iPhone 5 will a new form factor, with design concepts ranging from an ergonomically curved display to a sleek teardrop shape. Should Apple adopt one of these design concepts for the iPhone 5, what will its purpose be for the consumer?
When it comes to dreaming about the new form factor for the iPhone 5, there are two sides to that dream: the front and the back. The front of the iPhone 5 is all about a larger screen, and maybe even an edge-to-edge screen, smart bezel, or some other new design concept that would enhance the mobile computing experience. But it is on the rear face of the fabled iPhone 5 that everyone hopes for a new shape.
While many have attempted to create renderings and mock-ups of how the iPhone 5 could look, most of the concepts center on two prevailing rumored shapes: teardrop and curved. The reason why these shape concepts exist is that top rumor sites claimed that Apple was indeed working on chassis (plural) for the iPhone 5 in these shapes. You’ll recall how Digitimes broke the story of Apple investing in 200 to 300 glass cutting machines for the purposes of crafting curved glass displays for an iPhone 5 design that would be similar in shape to the convex Nexus S.
There’s no doubt that a new shape to the iPhone 5 will breathe some renewed excitement into the iPhone franchise, since the iPhone 4 form factor will have been the form factor standard for about 2+ years by the time the new iPhone is released. But aside from the aesthetic shift, what do the curved and teardrop designs do to improve the iPhone 5, if at all?
Curved iPhone 5: Ergonomic
The prevailing logic behind a curved glass, curved body iPhone 5 is ergonomics. First championed by the Nexus S, the idea is that the chassis of the phone wraps around your face slightly, providing for a more comfortable telephonic experience. It remains to be seen, however, how much of a real benefit this feature is to the user. Much like the rise of 3D screens on smartphones, the rationale for an ergonomic, curved glass design has obviously not proven to be valuable enough to see mainstream adoption across the wide range of smartphones on the market today. Yes, a few others have followed suit, but by and large, consumers have not flocked to this sort of design; the iPhone 4/4S, for example, is flat as a board and continues to outsell other smartphones pound for pound.
The other factor to consider with a curved iPhone 5 design is that, if the back is also curved, the phone won’t sit flush on a flat surface. Given the amount of time that smartphones spend docked on a desk or table for charging, users may not appreciate the wobbly effect of a curved back to match the pitch of the curved front.

The "wobble" factor on this teardrop-shaped iPhone 5 would be high.

The Teardrop iPhone 5: I’m Bored to It
Even more unsubstantiated is the proposed “teardrop” iPhone 5 design, which has also made it rounds throughout the iPhone 5 rumor mill. The teardrop design, after all, was the groundbreaking new form factor that shamed iPhone case companies like Case-Mate, Hard Candy, and all of those shyster el cheap-o Chinese case manufacturers bet the farm on with their premature iPhone case ejaculations.
I have scoured the Internet in search of any article, analysis, or other piece of content that explains the purpose of a teardrop-shaped iPhone 5 above and beyond “it looks way cool.” Some renderings of the teardrop design actually show it to be a curved back but flat front. If Apple were to adopt this preposterous design, the iPhone 5 user would end up getting the worst of both worlds: they get a flat front that doesn’t curve with their face, and a wobbly back.
Still others feature a flat back that slopes downward, so that the top of the phone is rounded and thicker than the bottom — a more realistic “teardrop” design as well. In this way, the iPhone 5 wouldn’t wobble when flat, but what kind of benefit could it have to the user? The shape, after all, would seemingly throw iPhone case designers for a loop, since the case would have to be meticulously crafted to stay tightly fastened to the chassis.
The only possible functional purpose for a teardrop design would be if Apple chooses to feature a pico projector. Some have speculated on a tiny projector that could effectively project presentations, videos, photos, and anything else up onto a wall or screen from the top and/or bottom of the phone while sitting on a flat surface. A slanted, pitched screen as a result of the teardrop back could put the touch screen at a better angle for viewing in tandem with the projection.
Another idea I’ve seen related to the pico projector is to make it holographic, allowing the user to project a large virtual keyboard onto any flat surface and type on it. This kind of innovation would substantiate the pitched screen even moreso.
But truth be told, features like these are pipe dreams for right now.
In the end, my guess is that Apple likes the general concept behind the iPhone 4/4S’s form factor. They’re sticking with it. I remain unconvinced that Apple will necessarily feature an asymmetrical curved design just for the sake of aesthetics. they will have to consider functionality as well. But even if the iPhone remains flat, that doesn’t mean that Apple won’t somehow make it cooler.

