With just over 24 hours to go, the highly anticipated iPhone 5S is gaining a lot of attention, so much that lines are already forming in front of Apple stores. In this report, we will round up all the rumors going around in the recent months and let you know of what main features may be coming to iPhone 5S. Keep in mind that nothing is of course official until Apple makes the announcement tomorrow, but we can still it, can we not?
Fingerprint Scanning Technology
Ever since the purchase of mobile security firm AuthenTec for $356 million, users, analysts and investors alike have been eagerly waiting on how the company will implement the acquired technology into future iPhones. This is the first time we will see Apple implementing AuthenTec’s technology into the iPhone. Recent rumors suggest that the company will introduce a fingerprint scanner under the home button with a convex-like design and protected with sapphire, however, Apple may have figured out a way to stick with a concave-like design, according to recent leaks.
There are so many possibilities that come with this new technology being introduced. Apple having their focus highly on security, this new fingerprint sensor technology will provide alternative way to getting into your future iPhone 5S. US government has grilled several companies including Apple for not providing more security measures to protecting consumers. Apple then responded with iOS 7 feature Activation Lock, which received good feedback from government officials. Other possibilities include secure mobile payment system (perhaps integrated with Passbook?), and more-secure Airplay sharing.
New A7 Chip With 1GB RAM
The new iPhone 5S is expected to come with all new and improved A7 SoC. The A7 chip will most likely be dual-core 32nm chip manufactured by Samsung using the Higk-K Metal Gate technology. Apple has been investigating moving production of chip down to 28nm, with the likes of TSMC’s fabrication facility. But for the iPhone 5S, we may see 32nm size and in the future, we may see the size being smaller. The clock speed is expected to be at 1.5 GHz, with much improved quad-core PowerVR SGX 544MP4 graphics.
In the iPhone 5, we saw upgrade in RAM, from 512 MB to 1GB. For the iPhone 5S, we may see 1GB RAM again since with the iPhone 5, there is no lack of performance. The 1GB performance very well in the iPhone 5 and Apple more than likely sees no reason to upgrade the RAM as 1GB is sufficient. The RAM however will be 31% faster, using LPDDR3-1333 RAM instead of LPDDR2-1066.
Improved Camera, Possibly Bumped To 12-Megapixel With Dual-LED Flash
Apple has always provided high quality cameras in their iPhones. The iPhone is one of the most popular smartphone to be used for taking pictures. With the iPhone 5, Apple introduced improved 8-Megapixel camera, but with the iPhone 5S, there is speculation that Apple will improve the camera to 12-megapixel, but some say the company will stay with 8-megapixel camera with an improved sensor. HDR mode will also be improved to provide better picture quality. Another feature Apple is expected to introduce is slow motion video recording at 120 frames per second. The front camera is also expected to be improved from 1.2-megapixel in the iPhone 5 to 2.0-megapixel in the iPhone 5S.
The company is also improving the flash from a single-LED to dual-LED with a wider f/2.0 aperture. This is definitely help with low light improvement as recently released smartphones like the Nokia Lumia 1020 focus heavily on low light performance, and the iPhone currently is trailing behind.
Gold/Champagne iPhone 5S Color Option
Since the iPhone 3G release, Apple has offered only two color options: black and white. With the iPhone 5, the company stirred things up a bit by offering color combinations, and with the iPhone 5S, the company may be looking to add another premium color, Gold/Champagne.
While the company is expected to introduce multiple colors option for the low cost iPhone 5C, the company will more than likely keep a premium color for the 5S. With the launch of the 5C and 5S, the company is essentially splitting up the iPhone line up in two series: budget and premium. The company will likely focus more on the premium end since it has a more profit margin there, so adding a third color to spice things up will surely attract new buyers.
128GB Storage Upgrade Option
Over the years, Apple has upgraded storage options. With the introduction of the iPhone 3GS, the company introduced 32 GB storage option, then with the iPhone 4S, the 64 GB option was introduced. Now with the iPhone 5S, there are rumors that say Apple may introduce a 128 GB option. That’s a lot of storage for such a small mobile device.
So what does this mean for prices and entry levels for the future? If a 128 GB option is introduced, then the company may do away with 16 GB. The 32 GB storage option will become the entry level at perhaps the $199 pricing, then 64 GB for $299 and 128 GB for $399. All prices are with a 2-year contract with your choice of carrier.
So… What Now?
The iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C are expected to be introduced in the event tomorrow. We will be providing a live feed update of the event, so be sure to bookmark us and visit us tomorrow at 10 a.m. Pacific time.
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