The iPhone 5 News Blog

Barring a massive solar flare, mobile computing isn't going anywhere anytime soon. But what if it did?

Welcome to our second edition of the iPhone 5 Sunday Coffee Break! This is our end-of-week chance to sit back on a Sunday morning with our coffee (or tea for our Brit readers), stop stressing about the iPhone 5, and wax poetic about some ideas and impressions about technology, lifestyle, and culture. We hope you’ll stop in and leave a comment or two.

There’s no doubt that smartphones have completely revolutionized the way people communicate, shop, do business, and have fun. In fact, you can argue that mobile computing has put social networking like Facebook, Twitter and yes, even this blog, on the map by allowing people to keep in constant contact with their network of friends. And given the popularity of blogging and social networking, you can take this thinking one step further and argue that smartphones have contributed to a total redesign of community and society as we know it.

For better or for worse, traditional communities have been replaced by virtual communities, and our iPhones, Androids, and other smartphones are the crucial link to those communities.

With that being said, have you ever considered what it would mean if mobile computing came to a screeching halt?

It’s probably hard to imagine; our virtual lifestyles are omnipresent. Thanks to the 3G — and soon to be 4G — network, our connection to the Internet, email, music, media, voice and video calls are near-instant, seamless, and fluid. Because of this, the iPhone becomes like an extension of our selves — much like what driving a car becomes for many. As a result, if mobile networking was suddenly cut off, it would mean losing a critical aspect of our lives.

Life Before the iPhone

I remember the good old days of pay phones. I remember my 2600 baud modem. I remember my Dad getting that huge cell phone that plugged into you car’s cigarette lighter and came in a small suitcase. Those were the waning days of traditional community and culture.

Those days are long gone.

For my part, I use my smartphone for work, leisure, and keeping in contact with my family. For work, in addition to monitoring and keeping in contact with my clients, I can also easily moderate and track the iPhone 5 News Blog from anywhere — even if I was in the middle of the Gobi desert. I can also keep in contact with my wife throughout the day, share links to interesting articles, make plans for the evening, adjust our ever-changing, kid-centric schedules. And sometimes it’s just nice to have a diversion when traveling for business or waiting for an appointment.

It isn’t as though life without the iPhone is an impossibility; many of us have done it before, and we went without smartphone technology for a lot longer than we have with it. But it might be interesting to share some of the ways that smartphones impact our lives — and what kind of impact it would have on our lives if mobile computing suddenly disappeared.

It could happen. Wikipedia “solar flares” or read about Senate Bill S.773, which, by the way, became law on June 28, 2010.

How about you? What are some of the ways that the iPhone makes a big difference in your life? And how would it impact your life if smartphone technology was shut down?

By Michael Nace

An old Nexus mockup. Will the iPhone 5 have its hands full with the new Nexus?

A recent press briefing with Google Android executives point to Google releasing a new Nexus device in direct response to the iPhone 5 sometime this year. Read why the iPhone 5′s technology and advancements will need to be next-generation enough to withstand Google’s gambit.

For the multitude of Android phones that have already been released in 2011, it looks like the big smartphone battle between Apple and Google in 2011 will come gladiator-style — mono-a-mono — between a new Google-branded Nexus device and the iPhone 5, according to a recent report from TechCrunch. In the article, writer MG Siegler outlines a recent presser with Google Android execs, wherein Android head Andy Rubin explained that, “I think the Nexus has been the thing we use to set the bar,” and that “the cycles are holidays and the summer time” in terms of the Nexus’ release schedule.

When you think about it, the Nexus release schedule seems well-positioned to take on the next release of the iPhone 5, which could launch anywhere between the end of the Summer and the Christmas holiday, according to a litany of reports and analyses.

It comes as no surprise: although Google has empowered a wide range of device manufacturers and service providers to sell Android-loaded phones, the Nexus line of smartphones — branded exclusively by Google as their flagship design — is the heir apparent and natural rival to the iPhone.

