably be in September.

...or maybe April

According to "trusted sources", a German blog claimed that iOS 5.0 would be released at an Apple event in April. Apple had better get a move on, then.

iOS 5 now looks as though it's being tested in the wild. On 1 May 2011, 9to5 Mac said that it had received word from developers who found that their apps are being tested with iOS 5. And earlier, on 27 April 2011, a tweet from app developer Future Tap said "Just received the first iOS 5.0 crash report. MKUserLocationBreadCrumb sounds interesting."

...and iOS 5.0 might not be on the iPhone 5

There are two possibilities here: either Apple is ripping up its existing annual schedule and keeping the iPhone 5 back until the Autumn too, in which case the iPhone 5 will be an iOS 5.0 device, or Apple is sticking to its annual release and we'll see an iPhone 5.0 in the summer without iOS 5.0. Our money's on the former: the superbly well-connected Jim Dalrymple says this year's WWDC is a software show, not a hardware event.

iOS 5.0 specifications include better notifications

iOS's notification system for SMSes, missed calls and app messages is rubbish, but Cult of Mac reports that good news is coming in iOS 5.0: Apple is "working on a new notification system for iOS and will be buying a small company to build its technology into the operating system" - likely candidates include App Remix, whose Boxcar does what iOS doesn't.

Boxcar

NEW NOTIFICATIONS: Rumours suggest Apple's buying App Remix to boost iOS's notification system

iOS 5.0 features include cloud music and photo sharing

Amazon's already launched its cloud-based music service, but Apple's offering is more ambitious than a few gigs of server space: 9to5 Mac says there's a photo-based social service called Photo Stream in the Photos app and the much-rumoured, cloud-based iTunes service is likely to turn up alongside a revamped MobileMe.

Could iOS 5.0 also include Spaces

A patent filed by Apple suggests that iOS 5 will see 'Spaces' come to the iPad. The patent application shows a touchscreen device with Spaces controlled by multi-touch gestures, which hints at the gesture control that is only available to devs in iOS 4.3 becoming standard.

iOS 5.0 features include beefed-up speech recognition

iOS's voice recognition lags far behind Android's, but that might change with the release of iOS 5.0: according to analysts at Soleil Securities, " Apple's IOS 5.0 for the next-generation iPhone will likely feature deep voice control into the operating system and likely be demonstrated in June. We believe that Apple's partner for the underlying voice recognition technology is Nuance".

Nuance

SPEAK AND SPELL: Apple and Nuance are reportedly beefing up iOS's speech recognition features

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Updated: iCloud: 10 things we want to see

Posted: 02 Jun 2011 01:50 AM PDT

Although it's been rumoured for years that Apple will somehow finally fully embrace the cloud, it's only lately that it feels Cupertino's moving in the right direction.

Apple's rumoured to have splashed out $4.5 million on the iCloud.com domain, is said to be striking deals with a number of record labels (in stark contrast to the gung-ho approach taken by Google and Amazon for their respective cloud-based music services) and has even posted a job advert for a 'Media Streaming Engineering Manager'.

And on 31 May 2011, Apple confirmed that it would be unveiling iCloud, "Apple's upcoming cloud services offering", at WWDC 2011.

Latest rumours also suggest that iCloud could be free to Mac OS X Lion users.

Here's what we want to see from Apple when it unleashes iCloud later this year.

1. Cross-device support

Apple's often championed for its integrated approach. Apple kit isn't perfect, but it generally works well with other Apple kit, software and services. Therefore, when Apple's iCloud ambitions are revealed, we'd like them to work with Macs and iOS devices, offering similar features to all (although we're not crazy enough to hope anything running less than the latest versions of Mac OS X or iOS will be supported).

2. iOS data back-up/restore

Cloud services could be the means to detach iOS devices from PCs and Macs, finally making iPhones, iPods and iPads truly standalone units. You'd be able to store data in the cloud and access it from a range of apps.

