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iPhone 5: what to expect

Here's what you can expect to see in the iPhone 5

The leaks and rumours surrounding the iPhone 5 have been going on since the iPhone 4S launched last year. And here at PC Advisor we've been keeping in very close eye on any iPhone 5 rumour or leak. So, what we intend to do here is sift through everything we've heard about the iPhone 5 and present you with a concise article on what to expect from Apple's new smartphone. See iPhone 5 release date, specs and rumour round-up.

iPhone 5: what to expect

iPhone 5 launch date

First thing's first, let's get the dates out of the way. Apple has sent out invites to the iPhone 5 and iOS 6 launch to all major US tech journalists. The event is set to take place at the Yerba Buena Centre for the Arts Theatre on 12 September at 10am local time (6pm GMT). See also iPhone 5 launch: everything you need to know.

Where can I follow the launch of the iPhone 5?

PC Advisor has reporters attending the iPhone 5 launch in San Francisco, and our reporters will be live blogging at the event where they will post pictures and features of the iPhone 5 as soon as it is revealed. So watch this space. Take a look at iPhone 5 price in UK too.

iPhone 5 will get a mini dock connector

Let's also get the 'bad news' out of the way. It looks almost certain that Apple is set to change its 30-pin charging/docking port. This means you are going to have to get adapters for any iPod and iPhone dock you have, which is going to be a pain. See How to watch Apple's iPhone 5 launch live.

"So why are Apple doing it?" you may ask. The simple reason is that the current big charging and docking port is just that, too big, and it takes up too much space. The general consensus is that Apple want to put every millimetre of space to good use in the iPhone 5 and the big old ports weren't necessary anymore as new smaller ones can do the same job with the same transfer speeds.

Up until now, Apple has been the only smartphone manufacturer to refrain from the joining the industry standard Micro USB charging port. Hopefully Apple will use this as an opportunity to join the masses and make charging or connecting the iPhone a lot easier. It's more likely that Apple will just have a new bespoke port though.

iPhone 5 what to expect

iPhone 5 will have a bigger screen

The iPhone's screen size has been a topic of debate for some time now. On the one hand, the school of thought is that Apple won't change the 3.5-inch screen size for continuity reasons. Every iPhone to-date has had a 3.5-inch screen and this has been Apple's intention to keep apps working seamlessly across all iPhones regardless of the model.

As sensible as the 3.5-inch screen argument is, there is a strong swell of opinion that the iPhone needs a bigger screen to keep up with its rivals. The iPhone's biggest rival, the Samsung Galaxy S3, for example has a whopping 4.8-inch Super AMOLED (HD) screen and its users love it. In fact there has been a general swing towards big screen smartphones across the market, with HTC and Sony also offering big screened smartphones.

Off topic: if the iPhone 5 does have a bigger screen it will be a big clue as to the legitimacy of the iPad Mini claims, as Apple has always previously stuck rigidly to its devices' screen sizes.

iPhone 5: processor

Based on previous chips that Apple has used, it is PC Advisor's opinion that the iPhone 5 should have an A6 processor which could well be quad-core (which would double its processing capability again). However Apple could opt to use the A5X chip found in the new iPad which is dual-core with quad-core graphics.

It’s worth pointing out that dual-core processors don’t offer twice the processing power of single-core chips, but they can work on two processes at the same time. This increases the speed of your device when it is multi-tasking.

iPhone 5 operating System

It's almost set in stone that the iPhone 5 is going to launch with iOS 6. Apple, for a change, hasn't keep quite about iOS 6. Instead it has been openly publishing what the new mobile OS is going to do.

There are far too many things about iOS 6 to bring up here, so instead we are going to politely point you in the direction of our iOS 6 preview here you can find out everything you need.

iPhone 5: Liquidmetal

Before we go any further, know this: it's not as it sounds, Liquidmetal is not the stuff you see in Terminator 2. In short, Liquidmental is a substance that is very similar to what Apple currently uses for its iPhones, only this stuff can make shells that are thinner, lighter while still being highly resistant to external impacts.

This rumour has been confirmed and disproved several times in the last few months, so it's a tough one to call. According to some reports Apple has paid at least $10.9 million in licensing fees to the manufacturers, so if Liquidmetal is not used in this iPhone, it probably will be used in future iPhones.

iPhone 5: rumours

Above are all of the features that you can feasibly expect to see in the next iPhone 5. However Apple are nothing if not surprising, so here are a few other rumours that have been flying around. We'll let you be the judge as to whether you think they will feature in the iPhone 5.


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