Evidence shows Apple testing next-gen iPhone
Hidden strings in Apple's latest iPhone firmware reveals that a major revision of the hardware is in the works and is even being tested online.
A poke around the latest iPhone firmware by Mac Rumors has found a product string for iPhone 2,1, a version of the handset that has never been publicly available or else visible in previous firmware.
The 2007 launch iPhone identifies itself as iPhone 1,1, while the current iPhone 3G lists as iPhone 1,2, indicating that it's a minor revision of a similar design. As with similar practices for Macs, Apple's choice of 2,1 implies a major update for the handset; the second-generation iPod touch is listed as iPod 2,1 and includes slightly faster internal hardware as well as a significant external redesign.
And while such company-produced leaks rarely hint at the state of the future hardware, a developer tracking ad views from PinchMedia claims to have seen requests coming from iPhone 2,1 devices; the discovery suggests that test iPhones are functioning at a level which lets them connect to the web.
Apple has until now provided few clues as to its 2009 plans for the iPhone and has left most of the talking to its individual component makers, which could potentially offer more advanced graphics, newer ARM processors or new communications chips that would permit faster 3G cellular data.
A poke around the latest iPhone firmware by Mac Rumors has found a product string for iPhone 2,1, a version of the handset that has never been publicly available or else visible in previous firmware.
The 2007 launch iPhone identifies itself as iPhone 1,1, while the current iPhone 3G lists as iPhone 1,2, indicating that it's a minor revision of a similar design. As with similar practices for Macs, Apple's choice of 2,1 implies a major update for the handset; the second-generation iPod touch is listed as iPod 2,1 and includes slightly faster internal hardware as well as a significant external redesign.
And while such company-produced leaks rarely hint at the state of the future hardware, a developer tracking ad views from PinchMedia claims to have seen requests coming from iPhone 2,1 devices; the discovery suggests that test iPhones are functioning at a level which lets them connect to the web.
Apple has until now provided few clues as to its 2009 plans for the iPhone and has left most of the talking to its individual component makers, which could potentially offer more advanced graphics, newer ARM processors or new communications chips that would permit faster 3G cellular data.
Comments
Of course AT&T would probably raise monthly rates for such a device that would suck down their network.
If I wasn't so married to Rogers' 3 Year Contract I'd go buy a new iPhone! I like new things
Well if there is a new phone, Rogers and fido (and I assume most carriers) will let you upgrade for the price of the phone or something less than that.
The thing I don't think Apple or any of the carriers have thought of is that the 3G phones will either be junk or re-sold to others and if resold, then the carriers will pretty much have to start activating and accepting people with iPhones that were not bought on the spot at their stores. At least it would be quite an outrage not to considering the environmental implications.
Why is it news that Apple is working on an update? Obviously Apple is always working on an update. It wuld be news if it wasn't.
Because people get bored and need something to argue... er... talk about?
Why is it news that Apple is working on an update? Obviously Apple is always working on an update. It wuld be news if it wasn't.
good point, but i think it became news because everyone is so curious as to what the next version will be like.
- Battery life
- File transfer speed (e.g. uploading a movie)
- Answering: I would like a dedicated hard to push button for answering a ringing phone
- GPS: takes too long to home in on you
- Orientation-change detection: not reliable enough
- Screen turns off when you're speaking: I don't like this behavior, could it be a preference setting.
OOOOOOHH MY GOD!!!!!! NOOOO WAYYYYY!!!! WOW. Connecting to the worldwide interweb?!?!?!?!? Wow it's so ahead of the times...
Come on, can we get some real tech news? Sometimes I feel like Apple is getting "old" and I have been a long-time fan.
Give me an iChat enabled iPhone and I'm in.
Of course AT&T would probably raise monthly rates for such a device that would suck down their network.
Ooh! That patent for putting a camera behind the LCD screen would come in handy for that!
If this next iPhone does have its own chip I think COPY&PASTE, PUSH and Dual Camera is much of a reality. The current camera can be facing the user, while new 5 mega-pixel camera can be facing back.
