The next-generation iPhone: We know it’s coming, we suspect it’ll be called the iPhone 5S, and this week we have a new set of intriguing rumours about the phone, covering its photographic capabilities and its release date.
Camera
Each ‘S’ iPhone release has seen an upgrade to the camera, and the iPhone 5S isn’t expected to break that trend. According to iOSDoc, the next iPhone will be able to shoot Full HD (1080p) videos using its front facing camera, an upgrade from the 720p that’s possible now.
The camera app will also be updated with iOS 7 to support a ‘dual shot’ mode, where it’s possible to record stills or videos from both cameras simultaneously. This echoes functionality on the Samsung Galaxy S4 and LG Optimus G Pro. The front camera will be upgraded from 1.2 megapixels to 2 megapixels in order to better support this new feature.
According to the source, the new mode is still in its beta testing phase and will be added to iOS 7 in time for the final release. While iOS 7 will undoubtedly be available for older iPhone models, dual shot will only work on the iPhone 5S, which is most likely thanks to a newer, more powerful processor that will also feature in the new model.
Release Date
We may have our first solid announcement and release date for the iPhone 5S. According to a photo of a Japanese phone carrier’s internal document, the next generation iPhone will be announced at an Apple event on June 20th and will hit stores by the next month (at least in Japan).
The document also states that the iPhone 5S will run iOS 7 (which has recently been stated as having a very ‘flat’ look, more reminiscent of Windows Phone). The paper goes on to detail the iPhone 5S as having a 13 megapixel rear camera – an upgrade from the current 8 – as well as a 2 megapixel front-facing camera. Again, this mirrors what we’re seeing from the best Android smartphones at the moment.
We’re going to suggest taking the suggested dates with a healthy pinch of salt. Apple likes to announce and launch new iPhones on a yearly basis around September/October time, and with the company hosting WWDC between January 10th and 14th, we can’t really see another event taking place 6 days later.
Conclusion
Of course, both of these stories are still nothing more than rumours at this point, despite some fairly realistic sources. Nothing is final until we hear from Apple later this year – or we start seeing more substantive leaks than purported iPhone cases and secretly snapped documents!