Apple to offer 'iPhone 5S' in new gold color and 128GB storage option, insider says

 Apple to offer 'iPhone 5S' in new gold color and 128GB storage option, insider says


Kuo points out in his note investors that the so-called "iPhone 5S," will carry over many of the features already established with the current iPhone 5, including the 4-inch screen form factor.

The analyst predicts Apple will make the usual processor buff, this time to a new A7 system-on-chip design with 1GB of LPDDR3 RAM. The latest chip is expected to be of Apple's own design based on the ARMv8 architecture, suggesting efficiency may be increased by up to 20 percent. Because Apple controls both the operating system and hardware for the iPhone 5S, it can optimize the faster LPDDR3 RAM spec for the A7 SoC, keeping the amount of addressable memory to 1GB.

The phone's rear-facing camera will also be tweaked. While the sensor unit will remain untouched, the iPhone 5S shooter will use a larger f2.0 aperture lens assembly with dual LED flashes.

As for the widely rumored fingerprint sensor, Kuo reiterated the view he expressed in a separate note last week, saying the package will likely be embedded in a sapphire glass home button.

For storage, Kuo expects Apple to add on a new option for a capacious 128GB of on-board flash memory, the same change the company made to the fourth generation iPad in February.

New Apple iPhone not expected to have many changes

New Apple iPhone not expected to have many changes

LOS ANGELES — Don't expect to be overwhelmed when Apple unveils its latest iPhone upgrade next month — analysts expect few changes.
The current model, the iPhone 5, saw a larger screen, improved resolution, an upgraded camera and new charging cable. The new 5S, as analysts expect the new phone to be called, will follow the usual drill — faster processor, improved camera and more storage, says Gene Munster, an analyst with Piper Jaffray.

This is an incremental release," Munster says.
 Apple could use a new hit. Its once iron-clad grip on the smartphone market has taken a tumble.
In the second quarter, Apple again saw its market share fall. Researcher Gartner on Wednesday said Apple's share fell to 14.2%, from 18.8% in the year-ago quarter. Market share climbed to 79% for phones from a variety of companies running Google's Android operating system, up from 64.2% the year before.

Apple's 'iPhone 5S' to boast fingerprint sensor embedded in convex sapphire home button

By using a convex home button instead of the familiar concave design, Apple will be able to make room for the much rumored fingerprint sensor without losing precious internal space, according to well-informed KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

In a research note obtained by AppleInsider, Kuo says Apple is using sapphire because of its resilience to scratches, which will thus protect the fingerprint sensor embedded within.

AuthenTec, the biometric security firm Apple purchased in 2012, uses leading-edge capacitive and RF technologies in its biometric chips, a method that images fingerprints differently than existing optics-based systems. Kuo believes the tech is superior as the sensor is not subject to misreadings due to the build up of detritus or dust.

Further, the analyst sees Apple's current one-button iPhone design as being an optimal fit for a fingerprint reader. With a single home button, consumers are less likely to be confused as to where to place their finger for scanning.


 Apple's 'iPhone 5S' to boast fingerprint sensor embedded in convex sapphire home button

This radical iPhone 6 concept completely reimagines the world's favorite smartphone

Apple is set to release its next version of the iPhone, the iPhone 5S this fall. We don't expect to see drastic changes to the physical look of the phone.

But next year, Apple could very well release a redesigned "iPhone 6." If it wanted to.

Graphic designer and artist Johnny Plaid has envisioned a drastic update for the iPhone 6 which takes advantage of an edge-to-edge display, multi-touch sensors in the bottom of the device that get rid of the home button, and a brand new charger that integrates MagSafe technology.

We know that the next iPhone Apple releases will be the 5S and the rumored iPhone 5C. Graphic designer an artist Johnny Plaid has imagined what the iPhone 6 could look like. Here it is: