iOS 5.1 Rumored For March 9th Release, Security Fix On The Menu

This year, rumors of the announcement and release of the iPad 3 have been tethered with the release of iOS 5 as well. We’ve been covering a wide range of rumors and speculation related to iOS 5, ranging from it fixing the battery drain issues on the iPhone 4S to new updates to Siri and other bells and whistles. Most importantly, the iOS 5.1 release date has been widely speculated on, with the tech world imagining its release to be close to the iPad 3.

New rumors today are pointing to March 9th as the iOS 5.1 release.

According to Planet Insane, “the most recent iOS from Apple might be unveiled on March 9 as suggested by iPhone carriers in Japan and Europe,” explaining also that “the rumored release date of the iPad 3 will correspond with that of the iOS 5.1. The iPad 3 is anticipated to have 4G LTE, which uses up a lot of battery power, and a lot of improvements in terms of its display. So, if the iOS 5.1 indeed solves the battery life problems of the iPhone 4S, it will allow the iPad 3 to reduce energy consumption.”

This isn’t the first time that we’ve heard the March 9th rumor for the iOS 5.1 release date, and the fact that European and Japanese carriers have hinted at March 9th as a possible release date for iOS 5.1 has to be taken with a grain of salt. Furthermore, if what Planet Insane says is true, and that the iPad 3's own challenging battery consumption will rely on iOS 5.1 in order to offer users the longevity they are looking for, then it would stand to reason that iOS 5.1 would need to be ready to go by March 7th at the latest.

Another interesting iOS 5.1-related report comes from Phones Review, who reports that the new operating system iteration could include some security fixes for Apple’s mobile devices. they explain that “a worrying security flaw has been found in iOS that allows third-party developers to gain access to user’s photo and video location data on the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad, and that as a result, “the problem may not be around for much longer as sources are claiming a fix is already on route to the software. Apple is apparently already aware of the problem and a security fix will be available with the next iOS release.”

For as much as iOS 5.1 may include critical upgrades that will fix battery and security issues, it is more likely that users will find new rumored features, such as rich text formatting for Notes, a new camera button on the lock screen, and expanded multi-language support for Siri.

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iOS 5.1 Code Suggests A5X, A6 Processors On Their Way

The new rumor is that code in iOS 5.1 points to Apple testing both the rumored quad-core A6 and dual-core A5X processors. But does this new “evidence” really bring us any closer to confirming what Apple’s new chip — or chips — will be?

In 2011, the dual-release iPhone 4S/iPhone 5 rumors persisted throughout the Summer, with some of the most well-read tech publications predicting that Apple would offer the iPhone 4S as a low-cost alternative to a premium-priced iPhone 5. Now that 20/20 hindsight has proved that notion to be preposterous (to wit, the iPhone 4 works beautifully as a value-priced altertive to the $s, anyway), it appears that there is now a new dual-release rumor has surfaced, this time concerning Apple’s new, rumored processors.

9to5Mac is leading the way on this new rumor, claiming that the new iOS 5.1 code indicates both a quad-core A6 chip and dual-core A5X chip as well. The folks at 9to5Mac explain it thusly: “. . . the next major iOS device processor revamp (A6, not A5X) would be called the “S5L8950X.” Now, we discovered evidence to support Apple is working on that specific chip. Deep in the iOS 5.1 betas (as shown below) sits references to two next-generation iOS device chips: the previously discussed S5L8945X and this new S5L8950X. While nobody found the 50X (A6) chip in the code until now, we can report that both next-generation processors entered the iOS code simultaneously. This would seem to indicate Apple is working on two next-generation chips.”

Even if it is true that iOS 5.1 will accommodate both the A6 and A5X chips, 9to5Mac admits that there is no way to tell what the appearance of this code will really add up to for consumers. While on one hand it may be fun to speculate that the quad-core A6 chip will debut on the iPad 3, and the A5X chip will be used to power a lesser-priced “mini iPad” or perhaps an update to Apple TV, which Tim Cook recently hinted at. In the end, however, it is also quite possible that the iOS 5.1 code allows for testing of two processor prototypes, only one of which will actually be used in this year’s new mobile devices.

While it is not impossible to imagine apple utilizing multiple processors in multiple devices — both the A4 and A5 chip are currently used, after all — the appearance of the A5X rumor once again brings us to a complex “three’s a crowd” set of chip that is hard to account for: just as it seemed unlikely to imagine an iPhone 4, 4S, and 5 in 2011, it is equally odd to imagine Apple juggling the A4, A5, A5x, and A6 processors in 2012 (though it is less complex to balance multiple chips than multiple devices, I’m sure).

My sense, however, is that what we’re beginning to see here in rumor creep. First, the quad-core A6 rumors dominated. Then, the quad-core A6 rumors were put into question, and the appearance of the rumored A5X chip surfaced. Now, the next iteration of this rumor is that Apple will have both of them in production. In spite of the quasi-compelling iOS 5.1 code evidence, the rumor is still dubious at best.

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Apple Makes It Official: To Announce iPad 3 On March 7th

iPad 3 release date March 7thToday, the mainstream media is reporting on the announcement from Cupertino that there will be an event on March 7th for the iPad 3. Invitations to the media were released today with a typically cryptic, tantalizing tagline: “We have something you really have to see. And touch.”

Speculation has raged for months about what we can expect from the iPad 3. The prevailing belief is that it will feature a dramatically improved retina display, 4G LTE connectivity, and some kind of improvement in the processor. In recent weeks, there has been debate over whether the new chip will be the rumored quad-core A6, or the more recent rumor of a dual-cure “A5X,” which constitutes a refresh of the current A5.

Or, as rumors today suggest, Apple could be producing both, perhaps for use in a “mini iPad” to accompany the standard 9.7-inch version that is expected.

On the invitations to the press, the new photo of the iPad 3 appears to be missing a home button. Computerworld remarks, “If the background is a photograph of the iPad 3 and not digitally manipulated, it hints that the tablet will not sport a physical home button, as have earlier iPads.” This change in the iPad’s design would be a major overhaul in Apple’s mode of navigation for its mobile devices, and would confirm what many have speculated about for years — that Apple would eventually move to replace the physical home button with something new and next-generation. If the iPad 3 is losing the home button, it would not be hard to imagine that the new iPhone 5 will be home button-less as well.

Some are also suggesting that the disappearance of the home button on the iPad 3 could also suggest that Apple is looking to increase the screen size without increasing the dimensions of the tablet itself. Even CNBC‘s own highly-cited article suggests this: “It is expected that the new ipad will have a larger screen, a faster processor and a better camera, said Ashok Kumar, an analyst for Maxim Group.”

To be sure, all of these speculations will be confirmed on March 7th, along with the price of the new iPad 3, which some believe will see an increase from previous iPad models, thanks to the new hardware and design.

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All Things Must Pass: In Spite Of Record Growth And Strong Forecasts, Apple’s Success Is Not Immortal

A new piece from the New York Times acknowledges the astounding past and present successes of Apple, quickly becoming the world’s biggest publicly held company. But for as much as Apple may seem unstoppable, financial analysts can already see the end of its success lifecycle.

When you consider the amount of time, energy, interest, and money that a large segment of the population invests into Apple, it’s difficult to imagine a day when the company could ever be eclipsed by another electronics giant. Could another company come along and be cooler than Cupertino? Could the iPhone — perhaps the world’s only product that doubles as a cultural artifact — be usurped by a new, novel device that makes our favorite smartphone seem outmoded?

Given the passing of Apple Founder and CEO Steve Jobs, who is largely accredited with the ingenuity of Apple’s landmark products, some imagine it to be a possibility. I’ve argued that Jobs’ role as pioneer and visionary at Apple is not dissimilar to Walt Disney, and his critical role in founding and launching the Disney empire. But just as it can be argued that the Disney brand has ebbed — or is perhaps even on the wane —  consumers wonder if Apple’s brightest days are now behind them.

According to an interesting new piece by the New York Times, that might be the case — and the reasons might be far more empirical than simply saying that the company will underperform due to Steve Jobs’ passing.

Writer James B. Stewart explains that, according to the mathematical proof known as the “golden theorem,” “Apple is so big, it’s running up against the law of large numbers.” The result is an insurmountable trajectory towards reaching critical mass and no longer being able to create significant growth — or at least the booming growth that we’ve come to associate with Apple. Stewart explains it this way: “To increase its revenue by 20 percent, Apple has to generate additional sales of more than $9 billion in its next fourth quarter. A company with $1 billion in sales has to come up with just another $200 million.”

Upon faced with this reality, some Apple fans might be compelled to pump their fists and proclaim the company’s infinite greatness, saying that no sales target is too big for Apple to hit. But that’s pie in the sky. This isn’t about “Apple hating,” it’s simply a numerical fact that, based on historical data, shows us that there is an inevitable rise and fall to great companies. Just as the great people who found them come and go in this world, so too do the businesses that bear their names and/or visions.