Apple should also back-up and enable you to restore iOS app data. It's absurd that when you delete an app or a game, your data and progress is gone for good - you should be able to optionally reinstate these things on an app reinstall.

iPad

GET IT BACK: Delete an app and your data disappears. With cloud-based data restore, this needn't happen in future

3. Music locker

Apple's iOS devices are hardly known for their generous storage, and now Macs are going the same way, embracing SSD. If you've tons of music, chances are your iTunes library is the biggest folder on your Mac, and you can't fit much of your music on your iPhone. But if Apple can figure out what music you own and enable cloud-based access to it via iCloud, problem solved.

4. Label participation

Of course, any major shifts in how Apple deals with music will need label backing. Rumours suggest Apple's in talks with the 'big four', which should give Apple more options than its rivals. It remains to be seen whether labels would allow playback of content not purchased through iTunes, but remember when DRM was removed and iTunes enabled you to 'upgrade' your tracks for a small cost? Perhaps Apple could do the same again with iCloud - a few pence to enable you to play a track from the cloud.

5. Music streaming

For people who don't really want to buy music but still enjoy listening to it, Spotify's more appealing than iTunes. While Spotify is still struggling to expand into the USA, Apple already has worldwide presence and ongoing discussions with labels. Perhaps another string to its music bow will be a streaming subscription service to complement a music locker.

6. Movie and TV streaming

Historically, the movie industry has been even more bone-headed than music labels when it comes to new technology. Therefore, we're not holding our breath about Apple announcing movie and TV-show streaming through its iCloud services, but this would be great to have, again dealing with storage issues on iOS devices and SSD-equipped Macs.

7. Fast media playback

One problem with cloud-based media playback is speed - too often, you have to wait while files buffer. Rumours suggest http://www.techradar.com/news/computing/apple/apple-music-streaming-to-be-sped-up-by-local-storage--957549 Apple might deal with this problem by storing small portions of files locally on your device. Playback would start locally and then sync with a downloaded file, reducing caching problems.

8. Improved existing services

Apple's been pretty bad at unveiling new online services and letting them die a long, lingering death. We like the concepts behind the likes of iWork.com, Ping and Game Center, but the execution in all of them is lacking; a new iCloud offering would be a great excuse to beef up and integrate these services.

Game center

NEW AND IMPROVED: Unveiling new cloud services gives Apple a good excuse to improve mediocre existing offerings

9. Document storage

When using iOS devices, moving documents between them is a pain. Even worse, if you want to move something between your Mac/PC and an iOS device, you have to use email or hideous iTunes File Sharing.

Many apps now get around such problems by using Dropbox for storage, but Apple doesn't control this and it's not fully integrated. It'd therefore be great to see Apple provide a service of the same quality in iCloud. (Sorry, iDisk - you just don't cut it.)

10. Optional sync/merge

Finally, if Apple offers even a fraction of these things with iCloud, it must enable users to more easily manage their computers and devices, along with the information on them.

You should be able to easily sync and merge app collections, music, movies and documents. Using iOS devices and Macs is typically simple and intuitive; Apple must bring similar thinking to the complexities of document and media management across a number of devices and computers.

Updated: iPhone 5 rumours: what you need to know

Posted: 02 Jun 2011 01:48 AM PDT

iPhone 5 (or the iPhone 5G, as some are calling it) rumours are flying thick and fast already.

Will the 5th generation iPhone deliver ultra-fast mobile internet? What other specs will it feature?

Let's raid the iPhone 5 rumour fridge to find the tomatoes of truth amid the stinky stilton of baseless speculation.

But first, our colleagues on T3.com have rounded up the latest rumours in the iPhone 5 video below.

iPhone 5 release date

The Apple Worldwide Developers' Conference 2011 date has been announced as 6 June 2011, so it's possible we'll see the iPhone 5 break cover there. However, Jim Dalrymple at The Loop says that this year's WWDC will be about software, not hardware, with Apple focussing on iOS and Mac OS.

This fits with Apple's established rhythm of iPhone releases, with new models appearing in late June or early July each year. So it's a safe bet that the iPhone 5 release date (UK and US) will also be late June or early July.

