Apple has struck again.
Nearly one year has passed since the biggest tech company in the world released the iPhone 5, and like clockwork, another is in the works.
According to the latest report from AllThings Digital, Apple is set to launch the newest version of the iPhone at an event on September 10.
The event will be an important point for Apple, as Wall Street has become less enthusiastic about the company over the past year. In the year to date, shares have fallen 10 per cent, and in the past 12 months, that figure reaches 26 per cent.
In overnight trade on Wall Street, iPhone 5 speculation nudged the shares back up by two per cent.
Analysts have become concerned with Apple’s waning rates of growth – due in part to both the maturation of the smartphone and tablet markets and increased competition from major players like Samsung.
You might like
Combined with the fact Apple hasn’t had a major product launch since the iPad Mini last October – and even then analysts criticised it as just a variation on a theme.
And Apple isn’t likely to debut any new forms of hardware any time soon. Rumours of a watch and a television set or television gadget are still several months, even years, away.
With the smartphone market reaching fever pitch, consumers are becoming less concerned with what the smartphone itself is capable of – hardware – and more interested in the user experience, or software.
Here are five things you should expect from the new iPhone announcement next month:
iOS 7
The new version of the iOS software will come alongside the new phone, and is the biggest shake-up since the release itself in 2007. Designed by hardware chief Jony Ive – who now has control over the user interface division – iOS 7 is a massive change in how the software looks and runs.
Stay informed, daily
Fingerprint scanner
Apple raised eyebrows last year when it purchased a US-based fingerprint scanning company – and it’s even working with an Australian one as well. The move towards biometrics in technology has been pinned for a long time. Could the next iPhone be the first to make the fingerprint-dependent login a success?
Considering the software includes a reference to a fingerprint scanner – it’s definitely not out of the question.
A much faster phone
This is sort of a no-brainer, as every iteration of the iPhone comes with faster technology. But a chip leak earlier this year shows the company is working on the A7 chip. When better to debut it than in a new iPhone?
A cheaper version
There have been plenty of rumours about a cheaper iPhone, and plenty of debate about whether or not the company would even release a low-cost design. But given the Wall Street Journal has reported the rumour, there may be some weight to it. Watch this space.
The same design
There’s no reason to expect any major change with regard to body design. With the iPhone 5 introducing a longer display, Apple won’t want to change up manufacturing standards any time soon.
Want to see more stories from InDaily SA in your Google search results?
- Click here to set InDaily SA as a preferred source.
- Tick the box next to "InDaily SA". That's it.