<< Read Now >>

Apple Targets China as #1 Market for iPhone 5 Release, May Make it 4G

<< Read Now >>

iPhone 5, iTV Set To Take The Television Market By Storm

iTVIf Apple makes good on rumors of an iPhone 5 that universally controls televisions and the fabled iTV, together with the current Apple TV, Cupertino will very quickly become a key player in the television market.

It will be interesting to see what happens with iTV this year. In many ways, the iTV rumors and speculation are not unlike the long-traveled Apple tablet rumors leading up to the iPad. With the iTV, however, there is much less to go on in terms of what it could mean for television viewers. Will it simply be the full hardware version of what Apple TV already provides, or will the iTV experience be more ingenious than that? No one really has a clue, and the rumor mill is truly in the dark as to when the iTV will debut and what it will really be.

In some ways, it could turn out to be a much bigger surprise to Apple enthusiasts than the iPhone 5, which already has a ton of expectations attached to it.

Speaking of the iPhone 5, it too fits into Apple’s possible power move into the world of television. In fact, it could become the new standard in how one controls their television, DVD player, entertainment systems, and even other remote-controlled systems in their homes.

You may have read some stories last week about a curious Apple patent that would enable a handheld device — ostensibly the iPhone and/or iPad — to commandeer any remote-controlled device in your house. And the technological concept behind it is rather audacious. According to Patently Apple:

    “In some embodiments, the remote control may include a camera that is configured to capture an image of controlled devices. The image is then processed to find a state of the device. For example, in some embodiments, the image may be processed to determine shapes and/or characters on a television screen. The shapes and characters may be used to determine that the television is displaying content from a particular source. If you think of it, that translates in-part to reading logos on screen from sources such as ABC, NBC or HBO for instance. Other shapes may relate to Apple-specific functions that patent doesn’t reveal at this time.”

Considering that Apple’s patent would require this “smart” remote control to be equipped with cameras and microphones, the assumption here is that it would not be developed into a separate, proprietary device that would have to be purchased separately. Instead, it would be your iPhone, and the software would utilize its camera and mic to be able to co-opt any remote control out there by matching the shape and brand to a massive database that would reside on iCloud.

For as much as this feature would be handy, the real groundbreaking could come from the iPhone’s ability to “watch” television with you, and somehow offer you choices and functionality based on what the iPhone is seeing. Much like the rumors of the 3D camera patent that could show up on the iPhone 5 that would be able to read and interpret things like depth perception and facial expressions, this television-reading feature would imbue the iPhone 5 with a new level of artificial intelligence that could revolutionize mobile computing.

Ad in this way, I foresee Apple quickly dominating — and changing — the way people watch television.

If rumors prove true about iTV, then we’re already headed toward the marginalization — if not the extinction — of broadcast television. Apple could quickly change the nature of television to become virtually all on-demand; television shows and movies will no longer broadcast at a fixed time, but rather will simply “become available.” All that will be left are sporting events and live news coverage.

But for the remaining segment of the market that will stick to traditional broadcasting, the iPhone 5 could come to dominate that segment as well. If the features of this new “universal remote control” are mind-blowing enough, the iPhone 5 could become a hard-core necessity for television junkies.

Just think: by the end of 2012, apple could have iTV, Apple TV, and the iPhone 5 with this newfangled remote control. that’s a pretty wide-ranging product line for a market segment that they have barely yet to penetrate. It may seem like an audacious move, but don’t put it past Apple.

