Summertime has come to an end, and although that may be a disappointing fact for some, it also means that a new wave of awesome gadgets is going to be unveiled soon. September is going to be an exciting month for smartphone enthusiasts, as some major industry players are preparing to announce their latest flagship devices. The Android scene is already getting a lot of attention thanks to the upcoming Sony and Samsung press conferences (both scheduled for September 4). In the opposite camp, there’s Apple and the highly anticipated new iPhone line-up.
The Cupertino tech giant is expected to unveil the upcoming iPhone 5S and 5C during a press event scheduled for September 10. As can be expected, with less than two weeks to go, rumors and leaks surrounding these two devices are starting to pile up at an accelerated rate. As such, today we’ll round up the most recent and interesting bits of information on what we can expect from Apple’s big event.
iPhone 5S Latest Rumors:
Color Options. Several leaks have surfaced lately, indicating that the iPhone 5S may arrive in a wider range of color options. Initially, it was speculated that the handset may arrive in black and silver (as usual), as well as gold. Other leaks have indicated that the device might also arrive in the “champagne” flavor, as well as in graphite and gunmetal. Although other findings have indicated that these leaked images could be faked, there’s no way to be sure. Whether or not the iPhone 5S will arrive in multiple flavors remains to be seen.
The A7 Chip and Camera. Aside from the possible additions to the color line-up, Apple enthusiasts also expect better performance from the iPhone 5S. According to Clayton Morris – a Fox News reporter – and his “inside sources,” the iPhone 5S will be powered by an A7 chip which will be 31 percent faster than the A6 SoC that currently powers the iPhone 5. Additionally, Morris has also tweeted that the 5S could feature a separate chip which will independently handle the camera’s “motion tracking” capability. This led to speculation that the chipset in question could act as a dedicated post-processing unit.
Storage and Battery. Speaking of internals, ever since Apple released a 128 GB iPad 5 earlier this year, sources have speculated that the upcoming iPhone may benefit from larger on-board storage. As it turns out, this could actually come to fruition. An alleged spy shot of an internal document has recently leaked, revealing that the final branding of the device will be “iPhone 5S.” More importantly however, this document suggests that a 128 GB model of the flagship device is in the works. Last but not least, reports from earlier this month have suggested that the 5S might end up being heavier than the current model, for the sole reason that it could pack a larger battery.
Expected Features. Since the 5S is expected to be an upgrade over the iPhone 5, there are several theories on what features will be included in order for the device to make sense as a refresh. Although not confirmed, rumors hint towards the presence of a fingerprint scanner concealed underneath a sapphire crystal home button, NFC capabilities, and a 12 MP camera that’s assisted by a dual-LED flash.
iPhone 5C Latest Rumors:
Multiple colors. Much like the iPhone 5S, the iPhone 5C is also expected to arrive in more than one or two colors. So far, leaked shots of the handset’s alleged back cover have revealed that the budget 5C could be offered in white, black, blue, green, red, pink and yellow. The overall dimensions of the iPhone 5C are said to be 124.55 x 59.13 x 8.98 mm.
Siri-less? Analyst Gene Munster has recently speculated that various software features may be missing from the iPhone 5C. More specifically, Siri may not be an option on the budget-friendly device. The reason for this decision – Munster claims – is that the absence of Siri would prevent the low-budget device from affecting the sales of the more expensive flagship (iPhone 5S).
Not a Budget Device After All? Ever since the first rumors regarding the iPhone 5C surfaced, every source out there has speculated that this may be a budget-friendly handset. However, according to KGI’s Mingchi Kuo, the 5C will be far from “cheap.” According to Kuo, the iPhone 5C is actually meant as a replacement for the iPhone 5. The handset would supposedly cost somewhere between $400 and $500. While the iPhone 5 would supposedly be discontinued, the 4 and the 4S will continue to be retailed at the price of $200-300 and $300-400 respectively. The older models would become the “budget-friendly” option by default.
iPhone 5S and 5C – Save the Date:
Once again, we will remind you that all of the information above is not official by any means, and as such, it is subject to change. Nonetheless, September 10 seems to be the date when we’ll finally find out on what Apple has been working on for the past year or so.
Are you excited about Apple’s event? Don’t forget to share your opinions below and let us know what your expectations are.
Vlad Andrici is editor for gforgames.com and writes about technology issues. Follow Vlad on Google Plus.