It's that time of the quarter again already - the time when analysts start guessing, journalists start analyzing and everyone else starts buying or selling Apple stock. That's right folks, it's Apple earnings call time!
The iPhone 5 has been in our hands for a matter of months, but we already have a number of designers and Apple enthusiasts voicing their opinions on what should be included in the next-generation iPhone. It seems that those who like to produce concepts of new hardware aren't exactly shy in thrusting their visions into the public domain either, something that is especially true with Alexander Kormishin and his vivid iPhone 5S concept.
Everyone loves a good iOS concept, and even though iOS 7 is still a fair distance away, that hasn't stopped the next update from being the subject of one or two concepts already. How can Apple improve upon its iOS mobile operating system? Apple may argue it doesn't need to.
Rumors in the tech industry serve as a double edged sword. In one place, they build up confusion and raise false hopes thanks to their innate nature, but on the other hand, they are also responsible for generating the hype around a product, developing public interest, keep people on the edge of their seats in anticipation, and, to some extent, give creative ideas to the manufacturers themselves. The Cupertino fruit company has never had a shortage of the rumor mill when it comes to anything that’s released, or about to be. Akin to various other manufacturers, Apple, too, has maintained a solid schedule of releasing one new generation of the iPhone almost every year, and just like with every release, you get a good dose of rumors.
Just when we thought that all of the special shopping events had come to a rather disappointing end, Apple has taken the initiative and surprised us yet-again by announcing their intention to hold a one day long event on January 25th. The event is in celebration of the Chinese New Year and as such will only be applicable to residents of certain countries within Asia, but it should allow those lucky residents to get their hands on some great fruity bargains.
jOBS, one of two movies based on and around the life of one Steve Jobs, is set to release later this year, and to mark the occasion, the movie's leading actors Ashton Kutcher and Josh Gad will kick off Macworld next week. The movie was the first to be announced, and Kutcher (Jobs) and Gad (Steve Wozniak) will be representing two of the Cupertino company's co-founders, and their impromptu visit to the annual Macworld/iWorld conference will no doubt ramp up intrigue in jOBS prior to its April release.
Even though we aren't currently in the middle of an Apple product release schedule, history has shown us that it is pretty much impossible to escape the rumor mill that so often surrounds new hardware from the fruit company. Following on from earlier speculation about the potential existence of a new budget iPhone, the latest news coming from Asia is suggesting that Apple is not only planning on announcing the seventh-generation iPhone along with a budget handset, but also a larger 4.8-inch device.
With iOS 6 out for a few months and iOS 6.1 right around the corner, many are already wondering where Apple might next take its mobile operating system. After a few releases with little user interface changes, it is plausible that Apple may be working on quite a lot of changes for its upcoming release, iOS 7.
Of all the far-fetched rumors we've been fed of the purported "iPhone 5S" these past few weeks, this latest one really takes the biscuit. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities foresees the Apple's purchase of AuthenTec paying dividends with the seventh-gen smartphone, with the Cupertino finding a way of implementing some description of fingerprint sensor into the home button.
Considering the iPhone 5 was launched all the way back in September, I don't think it's unreasonable we begin talking about its eventual successor. The analysts certainly don't mind, having speculated about the "iPhone 5S" for at least a month now, and one such analyst - Peter Misek of Jefferies - has been at the heart of it. Today, he's chimed into the argument once more, noting to investors that two iPhone prototypes are currently being tested by the Cupertino company.
