Here we go again with more ‘juicy’ iPhone rumours. Japanese blog Macatakara claims the upcoming iPhone 4S this year will feature the dual core A5 chip from the iPad 2, an improved 8 megapixel camera, and dual mode support for both GSM and CDMA via a unified SIM.
We’ve learned from iFixit teardowns the Verizon iPhone 4 contains a Qualcomm chip capable of both GSM and CDMA. Rumours have been abound Apple is working on smaller SIM redesigns and SIM-less iPhones.
Also, further speculation is the iPhone 5 will debut in Spring 2012 as a whole new design, whereas the iPhone 4S will retain the existing iPhone 4 form factor.
I’ve said this before, the existing iPhone 4 hardware is still ‘sexy’ enough to last another year, and a complete redesign isn’t necessary. History has shown Apple tends to make minor cosmetic changes, and save massive revamps for future iterations. Just take a look at the move from the iPhone 3G to 3GS–nothing changed. The move from the iPad to iPad 2–nothing significant, aside from being thinner.
The smart thing Apple will do is retain the existing form factor to maximize production and reduce costs and increase profits via economies of scale. Once they’ve fully exhausted the iPhone 4’s form factor, consumers will be craving the next best thing which we’d most likely see in 2012. Apple so far has hermetically-sealed their iPhone leaks, compared to the colossal failure of leaving the iPhone 4 in a bar.
[9to5Mac via Macatakara]