In this way, it becomes apparent that maintaining something like 20 percent growth will be impossible: “If you extrapolate far enough out into the future, to sustain that growth Apple would have to sell an iPhone to every man, woman, child, animal and rock on the planet.” We wrote an article a while back about how a study found that 35% of all consumers say they will purchase the iPhone 5. Even if that astounding number comes true, someday it still might not be enough to satisfy Wall Street.

When Apple Becomes “Too Big To Fail”

I’m a big fan of catch phrases — I think they’re hilarious. I particularly love how politicians and pundits pick them up and then cannot put them down. I’ve always been fond of the catch-all “What did the President know, and when did he know it?”  Or, a few years back, Al Gore (did you know there’s actually a tag for him on this blog?) injected the word zeitgeist into the yapping mainstream.

Actually, I hate that word.

More recently, we’ve become accustomed to the phrase “Too big to fail,” thanks in large part to the bailing-out of failing, flailing multi-billion, multi-national companies that are so massively important to the world economy that their failure could trigger chain-reactions that could usher in a Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome generation in the first world.

To date, Apple has been the antithesis of too big to fail — in fact, they have been the rare success story in a sea of economic malaise and destruction that has defined the past four or five years. No bailouts for Cupertino: they’re rolling in cash, and continuing to expand.

But is it impossible to imagine that a day will come where there is no more upside to Apple, the sheen will have come off of its brand, and yet the failure of the company would mean a chain reaction of layoffs and the destruction of massive market segments whose existences rely solely on its existence?

Stewart explains that massive companies of the past have already gone the way that Apple will someday go as well: “Other companies that have reached the top appear to have been felled by Bernoulli’s law [the golden theorem]. Cisco Systems held the top position and hit a market capitalization of $557 billion — larger than Apple’s — in March 2000, at the peak of the technology bubble. Its market capitalization today is about $100 billion, and shares are down nearly 80 percent since March 2000.”

And there are examples outside of the technology sector as well: “Exxon Mobil, recently displaced by Apple as the biggest company by market value, took over the top spot in 2006, seven years after the merger of Exxon and Mobil. At the end of that year, its market capitalization was $447 billion. Today it’s $35 billion lower. General Electric held the title for a number of years, most recently in 2005, when its market capitalization was $370 billion. Today, it’s just $205 billion.”

Given the record profits of oil companies over the past decade, the Exxon Mobil example really drives the point home: even their profits have not been able to  defy the law of unsustainable numbers. And this is a company that produces something that the world’s economy is predicated on. Considering that in only six years Exxon Mobile has lost $35 billion dollars in market capitalization, it isn’t impossible to imagine a period where Apple will similarly slip.

Let’s Enjoy The Apple While It Lasts

The good news, however, is that there is plenty of good news to overshadow the doom and gloom of long-term projections for Apple. Just as the “bad news” that the sun will someday die out is tempered by the fact that it is still tens of thousands of years away, so too is Apple’s supernova far off on the horizon. In spite of all these “golden numbers,” Stewart reminds us that Apple stock is still currently seen as undervalued, in spite of its $500 per share price tag. And we have what looks to be several years of exciting Apple products ahead of us: this year, the iPad 3 and iPhone 5 — and maybe even an iTV. Somewhere down the line, an iPhone 6.

It isn’t as if Apple will come crashing down in 2012, or even 2013 for that matter. But it isn’t a bad idea to take notice of a company like Exxon Mobile, or Cisco, or GE, or Microsoft, or AOL — all of whom at one time seemed unstoppable. When those companies began to decline, it affected people’s’ wallets, but not their hearts. Apple means something to its customers more than earnings on a tax form — their products are ingrained into people’s’ social, work, and entertainment lives. Imagine! In six years, Apple could be on the outside looking in on a new leader in technology. It’s not a matter of if — it’s a matter of when

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New Components, Form Factor May Drive Up iPhone 5 Price

Qualcomm Gobi 5 Chipset For the iPhone 5 & iPad 3The iPhone 5 wish list, which includes a bigger screen, 4G LTE, and a bolder processor, may all contribute to a heftier price tag. But mobile electronics customers seem willing to accept a price hike from Apple products, so long as they deliver on new features.

Because of the sustained excitement over the eventual iPhone 5 release, few consumers have contemplated whether or not the 2012 iPhone will usher in a price hike — nor do they seem to care all that much. It would seem that iPhone 5 hysteria has led to a money is no object mentality — people will do what it takes to ensure that they own it once it is released.