To be sure, the populous line of Android phones have managed to put up impressive numbers against the iPhone 4, even with its Verizon and White iterations helping sales. According to Life Of Android, “[analysts] Canalys estimates that of the total 101 million smartphones shipped during Q1 2011, 37.3 million were Android handsets. That compares with 18.65 million iPhone shipments during the same period.” Other reports based on Google’s own press releases indicate that over 100 million Android phones have been activated to date, versus just under 74 million for the iPhone since its launch in 2007, according to Wikipedia.

But for as much as Android has come into its own in the past couple years and eclipsed Apple in total market share, the Nexus class smartphone does not come close to matching the iPhone in sales. After the abortive launch of the Nexus One (which the iPhone destroyed in sales), the Nexus S has managed to become a somewhat more bona fide Android offering. However, based on what Andy Rubin recently said, Google’s goal to to make the next Nexus an equal to the iPhone 5 is an audacious project, considering the lackluster performance of the Nexus thus far.

What the iPhone 5 Will Have To Contend With On the Next Nexus:

In order for the next Nexus to combat the iPhone 5, it will have to do way better than its predecessors in terms of features and performance. TechCruch has commented that we’ll probably see “a Nexus running Ice Cream Sandwich (the next version of Android that will unify the tablet Honeycomb OS with Android phones)? Perhaps.” This kind of thing is something that looks to be a preemptive answer to iOS 5 and the overall iOS approach.

The other rumor is that the new Nexus will be 4G. Now, whether that means “real 4G” or “fake 4G” remains a question that transcends discussion of the Nexus, as we have already parsed in another article about the iPhone 5 being a possible 4G phone.

Despite the fact that Android is a chief concern and competitor for Apple, the Nexus in an of itself still remains in the iPhone’s rear-view mirror. But in spite of the fact that the Nexus has been a bit of a bust, Apple would be well-advised to design the iPhone 5 with the prospect of an impressive Nexus model being released right on its heels, sometime in the waning months of 2011.

By Michael Nace

A clean, minimalist mock-up of the fabled "iSlate." Could the iPhone 5's form factor be similar?

So far, 2011 has been the year that Android got a beauty makeover, with dual touch screens; slide-out QWERTY keyboards, and next-generation chassis designs dominating the new crop of Droid smartphones. Will Apple up the ante on the iPhone 5‘s form factor in response to these new designs?

When you’re a big fan of the iPhone, it’s easy to filter out all of the beautiful, new Android smartphones that have hit the market in the past year or so. After all, the iPhone is no slouch when it comes to style. In fact, you can argue that the original iPhone form factor still remains the template for most smartphones out there — including Android.

But for as much as Apple and the iPhone have led the way in style and aesthetics, new Android form factors are pushing the envelope on smartphone designs, which means that Apple will have to consider some new looks for the iPhone 5.

If you search around the iPhone 5 rumor mill, you’ll find plenty of conflicting reports on the iPhone 5′s purported form factor and aesthetics. Some sources claim that the iPhone 5 will retain much of the same look as the iPhone 4, with only minor adjustments, such as a return to the metal back. We have reported in another article, however, that new rumors also suggest a brand-new iPhone 5 form factor, which could feature a wedge or teardrop-shaped chassis. None of these rumors, however, are reliable enough to have a sense of what’s to come in late Summer/early Fall when we predict the iPhone 5 will debut.

That being said, it’s worth taking a look at the new offerings from Android to see what the iPhone 5 will be up against.

Kyrocera's new Droid-powered, dual-screened Echo. Could the iPhone 5 have a dual touch screen?

Could the iPhone 5 Be Dual-Screened?

At present, there is only one mainstream smartphone on the market that features dual screen functionality — the Droid-powered Kyrocera Echo. Read up on this audacious smartphone and you’ll be amazed at the R&D that Kyrocera undertook in order to get the dual screen idea to work. In particular, they had to develop a patented hinge that would allow users to quickly and easily convert the smartphone into a kind of “mini tablet.” The dual screen also allows users to multi-task, thanks to seven proprietary apps that let two things happen on the two different screens.

