Next iPhone in Final Testing Stage, Launches in September

Word has it that Apple is currently in the final testing stage, that being the AP stage, of their next generation iPhone. This means that the device is being carried around by high-level Apple and carrier executives, and we can expect the phone by September. This set of factoids comes from a source speaking with 9to5Mac that’d previously been “accurate” in providing inside tips. This news also came attached to some Verizon bits including the idea that Verizon and Apple have yet to strike a deal regarding FaceTime over 3G. Whether or not that means they’ll be waiting until 4G LTE is still up for question.

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The current word from this same source is that the newest generation iPhone will be out in September of this year, and that carrier support for FaceTime is still being worked on, kinks being ironed out regarding iOS 5′s support for over the air updates. Whilst taking a snoop around some iOS 5 SDK files they had lying around, 9to5Mac located references to “N94″ and “N93,” both of which are apparently unreleased iPhone models. The N94 model is more than likely the iPhone 4 with A5 dual-core chip that Apple is supposedly sending out to developers as we speak.
The N93 is more than likely simply a variation of the N94. what this more than likely means is a carrier difference, noting that with the current model, GSM is N90 and CDMA is N92, this pointing toward such a situation quite blatantly. Could this new model be being prepared for Sprint or T-Mobile? We shall see!
Additionally 9to5Mac have found rather disheartening connections leading to the following image:

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This is the same sort of situation that revealed the iPad 2 to be having the same camera as the fourth-generation iPod touch, now showing the newest generation iPhone to be rolling out with the same 5 megapixel sensor as found in the iPhone 4.
All this said, if you were asking yours truly, I’d say look for a slight reboot of the iPhone. Nothing too drastic – perhaps a bit bigger than the launch of the Verizon iPhone, but it’ll be no iPad 2. Look for a major reboot inside 2012, this 2011 model will be made simply to accommodate iOS 5 in its best form.
[via 9to5Mac]

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Samsung: Olympic edition smartphone coming in 2012

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Samsung has outlined its plans as Official Wireless Telecommunications Partner of the London 2012 Olympic Games, and one of the big announcements is that it will be releasing a special edition smartphone in the UK.

Speaking at the company's Olympic campaign press conference, with Pocket-lint (and David Beckham) in attendance, David Song, managing director of Samsung UK and Ireland, said that the company will be grasping the opportunity to help the Games be the most technologically advanced yet: "We are very privileged to present our technology to the UK market. Visitors will be able to enjoy and participate with the Games through our wireless mobile communications technology," he said.

But, more interestingly, he also revealed that there will be a special Olympic Games handset launched in the UK, in time for the sporting festival, and that it would be of high enough spec to stream live video from the different events: "We are going to launch a smartphone that all the UK citizens can enjoy," he teased. "Even if they are not in the stadiums, they will be able to see [the events] their devices."

However, Gyehyun Kwon, vice president and head of Worldwide Sports Marketing, said that the wireless infrastructure to ensure that such a device would stream seamlessly is still a work in progress: "We are talking with local and overseas [networks].

"This is not one of the easiest things," he added. "We need a lot of collaborations because we are hardware providers. We need to get the carriers and the software companies all together."

However, he does believe that it will all come together in time: "We are working to make this Olympic Games as 'Smart' as possible. We will be trying to push all of the information as speedily as possible."

Certainly, the rewards of a successful Games, with working wireless communications technology, could be of huge benefit to Samsung: "After this Olympic Games, we want to be recognised by British people as one of the most loved brands," said Kwon.

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iPhone 5 to go completely SIM-free with August release?

The iPhone 5 could do away with SIM cards altogether according to new rumours trickling in from Macotakara and Apple Insider.

Only last week Stephane Richard (CEO of France Telecom, owners of Orange) had revealed that the iPhone 5 was sure to be slimmer than the iPhone 4, but still felt the SIM card was an integral and important part of the picture. Now it seems the Cupertino-based firm are sidestepping SIM technology altogether in an attempt to make the handset as thin as possible.

Macotakara, who were on the money with iPad 2 details before its official launch, are also stating that the iPhone 5 will share similar looks to those of the iPhone 4, but will now be packing in an ARM Cortex-A9 processor to power the show.

Elsewhere, the now almost-mandatory camera update is expected to bump the megapixel count up to 8MP and feature a re-configured LED flash to make the dreaded red-eye effect less prevalent.

With little change to the industrial design, minor camera upgrades and a universally-expected processor update, this may well turn out to be a stepping-stone in the iPhone lineage, more an iPhone 4GS than a true iPhone 5. With this latest rumour also stating that the phone is now headed for an August reveal, we wont have too long to find out all the juicy details from official sources either way.

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