A Rumored 4.6 iPhone 5 Display Could Actually Be for the Fabled MiniPad
Recently, there have been some fairly heated debates concerning whether or not Apple is actually intending to put a huge 4.6 display on the iPhone 5. After multiple tech blogs and sources refuted this possibility, new sources out of Japan claim that a 5 inch display is in fact in production, but that it might not be for the iPhone at all. They hint that perhaps Apple will be releasing the fabled MiniPad, which was dreamt up by the rumor mill more than a year ago. Before the iPad 3 was released, there were those who wondered if Apple would simply improve on the last iPad or go a completely different route by releasing a smaller, more affordable version.
With the release of the iPhone 5 dominating tech blogs, it’s possible the production of a MiniPad could go unnoticed amid all the distractions. Smaller, more budget-friendly pads from lesser known companies are going into production around the world and organizations like schools and businesses are getting ready to pounce on the generic models. Perhaps this rush for the next best thing has caused Apple to reconsider its constant ramping up of both the technology and the price of its products each year. If there’s a market out there for a smaller device, why wouldn’t Apple want to get in on it? It’s dominated the market in most of its other tech endeavors, so it stands to reason that it could quickly create and pump out smaller, cheaper models and succeed there as well.
The Japanese manufacturer who leaked the information isn’t saying much, but they did quiet the iPhone 5 rumors a bit by suggesting that the 5 inch retina display they’re making isn’t intended for device assembly until 2013. This is much farther out than Apple’s supposed fall release date for the iPhone 5, so it seems logical that this bigger display is for a completely different product altogether. Previous speculation about a MiniPad though, proposed that it could have a 7 inch display, and those same people seem to believe that a 5 inch display on any version of an iPad would be too small. Steve Jobs himself was skeptical of the idea of a MiniPad, but now that Apple’s under the guidance of Tim Cook, they may be looking to change things up and surprise consumers with yet another tantalizing device.
Although tech blogs consistently consider a 5 inch display too big for a phone, one of the iPhone’s competitors, the Samsung Galaxy Note, has already released one with just that. It’s possible this may have spurred Apple to take on the challenge to create a more sophisticated version of their product. With Apple’s propensity for being the trend setter and not the catch-up company, it’s hard to believe Samsung could have brought this on. With rumors yet unconfirmed though, speculation is sure to continue and to spark more debates among iPhone and iPad fans and techies alike.
Foxconn Hiring Spurs Rumors of a June iPhone 5 Release Date
One of Apple’s main assembly plants, Foxconn, is in the process of hiring 20,000 new workers, causing some to believe they’re intending to push up the release date of the iPhone 5 to this June. Because this plant will be responsible for assembling the new model, the influx of new workers hints that Apple wants to speed up the assembly and therefore the release of the device. Currently, that plant is specifically responsible for about 85% of the iPhone 5’s assembly, and with 57 million of them needed each year, there’s no doubt they’ll need a lot of workers to complete the order. CNET though maintains that the release date is still set for fall, which is confusing already debating rumor mills.
Although the plant is likely to begin production once it completes its hiring process, with 20,000 new workers to bring in, that could take a while. Those employees will need training before they can efficiently assemble Apple devices, so it makes sense that the plant would want to make sure the workers are in place and trained well before they start iPhone 5 assembly. Sources out of South Korea say that Samsung is currently working on the production of the display that Apple will be using. It will likely take a while for them to fill the order and to get the parts to the next stage of assembly. Once all the parts are transported to the plant, only then can assembly begin. Even then, it will take some time for the actual iPhone 5 itself to start rolling off the line and onto store shelves. With June only two months away, it doesn’t really seem like a feasible date for the new model given their current stage of production.
Besides the training of employees and the time for production itself, the work culture shift in the area must also be taken in account. After damaging reports of poor work conditions and low pay in Asian Apple plants, workers around the area are striking in hopes of improving their situation. With workers on strike, that fall release date probably seems much too close for comfort. This is why the plant is rushing to hire so many new workers. If they are met with much resistance from the community, they may face some very real setbacks in terms of hiring. This could mean that whether or not the release date is being moved up is not even a consideration. Instead, tech blogs may be shifting to another rumor that if the hiring doesn’t go well, the release could be postponed.
