Apple iPhone 5S rumor roundup

 We know that Apple has scheduled a special media event today,where the company is expected to unveil a brand new iPhone running iOS 7. Recent rumors have suggested that Apple will release not one but two iPhones during the event. The Apple iPhone 5S is expected to be the successor to the Apple iPhone 5, while the cheaper Apple iPhone 5C will aim at emerging markets with a lower price tag and an array of colors.

Lets take a closer look at the iPhone 5S and see what kind of features we can expect from the seventh generation iPhone from Cupertino.


The Apple iPhone 5S is expected to look identical to the current generation Apple iPhone 5. Traditionally Apple redesigns their smartphones every two years, so we don't expect a redesigned iPhone this year. However changes are generally expected under the hood, which means the iPhone 5S will definetly be faster and more powerful than its predecessor.

New Apple A7 chip with 1GB of RAM

The Apple iPhone 5S is expected to feature a brand new Apple A7 chip, as an upgrade over the A6 chip found in the iPhone 5. The A7 is a dual-core 32nm chip manufactured by Samsung using the Higk-K Metal Gate technology. It features a higher clock speed of 1.5GHz, with better, quad-core PowerVR SGX 544MP4 graphics and the same 1GB amount of RAM.

The type of RAM however has allegedly changed and Apple is using the now standard LPDDR3-1333 RAM rather than last year’s 1GB LPDDR2-1066. This means emory bandwidth is higher, going up from 8.5GB/s to 10.7GB/s.


12 megapixel camera with dual-LED flash

The iPhone 5S is expected to feature upgraded camera, but there is some confusion whether Apple will leave the camera at 8 megapixels or upgrade it to a 12 megapixel one. Apple is expected to bring HDR improvements with the next iPhone, so its likely that a 12MP camera would be included to compensate for the smaller sized pixels with improved dynamic range in the highlights and shadows.



The consensus is that the new iPhone 5S camera will have dual LED flash and a wider f/2.0 aperture for better low-light performance. Dual LED flash will allow for more even lighting and the lower the aperture, the more light gets into the sensor. That’s why the f/2.0 rumored aperture would be such a great asset for low-light photography compared to the f/2.4 one on the current iPhone 5.

iPhone 5S in gold

Apple has stuck to offering two color variants of the Apple iPhone since for years. However leaked images of a gold iPhone have spurred rumors of a third color option being added to the fold. Keep in mind that this is a champagne like gold color and not an actual gold device.

If the rumors of the lower end iPhone are true, then it makes sense for Apple to make their premium model feel richer and more sophisticated for their customers. How better can the company achieve this than offer an iPhone in gold.

128GB storage option

The current iPhones are offered in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB variants. Apple chose to bestow their iPads with 128GB of storage in order to compete with the Microsoft Surface Pro. Will the company choose to bring the same storage option to the iPhone?

Since Apple keep high profit margins with their high capacity iPhones, its likely that a 128GB model will be introduced to gain more profit.

Fingerprint Scanner

Rumors have shown the new iPhone shell with a modified home button, which is expected to house a fingerprint scanner for the iPhone 5S.The main use of the scanner would be to easily unlock your device, but Apple might also use this as authentication for a future iPhone wallet app.

The new home key would allegedly be covered in sapphire instead of usual protected glass as sapphire is said to be even more secure. What’s interesting that some rumors even say the new home button might be convex, bulging outward.

NFC

Near-field communications, or NFC, is a technology mostly associated with phone wallets and cashless payments. Often said to be a technology of a future where you use your phone to pay for things, it was adopted by most phone makers except for Apple. This could also change in the iPhone 5S as it might become the first iPhone with NFC on board.

The iPhone 5S is expected to have the same wight and dimensions of the current iPhone 5 with almost no changes expected in these departments. It may have a likely weigh increase or reduction based on the updated components within its frame. 

The device will make its way to U.S. markets in September and then on to other markets around the world by the end of this year or early next year. Pricing is expected to stay the same as the last generation with the iPhone 5S costing $650 and above unlocked or $199 and above on contract.

You can check out the iPhone 5C rumor roundup here.