<< Read Now >>

iPhone Use Almost Equal With Android: Neilsen

Neilsen market share for the iPhoneAs the iPhone 5 release approaches, a new Neilsen survey finds that iPhone usage in the U.S. is now

only 5% behind the entire Android army of smartphones.

Apple detractors have often remarked that Apple’s bark is bigger than its bite; that the buzz surrounding the iPhone is much bigger than

those who actually own an iPhone. Kind of like a controversial book that everyone talks about, but few actually read.

Of course, that supposition is clearly wrong: Apple has gone on to become the richest, most successful business in the world, and they’ve

been on a winning streak for quite some time now. A new Neilsen survey, however, is now quantifying this sense, revealing that the

singular iPhone and its various iterations are nearly even with all of Androidom in the United States.

According to Apple Insider: “sales of Apple’s iPhone accounted for 43 percent of all new smartphone purchases over the past three months,

a 6 percent increase from the period ending in December, while Android’s share fell nearly 4 percent to cover 48 percent of activations.”

That is an astounding reversal of market share.

Neilsen’s other study finds that, over the past three months, Apple has significantly cut into RIM’s market share: while Android has

remained steady, Apple’s market share has bumped up, while RIM has fallen sharply (see the infographic above).

I have commented on this blog several times about how odd it is that we compare the iPhone to Android, as it is really an “apples to

oranges” comparison (no pun intended). How could it ever be fair to compare one device’s sales and popularity to an entire horde of

competing devices? If anything, the iPhone should only be held against it most obvious singular Android competitors, such as the Samsung

Galaxy S series.

And yet, we now see that, in spite of just one iPhone release a year, Apple has managed to pull nearly even with Google’s army of

Androids. Their plan was clearly to expand and conquer, by giving manufacturers the Android OS as a means of always staying ahead of

Apple in features and innovation. But what the Android partners have failed to do is come even remotely close to the quality, reliability, and

buzz that the iPhone franchise enjoys.

It is worth noting, however, that Google still makes a fair share of money from the iPhone, and in this way, it is invested in its success,

hedging its loss in market share. Jonny Evans at Computerworld explains: “Based on data provided by Google as part of a settlement offer

with Oracle, The Guardian asserts that Android devices generated less than $550m in revenues between 2008 and the end of 2011, but,

tellingly, its deal with Apple generated four times as much cash,” thanks to iOS’ use of Maps and Google Search.

This may be yet another reason why I think Apple is quickly and effectively getting into the search business with Siri: don’t be surprised if

over the next few years they look to roll out an alternative to Google Search, as well as Google monetizing products, such as AdWords.

In the meantime, Google will continue to make money on both ends of the smartphone spectrum, as the iPhone edges ever closer to

eclipsing Android.

<< Read Now >>

The Purpose of a 3D Camera On The iPhone 5

iphone 5 with 3d camera and displayA report on an Apple patent filing for 3D camera technology reignites the long standing rumor that the

iPhone 5 could feature a 3D camera in 2012. Is adding 3D camera technology to the iPhone necessary?

The tech media is running with a story this morning about a recent Apple patent registration fr some 3D camera technology. Does this

sound familiar? It is. We’ve been reporting on 3D camera speculation for quite a long time now. Last summer, when all of those purported

iPhone 5 cases with the multiple camera cut-outs were being spotted in Asia, tech bloggers and speculators assumed that they had been

tooled for an iPhone 5 with multiple camera sensors — the necessary layout for a 3D camera-equipped smartphone.

We’ve debated the point of 3D cameras here on the blog. We’ve even talked about whether 3D technology has been properly tested, and

whether it is truly safe for human consumption — particularly if users start viewing 3D media on a daily basis. but if you read our article

from last year about previous 3D camera patents (and their possible pitfalls), you’ll see that 3D technology has been kicking around in the

rumor mill for some time now.

Today’s reports, however, give us a bit of different spin on 3D cameras, and what they could mean for the iPhone 5.

