It now seems certain that there will be a new iPhone on the market in the run up to Christmas 2011. Despite the fact that Apple is being cagey about the new iPhone in terms of functions, hardware, appearance and price, the rumour mill has sprung into action and the internet and technical press is alive with ideas about what the new iPhone 5 will be like and what the likely iPhone 5 deals will be when the phone comes onto the market.
Finding iPhone 5 Deals
The new handsets will probably be on the market at between £300 and £500 depending on the size of memory and processing speed, but what can be guaranteed is that the best iPhone 5 deals will be available for customers who sign up for the monthly contract packages offered by the retailers. Shopping around for the best iPhone 5 deals is highly recommended, but with every Apple launch there is massive demand for the new handsets and it may be a case of which retailers have stock of the phones rather than which retailer is offering the best iPhone 5 deals, at least in the pre-Christmas period. After Christmas and when demand has died down a little, retailers will become more competitive and the iPhone 5 deals available to customers will become more price sensitive and better value. Pay as you go customers will find that the new iPhone 5 handsets will be launched on the market at a high initial price and that if they intend on using the phone on a regular basis, it may be better value in the long run to switch to one of the monthly contract iPhone 5 deals which will be offered by all of the major mobile phone retailers in the UK.
iPhone 5 appearance
What will the new iPhone 5 look like? No official announcement has been made, but leaked pictures seem to suggest that the new models of iPhone will be squarer than the current, more rectangular models. It will also be thinner and lighter than current models, and released in both black and white versions initially with other colours possibly to follow at a later date. It also seems likely that Apple will attempt to solve previous problems with connectivity and reception by replacing the back cover of the iPhone with an aluminium or other type of metal casing which as well as protecting the phone will double as an antenna. These rumours gathered strength recently when a mobile phone casing company released images of an iPhone 5 cover which were then hastily withdrawn from the website. Many also expect the back of the new iPhone to be curved rather than flat, giving the new handset a completely different appearance and feel to the existing models on the market. The main technical difference however is that Apple seems likely to develop one model of phone which will work across the different networks worldwide.
iPhone 5 features
As for the functions of the new generation of iPhones, most of the rumours seem to agree that many of the components which make up the phones will be upgraded. A better digital camera of up to 8 megapixels in resolution will mean that pictures taken on the phone are of higher quality, and will be shared more easily with friends and family through social networking sites. It also seems likely that a webcam will be added into the new iPhone to enhance what phone users can do on the internet. The processor is also to be upgraded, with the dual core A5 processor making the phone both more reliable and much quicker to run software or apps. Other probable features include facial recognition software and changes to the swiping motion which has become so familiar to Apple users. There has also been discussion by Apple and other manufacturers about eliminating the use of SIM cards in mobile phones altogether by developing phones which have the SIM software built in, but this move is likely to be unpopular with customers, especially those who buy handsets then switch SIM cards between networks in order to take advantage of the best iPhone 5 deals on the market.
iPhone 5 release date
The release date for the new iPhone is another hotly debated topic. At first the rumours were for a release date of 30th September 2011, although this now seems early. Mid to late October seems to be a more likely date and this rumour is given added weight by the fact that several large US distribution companies have banned all staff leave during the first fortnight of October. Release date in the UK is likely to be the same date as in the USA. What is certain is that Apple will try to get the new handset released well before the peak Christmas trading period.