But a new article today from Phones Review argues that all of the new iPhone features that users are clamoring for in the iPhone 5 may very well lead to an increase in price that might take it out of the price range for struggling consumers who have less disposable income today than they did back when they bought their iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4. Mark Chubb, a favorite of ours over at Phones Review, explains that “Apple has been making a concerted effort to rid itself of its reputation for high-priced products, as seen with the efforts to keep pricing the same for the iPhone and as we’ve also seen with iPad pricing. However there has to be a limit to being able to do this and when looking at the specs that are anticipated for the iPhone 5 it makes us wonder if it would even be possible to keep pricing the same this time around.” He goes on to cite the laundry list of rumors specs for the iPhone 5, including a larger display, 4G LTE, the A6 processor, and perhaps a new camera sensor.

By keeping the same form factor with the iPhone 4S and virtually the same form factor with the iPad 2, Apple undoubtedly has been able to control production costs for both devices. In this way, Chubb argues that Apple has managed to diminish the sense that they only make premium-priced electronics, all while continuing to sell products with a high profit margin, reminding us that “although the contract-free prices are now slightly more than for the iPhone 4, the prices for the iPhone 4S on contract remained the same as for the iPhone 4.”

But does Apple really need to worry about the price of the iPhone 5?

If a recent study showing that future iPad 3 users don’t care price are true, then it would not seem so. Even current Kindle users, many of which most likely bought into Kindle because of its low price point, are overwhelmingly ready to onboard to the iPad 3 when it is released. These are all realities for the iPad 3, which doesn’t garner nearly as much buzz and excitement in the mainstream as the iPhone 5.

Finally, because analysts believe that the lion’s share of iPhone 5 and iPad 3 sales will be driven by users’ desire for 4G LTE on Apple devices, the thirst for LTE would seem to be strong than any concerns for spending a few extra bucks to get it. The bottom line is simple: as long as the iPhone 5 delivers on major changes in form factor and specs, consumers will be ready to foot the bill. And they will do so happily, no doubt.

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Analysts Believe Huge iPhone 5, iPad 3 Sales Will Be Driven by 4G LTE

For all of the excitement over retina displays, bigger screens, and new form factors, tech analysts now believe that 4G LTE will be the

upgraded feature on the iPhone 5 and iPad 3 that will drive massive sales in 2012.

With so much emphasis placed on the look and screen size of the upcoming iPhone 5, as well as the bumped-up display of the iPad 3, it

would seem that these feature upgrades are of the upmost importance to mobile users in 2012. Tech analysts, however, now believe that

it is the inclusion of 4G LTE technology on the iPhone 5 and iPad 3 that will drive big sales for Apple in 2012.

A recent report from Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu indicates that all signs definitively point to b0th the iPad 3 and iPhone 5 getting 4G

LTE treatment, based on “supply-side” information gained from industry insiders. In other words, 4G LTE components are being bought by

Apple and shipped to their assembly plants.

Inrumor is reporting on some of these findings, revealing how the market is perceiving the inclusion of 4G LTE on the iPad and iPhone, and

that the iPad 3 will be a crossover device that utilizes both 3G and 4G networks: “The report also speculated that the next iPad will revert

to 3G tech, which doesn’t carry LTE, before the end of 2013 when analysts expect that 80% of Americans will enjoy LTE. However, Wu

estimates that the technology will help boost sales.”

Wu sees this 4G flexibility as a major selling point: “We believe this significant refresh will likely help drive higher iPad sales and help further

differentiate from arguably the only real competitor in the market, Amazon’s Kindle Fire and not to mention the myriad of Android offerings

out there,” adding that “We are currently modeling 51 million iPad shipments for CY12 and believe this could turn out conservative.”

Wu adds that he fully expects the iPhone 5 to be 4G as well, and will benefit greatly from it: “We view the potential inclusion of 4G LTE for

iPad as a positive and a good indicator that the upcoming iPhone 5 refresh in the fall time frame will likely include this key feature as well,”

While I do not agree with the Fall timeframe for its release, I do agree that 4G on the iPhone 5 will make total sense, even if 4G LTE is not

anticipated to go mainstream until 2013. In this way, 2012's iPad 3 and iPhone 5 will be crossover devices that allow Apple to move into

further LTE implementations, having these two models already under their belts.

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Guessing the iPhone 5 Form Factor

From photoshopped mockups to purported leaked photos out of Foxconn, the tech world clamors for any visual media that gives them an inkling into what the iPhone 5 will look like — real or imagined.

