iPhone 5: What I Want and What I’ll Probably Get

It is that time of year again, the time that Apple rumors are heating up and the latest rumors imply that we will be seeing an iPhone 5 released sometime in the coming months, probably September.

Of course with iOS 5 out there for developers, we already know that some of the major software features we have all been waiting for will definitely be a part of the next iPhone. This includes better notifications, lock screen information, as well as wireless syncing capabilities. Of course, by the time the new iPhone is announced, iOS5 will be a whole lot more stable and will most likely include many more features, but what about the iPhone itself?

The following  are some characteristics many users have been waiting for in the next iPhone as well as a realistic assessment of what we will really see in iPhone 5:

Larger Screen

All of the mockups on the Web agree on one thing. The next generation iPhone will have a larger screen. While 3.5’ might have worked in 2007, today with devices such as the Galaxy S2 and others that include screen with 3.8’ displays all the way up to 4.3’, the iPhone’s 3.5’ just doesn’t cut it anymore. A larger screen on the iPhone will enhance the overall experience of Web browsing, multimedia consuming, and reading content, which based on the first beta of iOS5 (the reader in Safari) is a major theme of the next version of iOS. What are the chances of the next iPhone having a significantly larger display? I say they are very high. Let’s give it a  8/10.

Full Gmail Support

This might be a software feature, and something we have not seen in iOS5 so the chances of the next iPhone including this are not looking great. What do I mean by Full Gmail support? Well, the email experience on iPhone is not bad, far from it. Having said that, Gmail users still do not get the full experience the way Android users do. For example,  Gmail on iPhone does not include stars, labels, or many other UI features Gmail is so famous for. The chances of iPhone 5 improving the Gmail experience? I would say 4/10.

NFC

We have said it before and I will say it again. NFC is big and will most likely take off in the coming years. Will the iPhone 5 include an NFC sensor? Well, that depends which rumors you pay attention to. Many have claimed that it definitely will, while others are skeptical and think Apple will not include something so cutting-edge that  has not yet reached the mainstream. All I can say is, I don’t know whether or not iPhone 5 will include NFC technology but if it does, we can expect it to go mainstream a whole lot faster with hundreds and thousands of iOS apps popping up to support NFC almost immediately

Better Rear and Front Camera

OK, Android lovers, sit down, you are not going to like what I am about to say. The iPhone 4’s camera is the best on the market. It is the most popular phone camera, we know that, but based on my review of many leading mobile phones with state-of-the-art cameras, the iPhone trumps them all. The front facing camera, however, is a completely different ball game. Yes, it is good enough for video calls, but why not improve the quality of photos taken with the main camera as well as the front facing one? The chances of this happening are very good. I would say 9/10 good

Thinner Body

Have you seen the Galaxy S2? It is ridiculously thin and it is in my opinion the only phone that would lure me away from my iPhone now. Apple has to reduce the size of the iPhone when it announces the iPhone 5. It does not have to be just as thin as the Galaxy S2’s 8.5mm body, but anything over 9mm would be a disappointment. Compared to the iPhone 4’s 9.3 mm body, that is not the biggest deal. You can do it, Apple. The chances of the iPhone 5 going on a crash diet? I say 8/10.

Wireless Charging

This is slightly more far-fetched but there are already countless solutions on the market that enable you to charge a mobile device without any wires. Will Apple adopt this technology? Not so sure, but combined with iOS5, which allows you to sync wirelessly,  the ability to charge wirelessly would be an amazing addition. I don’t know about you, but the first thing I would do? Burn those annoying white USB cords that came with my iPhone and iPad. Chances? 4/10

Sensors Galore

What the smartphone can do today would have never been imaginable just a few years ago. Accelerometers, Gyroscopes, etc. Who knows what type of sensors the smartphone of tomorrow will  have, but how cool would it be if iPhone 5 had heat, pressure, humidity and electro magnetic sensors built in? What would we use this for? Something tells me the iOS developer community would find some pretty amazing uses for these in no time. The chances of new sensors appearing in iPhone 5? I would have to say 3/10

Enhanced Battery Life

OK this is the only feature we will definitely see in the next iPhone. While I have no complaints about the battery life of the iPhone 4, and it generally makes it through the day, I would have no objection to my iPhone making it through the week (ok, perhaps that is pushing it). If I had to guess, I would say the iPhone’s battery will go from a 1420 mAh to a 1600 mAh or even more. This gets a 10/10, the iPhone 5 will have a better battery

Dual or Quad Core Processors

The iPhone 4 is fast and does not lack in the performance department. Having said that, single core mobile devices are so 2010. The iPhone 5 must, and will most likely have dual core processors, if not more. Why? Because with new technologies making their way into the app store, such as augmented reality, apps are getting more resource heavy and the iPhone needs to be able to handle them and handle them well. The chances of this really happening? I would say pretty darn good, 9/10

No Buttons

Last but not least, I will add a somewhat controversial feature request. I love the simplicity of the one button system that we have on iPhone and iPad today. But, you know what is simpler than one button? NO buttons! Yes, I would love it if Apple got rid of that one Home button that is in my opinion unnecessary in today’s multitouch world. Why not make the whole iPhone UI based on gesures and enable me to go back to the home screen by pinching or some other familiar gesture that Apple introduced to the world? I see no reason Apple should not release a completely butonless iPhone. Do you? Chances? I am going to go out on a limb here and say the chances of this happening are actually pretty high… Let’s give it a 7/10 for iPhone 5 and a 9/10 for some iPhone that will be released in the coming years.

If you liked the post, you might find these interesting too:

• 4th generation iPhone to come with 5MP camera. Apple tablet to be showcased in January
• Both iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S coming this fall?
• Rumor: iPhone 5 to have a metal chassis and a 3.5-3.7-inch screen after all
• iPhone HD coming on June 22 with 960 x 640 display, Verizon version coming too?
• iPhone 5′s display will measure at least 4 inches, new report claims

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