Apple iPhone 5 features

As the 5th generation of the iPhone is on the verge of being released, and with all the speculations spreading on the Internet about the iPhone 5, people are anticipating and desperately waiting for the launch of the smartphone. Many fans and current Apple iPhone consumers are wondering what groundbreaking features Apple will add to the new iPhone 5.

This articles summarizes the various features and specifications that are expected to sport the device.

iPhone 5 Features

Although Apple does not reveal the exact specifications and features until the device is officially unveiled, we could dictate some of the main features that are expected. However, rumor of the new iPhone 5 features, in terms of both hardware and software upgrades, will definitely entice any smartphone buyer.

The upcoming phone is expected to sport the Apple’s latest and greatest A5 processor chip, iCloud service, higher-resolution camera, and a 4-inch screen size. Here are some of the most anticipated iPhone 5 features:

iOS 5

Apple announced iOS 5.0 and its features during the WWDC 2011 keynote address on June 6, 2011. The user interface is based on the concept of direct manipulation, using multi-touch gestures. It is expected to come with more than 200 new features that will include improved Notification System, News Stand and iMessage.

iMessage is an application that is developed to compete with Blackberry Messenger. The app will allow iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad users to communicate (much like a chat service) with each other. The iMessage feature has been integrated into the SMS/MMS application used originally on the iPhone models.

iCloud

The iPhone5 is expected to have the iCloud service.

Apple’s iPhone 5 is expected to feature the new iCloud service for wireless remote access of music from all computers and mobile devices.

The iPhone5 will automatically sync with the iCloud which will allow users to store photos, apps, calendars and documents without having them to store in the phone’s memory. Apple is also looking to tie up with top music label companies to license songs for the iCloud service.

However, rumours state that Apple might release a low-cost “iCloud iPhone” alongside the iPhone 5. It could be named the “iPhone Mini”

“The iPhone Mini (or iPhone Nano, or whatever) could have significantly less storage than a typical iPhone. Most likely 8 gigabytes of storage – the same as the lowest end iPhones right now. Apple won’t prevent users from storing their own content, because that would be crazy. But since it has a small amount of memory, Apple will likely push the ability to stream media via MobileMe as well.”

 A5 Processor to power the iPhone5

iPhone 5 will house the A5 as the main processor, which technically is the same chip that currently powers the iPad 2. The A5 contains a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 CPU with NEON SIMD accelerator and a dual core PowerVR SGX543MP2 GPU, which means that the iPhone5 can do twice the work at once. The processor speed will be somewhere between 1.2 to 1.5 GHz, with probably a 1GB RAM.

The processor upgrade is done not just to increase the processing speed of the phone, but also to compete with the newly launched Samsung Galaxy S II.

The A5 chip might effectively increase the power use, however, it is said that the chip has “got a dynamic power management”, which can lower the [speed] depending on the workload, and thus efficiently make use of the power.

iPhone 5 to Sport a Better Camera

The iPhone 4 sports a 5 megapixel camera, so I’m expecting that the iPhone 5 will have a rear-facing 8MP dual-LED flash camera. However, this isn’t really “awesome”, since most of the high-end Android smartphones come with an 8MP camera. Along with that, the iPhone 5 is expected to have a front-facing camera for video chatting.

 

According to sources, Apple has filed several patent applications relating to 3D picture capturing to the US Patent and Trademark Office later in March. This indicates that the iPhone 5 might feature a 3D camera. The filing indicates that the device will be capable of capturing, processing and rendering 3D images with dual-camera hardware.

Another interesting feature is that the iPhone 5 will be capable of taking pictures in Panorama. It will work similarly to the ’360 Panorama’ application in the App Store. It will let you take pictures in a sequence as you move the camera from one side to another, which in the end will effortlessly stitch the images together to create a panorama.

Additionally, if Apple really wants to keep up with the competition to Android, then it might consider improving upon the video resolution to a full 1080p HD recording. Currently iPhone 4 has a 720p video capture at 30 frames per second.

Display and Resolution

There hasn’t been a better screen resolution since the release of the iPhone 4. Currently the iPhone 4 has a 3.5 inches screen size, and sources indicate that Apple might stay locked with the current size. But a few other sources say that Apple is planning to increase the screen size to 4-inch with higher screen resolution. I feel that Apple could compromise at 3.7-inch or 3.75-inch.

Image credits: PhoneArena.com

However, the iPhone 5 could be slightly wider and thinner. The dimensions are calculated to be: 4.33″ x 2.36″ and .27″ thickness at the top and .21″ at the bottom, whereas the dimensions of iPhone 4 are: 4.5″ x 2.31″ x .37″

Other iPhone5 Features

Here are some of the other features that we can expect from the iPhone 5:

• · Face Recognition Security
• · 4G/LTE support – According the AT&T documents leaked by LulzSec, the Apple iPhone 5 will offer 4G and will be LTE (Long Term Evolution) network compatible. LTE is a project of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), and is the latest standard in the mobile network technology.

• · A new, sleeker body design
• · OLED screen
• · Scratch proof and shatter proof screen
• · Wireless sync with iTunes
• · Extended battery life
• · Flash support
• · SIM-Less Phone – According to International Business Times, it is rumoured that the iPhone 5 will feature a new SIM-less design with 2 to 3 internal antennas for CDMA and GSM compatibility, which will make it a “worldphone”.
• · Physical Keyboard
• · Increased Ram (from 512MB to 1GB)
• · New Multi-tasking Look
• · HD Audio
• · Built In GPS

The above mentioned features are some of the improvements that we can expect from Apple. However, we cannot assure you that they can be true, but most of the upgrades are more likely to be utilized.

Apple definitely wants to fight back against Android smartphone makers like HTC and Samsung, and perhaps it is why the new iPhone 5 will host some of the outstanding features.

iPhone 5 Launch Date

Apple follows a tradition to launch new devices in their summer Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), but that didn’t happen this year.

However, BGR reported that an AT&T Vice President has confirmed to several employees that the iPhone 5 that boasts a stronger chip for processing data and a more advanced camera is scheduled to be launched in early October. Additionally, the VP communicated the following to a group of managers: “Expect things to get really, really busy in the next 35-50 days, so prepare your teams accordingly.”

We can expect the announcement of the iPhone 5 in a late September event along with a release date set for early October.

The iPhone 4 has proven to be one of the most successful smartphones of all time with selling over 1.7 million devices in just three days of availability, and we are expecting that the iPhone 5 will certainly replicate this success, and one thing is for sure – the sales of iPhone 5 will definitely boom and we can expect a huge number of people lined up at Apple stores when the device is available for sale.

iPhone 5 Price

At this stage no official price has been unveiled but we expect the iPhone 5 to be the same price than the iPhone 4 when it was released. We will update this section as soon as we have more information on that topic.

BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930: 5 things you should know

The BlackBerry® Bold™ 9900 and BlackBerry® Bold™ 9930 smartphones have gotten great buzz since we first announced the two BlackBerry® 7 smartphones with a BlackBerry Bold touch at the BlackBerry World™ conference in May. Members of the media and #TeamBlackBerry certainly enjoyed test-driving them at our #BB7FanNight event in Toronto. (FYI: We’ve gathered many BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 reviews from across the web for your quick reference.) Now that the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones are making their way to your local carriers and retail locations, we thought it would be a good time for the BlackBerry Bold Product Managers Michael and Jason to share five things you need to know about the new BlackBerry Bold touch smartphones.

1. The new touch BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones combine design style with substance

Our design goal for the new BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones was to deliver a stunning design that integrates the BlackBerry Bold family’s iconic QWERTY keypad with a brilliant, high resolution capacitive touch screen. Great care, time and precision went into designing and creating the keypad on the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones; it was meticulously refined, sculpted and positioned to deliver the utmost in precision functionality to make typing accurate, simple and fast. In fact, even though the keypad on these two smartphones may look similar to that of the BlackBerry® Bold™ 9000 smartphone, it actually has 5% more surface area. Achieving such an improved typing experience – on the thinnest BlackBerry smartphones yet – is something we know BlackBerry customers will appreciate (and is a testament to our design team’s commitment to delivering continuous improvements to what matters most to our customers).

