As Apple fanboys, tech enthusiasts, and mobile maniacs eagerly await the technology firm’s launch of the iPhone 5 tomorrow, rumours abound about what the device will include.
But if you’ve followed any Apple product launches in the past, you know many of those rumours are bunk. Still if you can’t wait until Apple presents its new phone on stage tomorrow, check out Macworld’s attempt to parse the different rumours out there and rate their likelihood.
Apple’s invitation all but tells us the iPhone 5 will be announced.
Here are my own thoughts on what we’ll see in the iPhone 5:
LTE connectivity: Many carriers are now rolling out 4G networks based on LTE technology and want to market devices that can take advantage of all that wireless bandwidth. If Apple still wants to be a flagship phone, then it just has to upgrade its cellular radios to the new standard. Expect to see it included for sure.
Bigger screen: The iPhone has always had a 3.5-inch screen which was really great for developers, who knew their apps would have a consistent experience across various iPhone models. But now premium Android handsets like Samsung’s Galaxy S III are sporting screens that span more than four inches. Apple will likely feel pressure to expand its screen size to at least four inches for the iPhone 5.
NFC chip: Many Android phones are now including NFC chips that allow smartphones to also act as mobile wallets, with users paying via tapping their phone to an enabled checkout terminal. Apple will want to get in on the mobile wallet game as there’s big money at stake there as this space becomes a more popular payment method. A mobile wallet app connected to iTunes would be a perfect way for Apple to further exploit all those credit card numbers its collected.
Lack of YouTube: Apple has already confirmed that its next iPhone software upgrade, iOS 6, will not include a native YouTube app. Instead, users will have to download a Google-made app from the App Store.
What features do you expect to see, or think Apple will skip? Let us know in the comments section.