Is Apple readying a faster, more powerful iPhone for the fall?
That's the gist of a new rumor from Bloomberg, which suggests that the next iPhone will debut in September and will have an A5 processor and an 8-megapixel camera. Additionally, the site's sources say that Apple is also testing an iPad with a higher resolution screen that is also more responsive.
An A5 chip will let the phone operate more speedily, and make it more attractive to developers looking to create more powerful games. The report of the new processor is consistent with previous rumors regarding the phone.
A new camera would also be in line with earlier speculation about the next generation phone. The iPhone 4 has a 5-megapixel screen right now. The new iPhone is also expected to run iOS 5, the new mobile operating system that was previewed at Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference. Bloomberg's sources say that as Apple continues to update its mobile operating system, it may stop offering support for older generation phones like the iPhone 3G to run all iOS apps.
Contrary to rumors that suggest the iPhone 5 could have a majorly different design from its predecessors, Bloomberg's sources say that the new iPhone will look much like the iPhone 4. Other reports have indicated that a radical redesign of the iPhone won't be coming until spring 2012. Bloomberg notes that a cheaper iPhone for developing countries is also in the works, which would be smaller than the current versions.
Verizon's CFO has also said that Apple's next iPhone will be a world phone, using a new chip that supports both GSM and CDMA networks. Additionally, Apple recently began selling unlocked iPhones.
According to a new report by Needham & Co, Apple gained share in the smartphone market at Android's expense last quarter, and now holds 29.5 percent compared to Android's 49.5 percent. The analyst also said that the iPhone 5's launch had been delayed on purpose to avoid aggravating Verizon iPhone customers, and that the launch of the new model will result in a major uptick of iPhone buyers--to the detriment of Android.