Once again it seems the hopes of iPhone fans are dashed. With each new piece of information that spurs rumors for an earlier release, contradicting information is immediately brought forth. For now, the true release of the iPhone 5 will depend on whether or not Foxconn can pay new hires enough to recruit the 20,000 they need.
Rumor Mills Debate Speculation About iPhone 5 Specifics
While various iPhone 5 rumor mills claim to have the most accurate insider information, differences regarding some very important details are now sparking a heated debate and leaving those curious about the new release unsure of what to expect. One source, Reuters, wrote an article that gained a lot of attention by listing new details like a large 4.6 inch display screen. Tech blogs all over retorted that this was completely preposterous, and therefore refused to trust the validity of the entire article. One blog in particular, known as MacRumors, totally contradicted the article with very different information. They confirmed previous blog reports that the new display would not change in size at all, meaning it would still be 3.5 inches on the new model. While this may disappoint some fans who were hoping the 4.6 inch rumor was true, they should know that iMore, yet another iPhone rumor blog, said that the 3.5 inch size was “not set in stone,” but if different at all, likely wouldn’t be much bigger.
The display wasn’t the only point of contention though. The release date itself is still not known, and these articles did not help impatient fans by claiming two very different time periods for that release. Reuters mentioned an ambitious release for some time during the second quarter of 2012. This isn’t far off, and has eager iPhone users drooling at the possibility of getting their hands on the new model in just a few months. Unfortunately, MacRumors once again disagreed and dashed the hopes of techies everywhere by pushing their projected release date all the way to sometime this fall. iMore seems to be the basis for this rumor by confidently touting their sources as expecting the iPhone 5’s release in October “as planned.”
If you’re unsure which rumor mill you should believe, you’re not alone. Tech blogs are still trying to sort out the various rumors. Their best bet is using the credibility of the reports themselves to decide which they should place their trust in. On one hand, Reuters is a reputable news organization with professional journalists who normally have to confirm their sources before running with a story, especially one that is sure to get such widespread attention like an iPhone release. However, journalists have misquoted sources in the past. Also, just because they believe a source is telling the truth, doesn’t necessarily mean they are. This leads us to the other side of the debate. Tech blogs tend to be written by web geeks with little or no professional credentials. That doesn’t mean they don’t know what they’re talking about though, and in this modern day and age, it’s often who you know, not what you know. In that regard, the last time Apple released their new iPad, the iPad3, iMore got their prediction of both the release date and its new features correct. This could mean they really do have an official source, and it’s not hard to believe that some Apple employee somewhere might leak a bit of info to one of their trusted tech friends.
Yet the question remains. Who do you trust? Do you put your money on the professional reporter or the geek who got it right last time? At any rate, fans are throwing up their hands at the debate and hoping their current iPhones will help them make however much time they have left, go all the more quickly.
iPhone 5 LTE – Totally Unique
As far as we know, the iPhone 5 will come standard with LTE support. With all of the LTE rumors that have been going around, we have all the reason in the world the feel like the iPhone 5 will feature 4G LTE connections. According to our sources, Apple is going to ship more than thirty million units of iPhones in 2012 that are LTE enabled. Think about it- that is a huge number! Considering the launch date is mid 2012 Apple is moving at the speed of light in terms of making and shipping their products.
5% of the World’s Handsets Will be iPhone 5’s
Simply put, the iPhone 5 will make up about five percent of all the handsets made in the world. All of the ones that Apple makes will be LTE ready to boot. When Apple adopts LTE it will be here to stay- this means that Apple will even further its market dominance in this category. Simply put, no one can touch what apple is going to do with the iPhone 5.
New Battery for the iPhone 5
Think about this fact- using LTE technology means you need to have a bigger battery. As you know, a bigger battery doesn’t really fit into what Apple has in mind in terms of a slender phone. However, with the iPhone 5 will feature a battery that can pack in a higher charge on a smaller frame. In addition, there is also some rumors that Apple might look into using some form of alternative battery technology for other upcoming products like the iPad 3.
LTE based phones such as the Android have been around for some time now. Though they are not that popular, we may be able to expect that to change. The iPhone 5 might cause quite a stir amongst LTE ready cell phones. We already have Windows LTE phones coming from some other manufacturers. Its about time that apple enters the Arena with the iPhone 5!