The Echo hasn’t gotten rave reviews, but if you dig deep into the critiques, you soon learn that what lowers its ratings from reviews are somewhat superfluous details: many find the monolithic design to be spartan and lackluster, and other complain that not enough apps exist for the dual-screen multi-tasking function of the Echo to get really excited about it. But considering that this is the smartphone market’s first foray into dual screen technology, the Echo is a pioneer.

The dual screen idea for a smartphone just seems like the kind of thing that Apple would try to perfect — maybe on the iPhone 5? And since Apple loves to make their gadgets thinner, lighter, and more compact, it wouldn’t be impossible to imagine a dual-screened iPhone 5 that would be remarkably thinner and sturdier than even the well-engineered Echo.

The Droid 2 has an impressive look as well as a slide-out QWERTY keyboard to accompany its touch screen.

The iPhone 5 Slide-out QWERTY Keyboard Debate — Revisited

Less than two months ago, an article here on the blog about the possibility of an iPhone 5 slide-out QWERTY keyboard stoked major discussion and debate over this contentious feature. While no scientific poll was conducted, the comments and discussions were rather evenly divided, with some iPhone users balking at the idea of the iPhone 5 featuring a slide-out keyboard — claiming that such a feature would be akin to iPhone blasphemy — while others are pining for the option of a keyboard in addition to the iPhone’s dynamic touch screen.

For as much as the slide-out keyboard for the iPhone 5 still remains unsettled, there are a number of Android smartphones that feature both a QWERTY keyboard and touch screen. Models like the LG Axis, Droid 2, and Dell Venue Pro add a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, while other models like the Motorola Charm and Droid Pro feature a front-facing keyboard and touch screen together.

we had written in a recent article how it wouldn’t be impossible to imagine two iPhone 5 models being released at the same time. Perhaps a way to radically update the iPhone 5 form factor would be to offer users the option of a slide-out keyboard?

Minimalism — An Apple Mainstay That Could Differentiate the iPhone 5 From Android

Something that has always made Apple wonderfully different from other tech companies is its minimalist approach to gadget design, aesthetics, and form factors. This is the company, after all, that did away with the eject button on its disk drives, a three-button mouse, and put the power button on the back on its iMac. This is the company that brought the idea of combining a computer’s CPU and monitor into the mainstream.

While Android has gotten prettier in 2011, smartphones still remain somewhat cluttered and busy, what with buttons, rocker switches, camera and proximity sensors, dock connections, and a myriad of other bumps and crevasses that make a smartphone look increasing utilitarian.

Where Apple could wow people with the iPhone 5 would be a beautifully minimalist design.

If you agree, then there is some reason to believe that your wish could come true. Two persistent rumors — an edge-to-edge screen and the disappearance of the home button, both of which are discussed in our iPhone 5 features section — could contribute to a sleek, simple iPhone 5 façade.

In addition, the iPhone’s remaining buttons and switches could be completely phased out if rumors of an iPhone 5 Smart Bezel came to fruition, incorporating all controls into the iPhone’s touch screen interface.

Aesthetics Will Play a big Role in the iPhone 5′s Success

Right now, one of the biggest debates concerning the iPhone 5 is whether or not it will be a simple refresh or total overhaul of the iPhone 4. Parsing that debate further, it becomes more complex to define what a “total overhaul” for the iPhone 5 would look like. After all, if the iPhone 5 gets the A5 chip, iOS 5, NFC technology, and an 8 megapixel camera, but still looks like the iPhone 4, does that constitute an “overhaul?

while hardcore techies might answer a resounding “yes” to that question, many average iPhone users would disagree. The masses are led by what is visual, and because Apple has a strong tradition of producing aesthetically pleasing products, something big will have to happen to the iPhone 5′s form factor to make it seem revolutionary.

In other words, the upgrades inside the iPhone 5 will have to be reflected on the outside as well.

By Michael Nace