Latest version of iLife really gave hints that Apple is serious about photos so I wouldn't be surprise if iPhone can automatically send your pics directly to iPhoto app over 3G or Wi-Fi. They can be stored on Mobile Me until user opens iPhoto. Then iPhoto will ask to retrieve new photos from MobileMe.
Because people get bored and need something to argue... er... talk about?
Hence the person a few posts prior getting giddy like a beverly hills yuppy needing the latest "thing."
- 800Mhz+ ARM Cortex-A8 CPU
- PowerVR SGX
- HSUPA (fast, low latency uploads)
- better camera with autofocus, flash, video
- forward-facing camera for video calls
- universal dual-mode CDMA EV-DO/HSPA chipset for worldwide use (see blackberry 8800 world phone)
"...the discovery suggests that test iPhones are functioning at a level which lets them connect to the web..."
OOOOOOHH MY GOD!!!!!! NOOOO WAYYYYY!!!! WOW. Connecting to the worldwide interweb?!?!?!?!? Wow it's so ahead of the times...
Come on, can we get some real tech news? Sometimes I feel like Apple is getting "old" and I have been a long-time fan.
I think you missed the point here, bud. The point of what you quoted was to show that the device was in some form of testing, not that the new iPhone will be able to access the internet.
I mean people flipped out over the 3G, I think news of something that gets a whole new first number is a pretty big deal myself. I never upgraded to the 3G, so I might jsut skip over that half generation and get a new phone when 2,1 comes out.
My concern with the dual core A9 Cortex though is that I haven't really heard anything concrete about power consumption relative to current generation ARM parts and I was still getting the impression that the A9 and especially the MPCore multicore designs were targeted for larger devices like MIDs and tablets more to nip at Intel's Atom than at cell phones which have greater battery constraints.
EDIT: For interest, Palm's Pre looks to use a ARM A8 with unknown clock speed. This'll be quite a bit faster than the current iPhone's processor. So Apple will have to go with a higher clocked ARM A8 or to an A9 to stay in the lead.
Methane powercell, perhaps?
That would probably require significant changes to the hardware and the mobile OS.
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- GPS with downloadable maps and directions. Specifically for travelling abroad with a selection of maps that can be dowloaded via iTunes
- more memory
- ability to use the iPhone as a GPS tracking for dSLR picture taking (should be a matter of software implemented for it by third parties but, AFAIK, no one did it yet)
- better email management, such as Mail.app with one inbox that shows all incoming messages, regardless of the account.
- Stereo Bluetooth
Not much more in my opinion. Maybe a better GPS receiver...
Dream iPhone version 3:
- 800Mhz+ ARM Cortex-A8 CPU
- PowerVR SGX
- HSUPA (fast, low latency uploads)
- better camera with autofocus, flash, video
- forward-facing camera for video calls
- universal dual-mode CDMA EV-DO/HSPA chipset for worldwide use (see blackberry 8800 world phone)
I'd go for video calls (as every 3G phone does).
900Mhz support for 3G would be great down here too, CDMA makes no difference.
would it make at&t's coverage better? if not, i'm still screwed for another 1 year or so
Perhaps but unlikely. Now, a VoIP option would... if you could roam to your home or work network to give you virtual cell coverage. I'd love to see Apple integrate iChat with 3G voice and video calling, with seamless roaming onto VoIP. And it'd take a deal with AT&T and many other phone companies around the world to make that seamless.
- GPS with downloadable maps and directions. Specifically for travelling abroad with a selection of maps that can be dowloaded via iTunes
- ability to use the iPhone as a GPS tracking for dSLR picture taking (should be a matter of software implemented for it by third parties but, AFAIK, no one did it yet)
- Stereo Bluetooth
These are software things. GPS with downloadable maps would be great. Expanded Bluetooth would be useful in several ways.
Apparently there is an iPhone App that tracks your GPS location and with another app will integrate it with your photos - but it's not simple and the app has to be on (it can't run in the background). If the iPhone Maps just noted your location when activated and uploaded a summary to iPhoto while syncing... that'd be nice.