IBT reports that “a tech website cited on Thursday a patent filing in the US Patent and Trademark Office and said Apple could be working

on an advanced camera for mobile devices that could create three-dimensional (3D) models of scanned objects and that the new

development might arrive on future iDevices like the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.”

That “tech website” is the ever-interesting Patently Apple, whose new focus on a 3D camera patent filing from Apple reveals how being

able to take a 3D photo with the iPhone 5 could simply turn out to be a means to a [very cool] end. IBT explains that, because Apple’s plans

for a 3D camera analyze depth perception — a feature that no other 3D camera sensor offers —  ”the new 3D cameras could also

recognize facial expressions and gesturing. With the knack to both capture and recreate 3D images, the new imaging system could enhance

the imaging capabilities of the 5 megapixel iSight camera on the new iPad and the 8 megapixel camera found on the iPhone 4S.”

The “end” here would be a further extension of Apple’s interest in giving mobile users incredibly intuitive ways of not only taking pictures,

but also editing, processing, storing, and sharing them. One can only begin to imagine the apps and other related software that could

accompany a camera’ ability to detect and possibly even interpret things like depth and facial expression.

It begins to fit into the larger picture of artificial intelligence.

Of course, it would stand to reason that an iPhone 5 with a 3D camera would necessarily have to include a 3D display to go with it. It is

worth noting that, in addition to 3D camera rumors for the iPhone 5, there have been a fair share of 3D display rumors as well. We recently

highlighted one of them back on January 13th. However, none of the recent display rumors for the iPhone 5 have indicated anything about

3D.

Adding 3D technology in with a larger screen, new form factor, 4G LTE, NFC, iOS 6, and a new processor almost seems like too much to

sell for the iPhone 5. And if the 3D camera and display feature turned out to be mere pastiche of what has already been tried on Android

smartphones, it wouldn’t even seem worth it. But given Apple’s penchant for doing things better than its competitors, it is possible that they

have big plans for 3D technology for the iPhone 5 that would simply blow our minds.

<< Read Now >>

Analyst: New iPad’s A5X Chip Not Bound For iPhone 5 iPad 3, iPhone 5 Predictions

a5x on new ipad, a6 on iphone 5Apple’s decision to include an A5X processor with quad-core graphics in the New iPad is in line with a growing quad-core trend for mobile devices. But a leading analyst believes that the iPhone 5 is unlikely to use the same processor.

In the months leading up to the release of the New iPad, debate swung heavily back and forth between whether or not Apple would equip their third-generation tablet with a rumored dual-core A5X processor or quad-core A6 chip. In the end, the A5x turned out to support quad-core graphics, and well-suited for the robust software features and high-definition display on the New iPad.

But for as much as the new A5x would appear to be ushering in a new quad-core movement in Apple’s mobile gadget ranks, a leading analyst argues that the high performance of the A5X processor may not be well suited for the upcoming iPhone 5. According to Macworld, “The chips used in the first two iPads, the A4 and A5, both made their way into a new iPhone soon after. But the A5X, with its heavy focus on graphics, may not be ideal for smartphone use, and Apple may wait for a more power-efficient chip built with a new manufacturing process.

This perspective comes by way of Linley Group founder Linley Gwennap, who states that the A5X is simply too power inefficient, and thus the iPhone 5's smaller battery will not be a good match: I think that this new chip is probably just for the iPad… it looks like they planned ahead for this.”

The Macworld article also goes on to cite Dean McCarron, principal analyst at Mercury Research, who “also sees the current A5X as an unlikely candidate for the next iPhone, which won’t require as much graphics processing power as an iPad. The current iPhone has a display density of 326 pixels per inch, greater than the latest iPad’s 264 pixels per inch, but the iPhone has only a 3.7-inch display.”


Gwennap and McCarron are both imagining that, while the A5X chip supports quad-core graphics, we could be due for a dual-core A6 later in the year, which would be used on the iPhone 5, since matching the New iPad’s graphics will not be a priority, while offering an iPhone 5 with sustained battery life will be.