In terms of the overall design, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones were built in the tradition of the BlackBerry Bold line of smartphones, with purposeful detailing plus premium materials and finish. When you first hold the device in your hand, we think you will quickly realize how great it feels. We’ve highlighted some of our favorite design elements below:

• Brushed stainless steel frame: the elegantly brushed stainless steel frame extending around the exterior adds to the visual appeal of both Blackberry Bold smartphones, giving them what we feel is a timeless and classic look. Beyond aesthetics, the stainless steel frame adds reliable durability while seamlessly integrating important functions like the convenience and volume keys.
• “Aerospace composite” battery door: distinct to the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones, the “aerospace composite” battery door is incredibly lightweight and durable. It’s made of the same composite material that’s used to construct next-generation airplanes, racecars, and high-tech sports equipment. The cool factor is high to be sure, but more importantly, this composite construction actually helps optimize antennas, radios, and other device technology for highly reliable connectivity.
• Ultra-thin design: When we looked at the amount of time people have a device in hand, it became a priority for us to make the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones the thinnest BlackBerry smartphones ever at 10.5mm. For BlackBerry smartphone users, this means a lightweight, sleek & slim device that fits comfortably in the palm of their hand, while maintaining uncompromised performance.

2. The BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930: The most powerful guts ever in a BlackBerry smartphone

We wanted to match the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones’ distinctive design with powerful hardware to deliver a best-in-class BlackBerry Bold smartphone experience. With a 1.2 GHz processor, 8GB of onboard memory with the option to expand (using up to a 32GB media card), and high-speed CDMA or HSPA+ world phone connectivity, these models have the most powerful ‘guts’ ever in a BlackBerry smartphone, helping you get more things done even faster. Here are a few features we’d like to speak to in more detail.

The BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones are the first BlackBerry smartphones to feature brilliant 2.8” 640×480 high-resolution touch screens, which deliver crisp, clear images and text at 287 pixels per inch, in full 24-bit color. Powered by the BlackBerry 7 OS and Liquid Graphics™ technology, these screens provide a truly responsive and versatile touch experience, so you can browse the web, interact on social sites, read and respond to emails, and view high resolution videos and photos. If you’d like to learn more about the evolution of the touch experience in BlackBerry 7, check out Sangita and Troy’s post, which tackles the subject in more detail.

In addition to hi-speed CDMA or HSPA+ cellular connectivity, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones also feature dual-band Wi-Fi® connectivity (2.4GHz and 5GHz). Reliable Wi-Fi connectivity is important for pulling down large amounts of data quickly without a hit to your data plan, and Dual band Wi-Fi connectivity means better connectivity and faster performance at the office, coffee shop, airport, or at home.

The BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones are the first BlackBerry smartphones to feature Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. NFC is a technology that allows BlackBerry smartphone users to just tap to connect, get information, and link up with other supported NFC devices or authentic BlackBerry accessories. For more information about what NFC means for BlackBerry smartphone users, please watch this interview with Andrew Bocking, VP of Handheld Software Product Management.

3. The new BlackBerry 7 OS delivers better performance, usability and voice-activated Universal search

The powerful hardware in the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones have been paired with the new and powerful BlackBerry 7 OS, which offers a variety of performance and usability enhancements, such as Liquid Graphics and the next generation BlackBerry web browser. While BlackBerry 7 Product Manager Annu is planning on providing a detailed blog post on BlackBerry 7, we thought we’d share one of our favorite features: voice-activated Universal Search.

With voice-activated Universal Search, the powerful on-device search functionality that premiered in the BlackBerry 6® OS has gone hands free. Using advanced speech-to-text translation, you can now search for files, emails, contacts, music, and more—all without typing a thing. Voice-activated Universal Search also combs the web and BlackBerry applications for the information you need. For example, I often use Universal Search to find an address, which automatically brings up the BlackBerry® Maps location information. Very cool!

4. The new BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones improve social collaboration

As we said before, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones’ full QWERTY keypad offer an efficient and speedy typing experience, but it’s not just for emails. The new BlackBerry Bold smartphones feature the latest versions of our social media applications, including Social Feeds, Twitter® for BlackBerry smartphones, Facebook® for BlackBerry smartphones, and the new BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM™) 6. This suite of apps makes it easy for BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphone owners to quickly connect with friends, family, and co-workers.

We’re most excited about the potential of BBM 6 for BlackBerry Bold smartphone users, because of “BBM-connected” apps. BBM 6 allows for 3rd-party applications to incorporate your favorite aspects of BBM into their apps, from status updates and sharing to BBM chats. The video below shows how popular social application Foursquare takes advantage of BBM 6, but that doesn’t mean that social on the new BlackBerry Bold smartphones is only about fun and games. Don’t believe me? Check out this post on how to use BlackBerry Messenger 6 for business.

5. The BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones “Balance” the needs of enterprise and end users

In addition a full QWERTY keypad, dual-band Wi-Fi and BBM 6, the new BlackBerry Bold smartphones offer a variety of features that reinforce the BlackBerry Bold family’s heritage as the ultimate enterprise device for business people on the go. Two of our favorites are BlackBerry® Balance™ technology and the Documents To Go® Premium app.

BlackBerry Balance is a new technology in BlackBerry 7 that ensures your work life and private life never mix—so you can enjoy the fullest mobile experience on just one device. When you’re at work, BlackBerry Balance technology allows you to focus on getting tasks done while securely accessing business information, but it also makes it possible to stay connected via apps like Facebook, Twitter or personal email accounts. This is because BlackBerry Balance technology is designed to works behind the scenes to safeguard against accidentally compromising the security of company content while simultaneously protecting the privacy of your personal content. To learn more about this new technology, check out the BlackBerry Balance product page.

The BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones also come with the full premium version of the Documents To Go app, which is a vital tool for mobile productivity. Documents To Go is a mobile document suite that is designed to allow you to create and edit Microsoft® Word®, Microsoft® Excel®, and Microsoft® PowerPoint® docs, and view PDF docs anywhere, anytime. As someone that travels regularly for work, I can attest that the ability to easily review or edit important work documents has been a lifesaver many times over.

We’re incredibly excited that the next generation of BlackBerry Bold smartphones is now available for BlackBerry smartphone users. For more information on pricing and availability, please contact your local carrier or visit our BlackBerry Bold where to buy page. Make sure to post a comment below and let us know what you think!

BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 Smartphones: BlackBerry 7 with a Bold Touch

Update: Check out our hands on demo of the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones, with Product Managers Michael and Jason after the jump!

With BlackBerry World™ 2011 officially kicking off today, I am excited to share with you the first of many much-anticipated announcements. The iconic BlackBerry® Bold™ smartphone family has just received a powerful update with the new BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones driven by the BlackBerry 7 OS.

Like the BlackBerry® Torch™ smartphone, these new devices integrate brilliant, high resolution, capacitive touch screens, trackpads and full QWERTY keypads and are the thinnest BlackBerry smartphones yet. Here’s a quick look at some of the key specs for the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 smartphones.

• 115 x 66 x 10.5 mm, approximately 130 g • 2.8″ capacitive touch screen display – VGA (640×480), 287 PPI resolution • Full, wide QWERTY keyboard, optical trackpad • 1.2 GHz Processor, 768 MB RAM • 8 GB on-board memory, plus microSD slot supporting up to 32 GB cards • NFC technology • 5.0 MP camera with flash, supports 720p HD video recording • Orientation Sensor (Accelerometer), Digital Compass (Magnetometer), Proximity Sensor • Built-in GPS / aGPS • Dual-Band Wi-Fi® – 802.11 b/g/n at 2.4 GHz and 802.11 a/n at 5 GHz • Bluetooth® 2.1+EDR support • 1230 mAh removable, rechargeable battery

Wireless Network support: o BlackBerry Bold 9900 smartphone: Tri-Band HSPA+, Quad-Band GSM/EDGE

o BlackBerry Bold 9930 smartphone: Dual-Band CDMA/EVDO Rev A, Dual-Band HSPA+, Quad-Band GSM/EDGE