Every time a new iPhone iteration comes around, a glut of mockups get dumped on the blogosphere and, as the perceived release date approaches, “mockups” transform into “sightings.” In the case of the iPhone 5, however, we’ve had several cycles of iPhone 5 mockups, thanks to unusually long wait for it.

iPhone 5 mockups began almost as early as this blog: we got started in August of 2010, and by that fall, iPhone 5 mockups were already making their rounds. Last Summer, there was a breathtaking number of mockups-turned-sightings, all of which were reported on the top tech rumor blog with the heading, “Is This The iPhone 5?!” Technically, all of those original so-called “sightings” are still possible, since we’re still twiddling thumbs, awaiting the ascendency of the iPhone 5 in all its glory.

For as much as these “sightings” are almost always cynical schemes run by blogs to garner heaps of web traffic (remember: for most blogs, more web traffic means more ad clicks, and more revenue), many of the more earnest attempts at simply “mocking up” an iPhone 5 design based on the rumors are actually rather intriguing. Granted, there is little chance that a graphic designer is going to guess Cupertino’s own iPhone 5 design perfectly, but at the very least there is an intrigue and entertainment value to appreciating them. And because designers take into account the rumored features, there is usually a modicum of realism to their designs.

(Usually, but not always.)

The other day, I went through some of the iPhone 5 mockups that I’ve collected through the year and a half I’ve been working on this blog, and thought I’d present some of the best ones to date that I think represent the rumors well.

The Best iPhone 5 Mockups

…or at least my opinion of the best iPhone 5 mockups. Here are the rumors about the iPhone 5's form factor that I believe could come true: it will have a metal back, it will see its screen expand to 3.7 inches but keep the current iPhone dimensions, it will be slimmer, it will feature a new home button design, and it will return to a more rounded design. Most importantly, Apple will work hard to make sure that it is not aesthetically derivative of completing Android designs.

This design has always interested me:

iphone 5 mockup 1

 

What I like about it is the juxoposition of the square and round edges, and the very sleek, clean lines that is definitively Apple. There has been a lot of debate about the lines of the iPhone 5, and whether they will stay with the iPhone 4/4S’s squarish shape, or return the sloping lines of the iPhone 3G/3GS. This design manages to do both, with a rounded top and bottom that still delivers hard edges on the corners.

It remains to be seen, however, if what we’re seeing here s even physically possible — or possible at the manufacturing level. The two renderings have never seemed to be completely consistent with one another, making this mockup more of an optical illusion than a possible reality for the iPhone 5 form factor. The other problem for me is that it obviously sports a glass back, and I truly believe that Apple will move toward a metal back for the iPhone 5.

All in all, though, I like the lines of this mockup because, as I said, it just looks to me like something Apple could design.

Then there’s this one:

iphone 5 mockup 2The front screen, which appears to be edge-to-edge, as well as the monolithic presentation seems just minimalist enough for Apple to go for. Some have imagined that the iPhone 5 (or some future iPhone) would have a front comprised of nothing more than a full-coverage touch screen, perhaps supplied by a flexible AMOLED display. This design seems to get at that idea, making for a very provocative design, and one that would perhaps maximize a screen size increase without expanding the overall dimensions.

Another interesting feature of this iPhone 5 mockup is the back: its matte finish suggests black metal, and the corners are resoundingly rounded. It also represents a slimmer profile.

Similarly, I think this iPhone 5 mockup is worth posting as well:

iphone 5 mockup 3It’s safe to assume that if the iPhone 5 featured a front like the one in this mockup, iPhone users would be majorly disappointed, since it looks remarkably similar in size and design to the iPhone 4 and 4S. But what I like about this design is the metal back: I believe that the iPhone 5 will have a metal back like this one, similar to the iPad.

Finally, this mockup courtesy of MacRumors is an interesting one as well:

We don’t get a lot of information about the back in this particular photo, but what I like about it is the rendering of a new multi-touch home button and the edge-to-edge screen. Personally, I’m ready for the home button to disappear and be replaced with a touch surface home button — a design like that could allow apple to make the iPhone 5's front completely touch-capable. But since many iPhone users are quite attached to the satisfying click of a manual home button, I think that Apple could opt for a modified home button — and maybe a larger one like this that allows easier access in order to handle other functions.

In the end, only a chosen few know what the iPhone 5 will truly look like — the form factor really never seems to get out into the open until the final round of the assembly process. And considering that all of these mockups are based purely on rumor, speculation, and tech fantasy, there’s really nothing to confirm — other than peoples’ insatiable curiosity about what the iPhone 5 will look like.

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