Even though the iPhone 5 hasn’t been confirmed the web is awash with rumours about what Apple’s new iPhone might and might not have when it eventually lands, the latest is that it may now feature an NFC chip.
Talk of an NFC-capable iPhone predates the release of the 4S, but it’s only now that it would appear Apple is gearing up to enable NFC services like contactless payment to its treasured handset.
The latest developments speak of the most recent iPhone 5 prototypes in circulation supposedly sporting NFC chips, located to the left of the earpiece. With the additions like Passbook which feature in iOS 6, it’s a possibility that Apple are gearing up to take on the likes of Google Wallet or Barclaycard PayTag, as suggested by 9to5Mac.
That’s not the only rumour about the iPhone 5:
The iPhone 5 will be thinner and have a 4-inch edge-to-edge screen
High resolution images allegedly show the new iPhone with a larger edge to edge screen. The iPhone has had the same 3.5-inch screen since it first launched, so it’s likely that Apple may increase the size of the screen, to a rumoured 4-inches. However to keep the same chassis size and avoid getting into phablet territory, it may use use edge-to-edge glass and increase the size diagonally.
The iPhone 5 will have a new dock connector
This rumour heralded from the above pictures from 9to5Mac (above), showing a smaller dock connector in the place where the 30-pin connector usually sits. If Apple does include a bigger battery (in a bid to improve battery performance), then it makes sense to save space by using a smaller connector.
The iPhone 5 will have a dual core processor
A source close to Apple revealed the processor registered to power the iPhone is an ARM S5L8950X, which could be a dual rather than quad-core chip. Would Apple do this when Samsung and HTC have released quad-core phones? Well a dual-core chip would save power and as we learnt from the new iPad, Apple doesn’t follow the specifications race.
The iPhone 5 will be out in October
Apple is notoriously secretive when it comes to the new iPhone, October makes sense because the iPhone 4S launched in October 2011 and Apple tends to leave 12 months between each of its handset releases. In addition iOS 6 is due to launch in the autumn and the new iPhone is expected to be the device it launches on.
There will be an iPhone 5 Nano
According to rumours from Apple’s supply chain, it’s thought that a smaller or lower specced version of the iPhone 5 is in the works, presumably to compete against the tide of lower-end Android feature phones.
An iPhone 5 Nano would be a smart move; perhaps one with a slightly smaller screen and without a dual camera set up. Not everybody is totally stoked about video calls and FaceTime but would like to have an iPhone, purely for apps and games.
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