The usual July release date was mentioned by Engadget's source too in January 2011 - meaning the standard release cycle looks set to continue.

A new report from China later stated that Q3 (which still includes July) is now the earliest we will see the iPhone 5, after the disaster in Japan pushed back supply of key components.

On 20 April 2011, it emerged that the iPhone 5 release date may now be September 2011 rather than June/July. This date was cited by three sources who spoke to Reuters.

On 17 May, we reported that Phones4U outed the iPhone 5 release date as 21 November 2011. We're not sure how Phones4U would know the release date at this stage, though, so take this particular snippet of information with a pinch of salt.

iPhone 5 form factor

The Wall Street Journal reported that: "Apple is also developing a new iPhone model, said people briefed on the phone. One person familiar said the fifth-generation iPhone would be a different form factor than those that are currently available… it was unclear how soon that version would be available to Verizon or other carriers."

This has since been backed up by reports from Engadget, which state the design will be a 'total rethink'.

Of course, since the iPhone 3G was followed by the 3GS it's possible the new iPhone won't be a total refresh and we'll see an iPhone 4S (or iPhone 4GS) before an iPhone 5.

An iPhone 4S looked more likely on 16 May 2011 after analyst Peter Misek wrote: "According to our industry checks, the device should be called iPhone 4S and include minor cosmetic changes, better cameras, A5 dual-core processor, and HSPA+ support."

However, earlier reports from China backed up the larger-screened, metal chassis-sporting iPhone 5 rumours, so the redesign still seems firmly on the cards.

On 22 March 2011, China Times also reported that the iPhone 5 will feature a 4-inch display.

A rumour we covered on 7 March 2011 suggests that the new iPhone will do away with the glass back and opt instead for a metal back which will act as a new iPhone antenna.

And an Apple patent that we reported on on 7 April 2011 suggests that we could see the bezel put to good use on the new iPhone. The patent describes how visual indicators and touch-sensitive buttons could be incorporated to the space around the iPhone screen.

Rumours that we covered on 3 May 2011, suggest that there may even be two versions of the new iPhone: a 'standard' iPhone 5 and an iPhone 5 'pro'. Apparently, Apple is buying in components of differing quality, and those parts wouldn't be required for a single phone.

A cheaper, smaller iPhone 5 - an iPhone nano

A prototype version of a smaller iPhone is said to exist, built to ward off competition from cheap Android handsets.

Rumours around an iPhone nano picked up again on 13 February when the Wall Street Journal claimed that the so-called 'iPhone nano' exists and may even be on sale later this year.

Those iPhone nano rumours may hold little truth, though. As we reported on 18 February, the New York Times cites an anonymous source who says there will be no smaller iPhone from Apple. "The size of the device would not vary," says the source.

A white iPhone 5

The Economic Daily News is reporting that white iPhone 5 glass is being shipped, with a supplier called Wintek being the sole touch panel vendor for the white iPhone.

iPhone 5 specs

According to the Chinese Economic Daily News (via AppleInsider), with the exception of Qualcomm chipsets - which would replace the current Infineon chipsets in the iPhone 4 - Apple's sticking with the same suppliers for the 2011 iPhone 5G components.

We'd expect the basics of the iPhone 5 specs to get a bump - more memory, faster processor, and more storage.

The specs? A new antenna, 1.2GHz processor (possibly dual-core) and a larger screen: 3.7" instead of 3.5". The iPhone 5 may also be made from a new kind of alloy, or maybe meat.

In other rumours which surfaced on 15 February 2011, Digitimes is reporting on information supposedly leaked from component suppliers that claim the iPhone 5 will feature a larger, 4-inch screen. Digitimes quotes the source as saying that Apple is expanding the screen size "to support the tablet PC market as the vendor only has a 9.7-inch iPad in the market."

On 23 May, we reported on rumours that the iPhone 5 could feature a curved glass screen. These rumours also came from Digitimes, which said that Apple has purchased between 200 and 300 special glass cutting machines because they're too costly for the manufacturers to invest in.

We're also hearing word of a multi-core design, in keeping with the rest of the mobile world, as Apple looks to improve both battery life and performance.

The iPhone 5 will also get a massive graphical boost as it moves to a dual-core GPU - this could herald true 1080p output from the new device, according to our news story on 18 January.

UPDATE: On 10 March 2011 it emerged that the A5 chip, found in the new iPad 2, looks to be headed to the iPhone 5, bringing enhanced functionality and dual-core power.

iPhone 5 digital wallet

There's been some speculation that Apple might include Near Field Communication (NFC) technology in the iPhone 5G, turning it into a kind of credit/debit card. However, as Techeye.net notes, "Apple has looked into NFC before" so this might not be imminent.

However, with the tech being inside the Google Nexus S, the time for NFC may finally be here.

UPDATE: On 24 February 2011, we reported that an Apple patent has revealed an e-wallet icon on the iPhone homescreen. This adds credence to the rumour that iPhone 5 will feature NFC.

However, on 14 March 2011, reports in The Independent cited sources from 'several of the largest mobile operators in the UK', who said that Apple told them not to expect NFC in the iPhone 5. So perhaps we'll have to wait for iPhone 6 for that.

But who to believe? On 22 March 2011 China Times reported that the new iPhone will include an NFC chip.

LTE support

At least one analyst thinks the iPhone 5 will support LTE, super-fast mobile broadband, in the US. That would make the iPhone 5G a 4G phone, which won't be confusing at all. LTE is certainly coming - AT&T plans to roll out its LTE service in 2011 - but an LTE iPhone has been rumoured for a while. USA Today floated the idea of an LTE iPhone on Verizon last year.

iPhone 5 camera

Speaking at a live Wall Street Journal event, Sony's Sir Howard Stringer was talking about the company's camera image sensor facility in Sendai, a town that was recently ravaged by the recent Japanese earthquake and tsunami.

According to 9to5Mac, he said something along the lines of, "Our best sensor technology is built in one of the [tsunami] affected factories. Those go to Apple for their iPhones… or iPads. Isn't that something? They buy our best sensors from us."

Other sources have also said that the new iPhone could have an 8MP camera.

iPhone 5 price

If the iPhone 5 is an evolutionary step like the move from the iPhone 3G to the iPhone 3GS then we'd expect the price to stay more or less the same, although in the UK higher VAT rates may well mean a higher price tag.

iPhone 5 pictures

A spurious photo of an iPhone 5 front case has been unearthed by a Chinese reseller, suggesting that the next Apple handset will feature an edge-to-edge display. We're not convinced it's a genuine Apple part, though.

On 17 March 2011, we reported on another supposed set of leaked iPhone 5 cases, this time looking remarkably similarly to iPhone 4 cases.

What do you want to see in the next iPhone? Hit the comments and share your thoughts.

iCloud to be free to Mac OS X Lion users?

Posted: 01 Jun 2011 03:18 PM PDT

Apple could be set to offer certain parts of the new iCloud service free to Mac users who upgrade to OS X 10.7 Lion, according to reports.

The iCloud brand is set to encompass Apple's existing MobileMe service, which includes e-mail and remote file storage as well as the syncing of bookmarks, contacts and the calendar.

AppleInsider sources claim that Cupertino is preparing to offer this portion of iCloud - currently worth $99 a year - to those who buy an "aggressively priced" version of the new Mac OS 10.7 Lion.

The report claims that Lion could be even cheaper than the £26 price-tag of its predecessor. Snow Leopard, especially if purchased from the Mac App Store

No free streaming

iCloud and Lion, as well as iOS 5, will be fully unveiled to a baying public at WWDC on Monday in San Francisco.

The AppleInsider report points out that the music streaming part iCloud brand will not come free with Lion, although their may be an introductory period which enables users to access the service for free.

All will be revealed on Monday.

Source: AppleInsider
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)