iOS 6, iPhone 5 To Feature Most Wireless Mobile Computing Experience Yet

In a bid to eventually make the iPhone 5 and other iOS devices completely wire-free, iOS 6 is set to usher in even more wireless and wifi-free functionality.
Although it doesn’t always get talked about in one article, a lot has been rumored about the iPhone 5 with respect to its move towards wireless connectivity. Building on the adoption of OTA updates, we’ve also heard about possible wireless charging, an upgrade of the dock connector (which could have wireless consequences for the transfer of data), 4G LTE FaceTime, and more. If you were to put all of these concepts together, you could imagine an iPhone 5 with absolutely no ports. Heck, if Apple did away with the physical home button and made all of the navigation on-screen, one could even imagine a completely smooth, seamless design (as some have speculated on for a future iPhone release as well).
Today, we’re hearing a bit more concrete evidence that, much like the rumor that FaceTime will no longer be limited to wi-fi on the iPhone 5 (a massive advancement, as far as I’m concerned), AirPlay might get a similar makeover.
According to the Telegraph:
Sources familiar with the iPhone-maker’s plans said that Apple wants to improve the AirPlay wireless music streaming technology, which currently requires Airplay speakers and a WiFi network. The new version will require just speakers or a hifi and an iDevice; the iPhone, iPod or iPad would form its own network to allow a direct connection and music playback.
Ironically, this is the second bit of news that would appear to wow mobile users and make consumer electronics accessories producers weep, as the all-but-assured dock connector revamp was enough to send the accessories market spinning. Now, the appearance of “AirPlay Direct” as it is being dubbed, will turn the hifi market on its head as well. Of course, it remains to be seen how far along “AirPlay Direct” really is.
The article adds that: “Sources said that Apple has not signed off any specific products yet and that the ‘Airplay Direct’ is a working title rather than a definite name.” That’s a cryptic comment, and it sounds as if the functionality isn’t quite ready to get out the door yet — especially considering we’re all expecting the iPhone 5 to debut in September.
Still, there is no doubt that wireless connectivity is on Apple’s mind — it’s just a question of how much of this newfangled wireless stuff we’ll see in 2012. With all of the recent, conflicting rumors about NFC, and the already-confirmed passbook, there’s the possibility that the iPhone 5 will usher in some real lifestyle-changing wireless stuff. At the same time, all of these wireless innovation seem to have big, possibly negative unintended consequences. In the case of NFC, it’s the need to get a wide swath of the retail sector to onboard onto new NFC technologies. With changes like the dock connector and AirPlay Direct, whole sectors are affected. While it’s easy to think that Apple doesn’t ultimately care, these sectors certainly lobby Cupertino, andy their feedback helps steer Apple’s R&D department.
Is the world ready for the fully wireless, totally paper-or-plasticless mobile lifestyle, with the iPhone 5 at the center of it all?

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iPhone 5 In September, iPad Mini In October

iphone 5 and ipad miniA new report appears to reconcile the release schedule for the long-rumored iPhone 5 and iPad Mini, with the former arriving in September and the latter in October.
Over the past few weeks of mass production rumors concerning the iPhone 5, it has been difficult to reconcile the rumors that the iPad Mini would be co-released along with the iPhone 5 in September. In addition to the fact that Apple rarely presents two new, differing hardware products on the same announcement stage, we’ve heard much less about iPad Mini parts than we have iPhone 5 parts. But a new report from AllThingsD appears to offer a more plausible release schedule for both the iPhone 5 and iPad Mini.
The report states:
Apple’s next generation iPhone and its so-called “iPad mini” will debut at two separate events this fall, rather than a single one as has been widely speculated, according to several sources.
First comes the latest iteration of the tech giant’s hugely popular smartphone, which will be unveiled at an as yet unannounced event on September 12.
Only after the next-generation iPhone is out the door and on sale will Apple announce the smaller iPad it’s been working on. That device, which is expected to have a display of less than eight inches, will be uncrated at a second special event, which sources said is currently scheduled for October.
While we have little to go on concerning the credibility of AllThingsD’s sources, the release blueprint makes a lot more sense in that it breaks up this co-release rumor. (Can we finally put to rest the notion that Apple will ever co-release products in this way? C’mon!) The crux of this new report is that Apple will position the lesser-priced iPad Mini as an ideal Christmas item — particularly amidst a slumping world economy that could be further shocked in the fall by deteriorating market conditions in both the U.S. and Europe.
An important factor to consider with respect to the release of the iPad Mini and iPhone 5 is the eventual release of iOS 6 alpha. Australian Macworld points out that “If history is any guide, iOS 6 will be available at the same time that Apple refreshes the iPhone, likely in September or October.” Clearly, iOS 6 is the pivot point for when the iPhone 5 will be released, since Apple traditionally links the new iOS with the iPhone. This is bound to be continued this year, since iOS 6 is projected to feature improvements to Siri, the introduction of Passbook, and perhaps even iWallet — all software products that will feature and utilize iPhone hardware.
Conversely, Apple has demonstrated in the past that they are more apt to let iPad iterations use current iOS versions and have not tethered the release of new iPad models on new iOSs. With this thinking in mind, one can indeed imagine that iOS 6 will launch at the end of September, along with the iPhone 5, and the iPad Mini will follow in October.
For as much as these release date rumors are beginning to congeal, there are still some outstanding possibilities. One is that we’ve still yet to see any official Apple event scheduled for September 12th. But considering that there are a couple of weeks until that date, it’s possible that Apple is trying to withhold any official announcement until the last minute in order to further fuel speculation. Another consideration is that the September 12th announcement, should it occur, could be a new iPod event, and that the purported sightings of the iPhone 5 are actually sightings of an iPod. But the backs of the iPhone 5 units we’ve seen have all had the “iPhone” moniker on them, so if these are actually iPods, it would mean that there was a concerted, deliberate effort to pose them as iPhone 5 fakes.
And the final wrinkle in this puzzle is iOS 6. Apple has told us only that it will be released “this fall.” Fall begins on September 22nd in the northern hemisphere this year. Is that date and the reported release date of the iPhone 5 on September 21st seem conspicuous to you?

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