News & Reviews:   Apple iPhone 5S

Apart from the whole slew of hardware upgrades for the upcoming Apple iPhone 5S, Apple may also be one of the few smartphone makers to offer a smartphone with 128GB worth of storage memory. This prediction comes from KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who has made several fairly accurate predictions about upcoming smartphones in the past. According to him, the 128GB Apple iPhone 5S would cost $499 (RM1634) on contract. Other predictions for the Apple iPhone 5S include tech specs such as a new A7 Chip with 1GB of LPDDR3 RAM. The new A7 chip will use ARMv8 architecture providing 20% more energy efficiency than the previous A6 chip. Other features confirmed by the analyst include an upgraded F/2.0 aperture camera with dual-LED flash along with a gold colour casing option as well.

Previously Apple teased 10 September 2013 as the date when they would reveal the next Apple iPhone, which would probably be the Apple iPhone 5S. Many are expecting it to come with the final version of iOS 7 and be announced alongside the low-cost Apple iPhone 5C. However, this may no longer be the case as some anonymous tipsters have suggested that both smartphones may be released on 25 October 2013 instead. While this would definitely involve the Apple iPhone 5S and lower cost Apple iPhone 5C, it could also come with the announcement of the new MacBook Air as well. We're thinking that while the Apple iPhone 5S and 5C may be announced on 10 September 2013, they'll only be released and be available on 25 October 2013 which could be the reason for the different dates. However, we shouldn't have to wait all that long as 10 September 2013 is just around the corner.

The upcoming Apple iPhone 5S is shaping up to be the most radical change in production cycles for an Apple iPhone as it may be the first 'S' version to introduce significant hardware changes as rumours indicate. These rumours include:

• a higher capacity battery (due to the reportedly heavier weight)
• faster A7 processor
• sapphire glass home button with embedded fingerprint scanner
• 8MP f/2.0 aperture rear camera
• double LED flash (from leaked spare parts)
• come in white, dark gray and champagne gold

According to insider information, the next Apple iPhone, which should be the Apple iPhone 5S, is coming soon on 10 September 2013. This fits with previous release dates which also happened around this time period and while the rumour circulating is about the iPhone 5S release, it will also mark the final release of other related devices and products like perhaps iOS 7 (which is already in beta 5) and the supposedly low-cost Apple iPhone 5C. While these are the more definite announcements that are likely to happen on that date, bear in mind that the Apple iPad 5 could also make an appearance as backplate housing for the tablet has surfaced. The Apple iPad mini with Retina Display on the other hand is still slated for around 2014 though.

For those not in the know (or aren't an Apple iOS developer) then know this, Apple's iOS 7 beta 4 has been released. Apart from the new features and bug fixes, going through the change log confirms a new fingerprint scanner for the upcoming Apple iPhone 5S. This was found by developer Hamza Sood who discovered a folder labeled "BiometricKitUI". This folder contained script which described processes that show a fingerprint scanner in action. This included statements like "a person holding an iPhone with their left hand while touching the Home button with their thumb" or "A fingerprint that changes colour during the setup process". This would be a definite change from the norm as most 'S' upgrades to the Apple iPhone have largely been software and not hardware related.

The upcoming low-cost Apple iPhone formerly known as the Apple iPhone Lite may now be known as the Apple iPhone 5C as recently discovered packaging show the name on the side of the box. While it could very well be another knock-off, the packaging jives with how the Apple iPod touch is being sold with a similar plastic container covered by a transparent top. The Apple iPhone 5C (if that is indeed the real name) will feature plastic backplates with plastic chassis and other plastic parts to help lower the price point. The good thing about this is that it may have various colours to choose from, which could also be what the C in iPhone 5C stands for as in "Colors". According to rumours, the Apple iPhone 5C and Apple iPhone 5S will be announced on 18 September but launched on 27 September 2013.

While a whole bunch of Apple iPhone leaked images have appeared, from the plastic Apple iPhone Lite to the upcoming Apple iPhone 5S, this is the first time we've seen the iPhone 5S in gold. Featuring the same aluminum unibody chassis with a metallic gold backplate (and teal green Apple logo and wording) the image leak is shown side by side an existing Apple iPhone (or iPhone 5S) and the supposedly plastic Apple iPhone Lite. Whether or not these are real or just cheap knockoffs can't be ascertained just yet as both the real and fake versions come from China, which is where the leaked image of the gold Apple iPhone 5S comes from as well.

While bits and pieces of the upcoming Apple iPhone 5S have been appearing for quite some time now, new pics of the aluminum unibody chassis and some interesting new tech specs have recently surfaced. The new tech specs for the Apple iPhone 5S include:

• Apple A6 SoC processor (quad-core PowerVR SGX544MP4 GPU)
• 4-inch / 4.3-inch IGZO display (1136 x 640 pixels)
• 2GB RAM
• Supports NFC, fingerprint scanner
• 12MP camera (dual LED flash)

As owners of the first LTE-A network in the world, SK Telecom have approached Apple with the intention of having LTE-A support in an Apple iPhone device. Since the next iPhone to come out from Apple would be the iPhone 5S it would make it the next smartphone to have LTE-A support (and offer SK Telecom another LTE-A device for those LTE-A users who don't like the Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE-A).

As promised when it was announced recently, the Apple iOS 7 beta 2 is now available to download for developers. Aside from the features announced previously, the new beta enables support for the Apple iPad and iPad mini along with Siri's decidedly better voices and other enhancements. Apart from this not much more has changed except for perhaps a combined iTunes and App Store settings menu, working Voicemail and better UI enhancements. The full version is expected to be released along with the next generation of iOS devices (Apple iPhone 5S, iPad 5, etc.) which may be due in Q3 of 2013.