By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla
Next week is expected to be an exciting one for Apple as they prepare to make some significant announcemnents. The big reveal will of course be iPhone related but since Apple's is slated to unveil the iCloud service, there's a good chance we'll be seeing some new iPods as well as saying goodbye to some iconic products.
The iPhone 4s/ iPhone 5
The iPhone 4 hasn't been updated in over a year but continues to be in high demand. Time has proven that the attenuation issue with the external antenna wasn't a major deal, at least not to the the people who flock to the Apple Store to buy these devices. This is the phone that sold 1.7 million units the first three days and while it may not be as powerful as competing dual core Android phones out there, it is still selling well up to now.
There might be two iphones announced on Tuesday. An iPhone 5 that will usher in the dual-core Apple A5 processor, a 1 Gigabyte of RAM and storage capacities of 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. We expect an upgraded 8 megapixel camera with 1080p video capability and possibly a larger 4-inch retina display in a thinner body.
Speech recognition is expected to be a big feature with the new iPhone 5. A video below from macrumors.com shows a demo of how this might work. Speech recognition as a means of control, to run searches, manage calls and text messages or email might be at the point where it is a viable feature for iOS devices.
Rumours are expecting the iPhone 4's glass enclosure to be partially replaced by an aluminum back which is a bit of a throwback to the original iPhone and which will unify it with the iPad and the rest of the aluminum clad Apple products. Personally, we're big fans of the iPhone 4's design and the glass treatment.
The iPhone 4S might be a lower priced iPhone 4 with updated specs including the new processor an RAM but sold in lower storage capacities. Apple has always had one iPhone product and it has never been a cheap option. Google's Android is most successful in the low-end and midrange of smartphone market. Apple needs to have an entry level phone in order to meet this competition. Something in the area of $300-$400 outright.
iPods
September has traditionally been an iPod or music-focused event for Apple and while the invitation to Tuesday's event at the Cupertino campus clearly says "Let's Talk iPhone," there's a chance the iPods will get a shake up. The iPod Classic which has been the original iPod evolved through 10 years now, is likely to be discontinued. iCloud's ability to hold a large music library on demand makes bringin your whole music collection on your pocket.
The iPod Shuffle is also expected to be on its way out possibly replaced by an improved touch model with higher capacity or an improved integration of speech recognition. The iPod Touch is rumored to be receiving an even slimmer body, possibly a larger screen and a better camera and some are even seeing 3G data (but no voice) added to the iPod Touch making it a very capable handheld computer with iCloud integration.
One more thing...
Apple is full of surprises and we expect Tim Cook's first keynote to have a few completely uncharted announcements on the software or hardware fronts. We might see something completely different this year. We'll be covering the event remotely this year and hope to review the devices as soon as they are announced for the Canadian market.