It likely that the iPhone 5s release date will be announced soon, and the actual release of the phone may take place before or during spring of this year. The details on the hardware updates that will define the phone are entirely speculative to this point, though it is believed that it will follow the lead set by prior iPhone cycles and share the same design as the iPhone 5. Many believe that the phone will feature a fingerprint scanner (the s in the past has represented both ‘Siri’ and ‘speed’), and this rumor is furthered by Apple’s acquisition of AuthenTec Inc., a developer of such technologies. The application of fingerprint scan technology would make the iPhone 5s the most secure phone in the world. It will also feature the standard ‘s’ edition upgrades including a faster processor and a higher-quality camera. It does not appear that they will include a wireless charging feature on their new phone, according to web sources including 9to5mac.com. Another product likely to be released within several months is a reworked iPad mini featuring a retina display.
There is significantly less data on the other products rumored to be in the works, but given the volume of interest in certain projects there is likely to be some truth in many of the multitudinous blog posts on the topics. Amongst the most popular topics are those that represent expansion into new markets, notably evidence suggesting the creation of an Apple watch and a television set and set-top box. According to rumors the watch will act primarily as an extension of an iPhone, though will have some capacity to work as a standalone mp3 player and potentially more. The television may feature links to the app store and gaming as well as streaming video services and Siri. From an investor’s standpoint, there is significant interest in the whisperings about a cheaper iPhone that would signal Apple’s willingness to sacrifice profit margin to expand their user base.
All of the aforementioned products are expected (by those who produce these rumors) to be released by the end of 2013. Though we have seen tech rumor blogs end up with egg on their face in the past, they gain some credibility in this case as all reports currently coming out of Apple signal clearly that the company has several major, innovative products in production. The question is when these products will be released and how well Apple’s hardware engineers and senior leadership can execute on innovative new projects without the vision and guidance of their former leader.
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William Randall
KOTM Contributor
Bradyr@KeeneOnTheMarket.com