Apple enthusiasts may be disturbed by the prospect of a quad-core A5X chip being followed up by a dual-core A6 chip for the iPhone 6, sensing yet another odd naming convention, similar to the disconcerting nature of Apple’s decision to brand the new iPad simply as the “New iPad.” But in point of fact, it is much easier to justify the A5X’s name as a possible new sub-series for all of Apple’s future quad-core graphics chips: now, whenever “X” appears on the chip name, it may be indicative of quad-core graphics, versus the dual-core design of the A4, A5, and soon-to-be A6 chips.

More tricky for Apple, however, could be leaving off quad-core processing technology on the iPhone 5 altogether in the year where quad-core is being deployed heavily across a wide range of competing devices. We’ve already reported on the NVIDIA Tegra 3 chip, which is set to find its way onto Android smartphones this year. Similar to the issue of 4G LTE, Apple may not from a marketing standpoint be able to ignore quad-core processing on the iPhone 5 if it is perceived by consumers as a necessity for top-tier smartphone designs.

<< Read Now >>

Apple Enthusiasts Confused Over “New iPad” Name

It was widely assumed that the third-generation iPad would be called “iPad 3,” “iPad HD,” or some other name with a qualifier in it. But the nondescript “New iPad” moniker leaves Apple enthusiasts with questions about the future of Cupertino’s naming taxonomy for both the iPad and iPhone.

There is a certain comfort and familiarity to the naming conventions that Apple has used over the years for its iPod, iPhone, and iPad product lines — an innate understanding that an “iPhone 4S” denotes a “refresh,” whereas an “iPhone 5?would indicate an “overhaul.” In the case of prognosticating the name of the third-generation iPad, expected names were “iPad 3? or “iPad HD,” with the former being the most accurate identifier, and the latter a reasonable alternative, boasting of the new Retina display. “iPad 4G” probably would have also sufficed.
But Apple threw us all for a loop, opting for the minimalist “New iPad” instead.
The “New iPad?” Which new iPad? Is this the “New iPad 2?” That would make it an “iPad 2S,” right? Or, given the fact that this is the third-generation iPad, is this a de facto “iPad 3?”\Moreover, will the “New iPad” still be the new iPad 8 months from now? How about 15 months from now, when the 2013 iPad is released? Will that be the “New New iPad?”

The tech community sometimes derides Appledom for stressing over these naming issues, citing it as more proof that consumers’ devotion to the Apple brand is more of a cult-like obsession rather than a healthy passion for cool electronics. But whether or not that is the case, it is Apple’s marketing department that has ginned up its own customers by establishing reasonable naming conventions for its devices — and then wantonly breaking them in disconcerting fashion.

With the “New iPad,” we don’t really know what we have here. Is this a refresh of the iPad 2, or an overhauled design? According to the preponderance of evidence from the mainstream tech media, the New iPad has not impressed enough to warrant calling it an overhaul. Thus, even though the New iPad is the third-generation iPad, will there be an “iPad 3? next year?

According to Apple, we shouldn’t expect much explanation. From the Wall Street Journal: “The company didn’t provide a detailed explanation. Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of world-wide marketing, simply said that Apple broke from the convention ‘because we don’t want to be predictable.’”

This academic discussion may remind you of similar arguments regarding the iPhone 4S, which is in actuality the fifth-generation iPhone. Many analysts believe that Apple should technically name the 2012 iPhone “iPhone 6,” skipping over the long-awaited “iPhone 5? moniker in order to bring the sixth-generation iPhone’s name in line with its iteration. Whether or not Apple will do that remains to be seen — there is no evidence either way as to whether or not Apple will call 2012's iPhone the “iPhone 5? or “iPhone 6.”
And for all we know, they may call it the “New iPhone.”

One thing is for sure, Apple’s new name for New iPad has once again made it impossible to know for sure what brand name they will stamp on their next device, making it increasingly difficult to divine what Cupertino is up to in their R&D department. Of course, that’s exactly what Apple hopes to do.

<< Read Now >>