You can never have enough clues about what Apple might have up its sleeve for its next iPhone.

The latest tidbit comes in the form of a domain name – iphone5.com – for which Apple has filed a claim with the World Intellectual Property Organization. To date, Apple’s smartphone line has counted up only to the iPhone 4S, but the company is widely believed to be getting ready to bring an iPhone 5 into the world.

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Of course, ahead of the iPhone 4S launch last fall, a good many people expected the next model to be the iPhone 5. By way of comparison, Apple’s latest tablet was generally expected to be the iPad 3, but ended up being called just the new iPad.

While there are no specifications to be gleaned here, the WIPO filing does at least suggest that Apple is considering the iPhone 5 name for the next iteration of its market-defining device. Or perhaps it just wishes to take that domain out of play, regardless of what it calls the device.

In its current state, iPhone5.com is a forum site, created in February 2008, according to the WhoIs record. Its copyright statement clearly indicates that it is “not endorsed, sponsored, nor otherwise affiliated with Apple” and that it was created “for the sole purpose of entertainment and knowledge.”

Apparently, at least some of the denizens of the site like it just fine that way. Worried that if Apple were to take control the site would be shut down, a commenter named Morphius wrote today: “we as members here before the 4s was even released at iphone5.com should stand our ground against Apple. We have every right to be a fan of the iPhone and to talk and discuss about it. THEY WIILL NOT SHUT US DOWN!!!!!”[sic]

The bare-minimum WIPO filing page does not indicate when Apple filed its complaint, although the case number D2012-0951 does indicate that it might have been sometime this year. It does say, under the heading Decision, “Case active.”

Apple has done battle before to take possession of domain names in a quest to protect the good name of its products. After filing a complaint with the WIPO in November, Apple was able to take control of seven “iPhone” domain names, including the straightforward iphone4s.com and the more prurient iphonesex4s.com. Apple is expected to deliver the next  iPhone sometime this year.

Apple did not immediately respond to CNET’s request for comment.

via: cbsnew.com

After a year and a half of, the iPhone 5 turned out to be the iPhone 4S, which left a lot of us wondering what that meant for Apple’s release schedule. (Up until then, the company was reliably releasing iPhones every year.) Well, we could be getting back to it: a Foxconn recruiting officer is hinting at a June release for the iPhone 5.

So, quick caveat right up top: who knows if this new release in June will be the iPhone 5. In the wake of “the new iPad” and what’s now two years worth of pressure for the fabled iPhone 5 to be damn near revolutionary, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Apple swing in a different direction. The iPhone is also a mature platform, and one that hasn’t seen that much movement hardware-wise. We’ll just have to see.

Back to the matter at hand: a Foxconn recruiter, talking to a TV Tokyo program called “World Business Satellite,” mentioned that the company is “looking for 18,000 employees” for a “fifth-generation phone.”

From Mashable’s Emily Price:

The reporter went on to clarify that the recruiter was talking about the iPhone 5, and the recruiter added that the next generation of the handset will come out in June.The iPhone 5 — or, if Apple maintains the naming scheme it started with the iPad, the “new iPhone” — will actually be the 6th iPhone released by the company.

And there’s this sentiment from Price, which we’d like to echo:

The June rumor, of course, should be taken with a grain of salt. Rumors of the iPhone 5 started almost immediately after the announcement of the iPhone 4S last year.

Why is this rumor interesting? Well, beyond reassuring the Apple faithful that yes, indeed Apple will continue to make iPhones, the iPhone 5 is something of a missing puzzle piece, whereas the iPhone 4S was an oddly shaped one. The 4S was the hardware upgrade over the 4 that its name implies, and held up Siri, which predated the 4S, and has look-a-like apps on other platforms, as the headlining iPhone 4S difference and something only it can do.

The point: that’s a trick the iPhone 5 doesn’t have in its playbook, and we really don’t know where Apple will take it from ehre. The iPhone line has set the pace since it came out in 2007, and rightly so — it’s got the hardware chops with a peerless ecosystem backing it. The iPhone 4S, while wildly successful, doesn’t come off as indomitable as its predecessors.

There’s really no scenario that sees the iPhone 5 release as a flop, but it’s very possible that, when it comes out, it doesn’t seem as far out of reach for its competitors, which are already moving into areas where Apple hasn’t yet, such as true 4G and 3D displays.

via: dvice

There’s continued speculation Apple will unveil its next iPhone with a 4-inch screen. A Wall Street expert lent his voice to the chorus, telling investors the new device will begin production in June. But how will Apple increase the 3.5-inch screen and retain the iPhone’s iconic style?

Susquehanna Financial analyst Chris Caso didn’t reveal his sources on the 4-inch screen, but it isn’t the first time we’ve heard talk that Apple could follow other smartphone makers that also are expected to offer bigger displays. In late 2011, speculation arose about the next iPhone gaining a larger screen. Indeed, just recently, we reported one inventive (but probably incorrect) rumor that Apple will do away with the single button to make room for a 4-inch screen. Knowing Steve Jobs’s love of simplicity, such chatter is laughable.

Instead, what could push Apple to stretch the iPhone screen is competition. Many of Apple’s rivals are reportedly moving to the larger touchscreen as a way to attract customers. But as we’ve reported, size isn’t what really matters to consumers shopping for smartphones.

Some observers even suggest the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS could be kept at 3.5 inches while the new handset upgrades to the four-inch display. Although there is precedence for creating different price levels with the 3GS marked down to free and the iPhone 4 dropping to $99, creating differing physical footprints is totally different.

Which brings me to the question of ‘What Would Steve Do?’ Jobs detested tiny tablet screens, saying consumers would have to sand down their fingertips in order to move objects. The opposite would likely be true for larger smartphone screens. The 3.5-inch display is perfect for the average human hand — anything larger and using the screen literally becomes a reach.

So, will the next iPhone have a larger screen? Probably. But we’re unlikely to see an iPhone with a 4-inch screen. Which is how Apple has always kept ahead of its opponents, by zigging when everyone else is zagging.

via: cultofmac

Friday, Oct 14, 2011. It’s 6:11 a.m. and it looks like there aren’t too many people getting line at Best Buy West LA. None. But wait. I think there was one person sleeping overnight in his truck. This is not allowed. That’s why the police are there to find out what he’s up to and which model he is going to order.