New iPhone - 4th Generation?

Zascar

I'm due an upgrade on my iPhone. I have the 3G but would like the 3Gs - however I hear they are coming out with a new iPhone, 4g, 5mp camera etc.

I saw this article on Digg: http://thenextweb.com/apple/2010/04/14/iphones-rumoured-arriving-june-22nd But its just a rumor and who knows how long it might take.

Any good guesses as to when it realistically might be available here on 02?

Sad Professor

Announced in June, available here in July probably. There will be stock shortages though, so it could be August before you get your hands on one.

I'd recommend waiting.

aidan_walsh

I highly doubt the new phone will be 4G compatible. 4G is really only in the planning stages in the US at the moment, and not really much better in Europe or elsewhere.

Zascar

Thanks. My mate owns an 02 store so I'm sure I'll be able to get my hands on one ok. I'm not concerned with 4G more the other features like better camera and the 4.0 OS features etc which will be a nice addition to what I have now with the standard 3G. I just don't want to go out and get a 3Gs and weeks later a newer version comes out!

I'm wondering will it be faster or have better battery life?

Johnmb

aidan_walsh wrote: »

I highly doubt the new phone will be 4G compatible. 4G is really only in the planning stages in the US at the moment, and not really much better in Europe or elsewhere.

In this case the 4G refers to the iPhone, i.e. it'll be the 4th generation of the phone. It has nothing to do with the carrier technology.

seamus

aidan_walsh wrote: »

I highly doubt the new phone will be 4G compatible. 4G is really only in the planning stages in the US at the moment, and not really much better in Europe or elsewhere.

Johnmb wrote: »

In this case the 4G refers to the iPhone, i.e. it'll be the 4th generation of the phone. It has nothing to do with the carrier technology.

Although it appears that Apple called their last iteration the 3GS in order to "reset" the numbering system, I've a feeling that the next phone won't be called the iPhone 4G, primarily because there will be a lot of complaints that it amounts to misleading advertising - there'll be nothing 4G about the phone.

They'll probably call it the "iPhone E" (enhanced) or something and only in private and on forums will it be referred to as a 4G. Even the iPod is the same - although we refer to "generations" of iPods, Apple call the current model the "iPod classic".

Zascar

I edited the title to "4th Generation" to avoid confusion.

Johnmb

The last rumour I seen about the name was that it would be called the iPhone HD. Apple won't announce the name until they announce the actual phone, so until then it will likely be referred to as the iPhone 4G on all the rumour sites. People just have to remember that the 4G refers to the phone only on such sites this time round.

seamus

To answer the OP, the general consensus is "wait". The 3GS doesn't offer a massive amount of features above the 3G:

It's faster
The bigger one is 32GB
It has a compass (sounds crap, but if anyone finds a really good use for augmented reality, it'll be very important)
It has video
It has a better camera

For me, none of these things are enough to justify a jump to the 3GS.

When OS 4.0 is released, the 3GS becomes a much more attractive phone because it will have multitasking, but by then the next iPhone will be only a few weeks away, so you'd be better of waiting.

Zascar

http://mashable.com/2010/01/18/iphone-4g-guide/



Mashable had one of these for the iPad and it was relatively accurate, a bit over enthusiastic maybe.


Edit: More recent article here: http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/apples-iphone-4g-what-we-know-about-the-iphone-hd/

banquo

They might just call it 'iPhone', and use the term solo to describe the 4th gen model.

danmanw8

any idea of exact dates, holding out with my 3G until then!!!

kevteljeur

I'm waiting on the 4th Gen iPhone myself, I think the speed difference will be a necessity for handling iPhone OS 4 and subsequent OS versions (I have the original, and it's no longer sufficient to handle iPhone OS 3). The rumours I've seen are that the display will be double the density, and for this they'll market it as 'iPhone HD'. There'll likely be upgrades of some other aspects too, such as a faster processor, more RAM, higher base storage.

I'm less sure about some of the other reported features, Apple likes its kit to be no-nonsense rather than feature-packed. More features = more nonsense, and we know how Steve Jobs feels about that...



k

decsramble

Late June, the 22nd is the popular bet at the moment. iPhone HD is also the popular name choice. I have a 3G and I'm waiting for the HD to come out. The OS4.0 release highlighted the lifecycle of the iPhones, the 1st Gen phone wont get the new OS and the 3G wont get all of the features. Only the 3GS and HD will get the full set of new features. I'd guess any OS 5.0 when ever it is released will do the same, drop 3G support and give a subset for 3GS. For that reason I would hold out until July for the HD so that it will be get any the new features for longer.

faceman

seamus wrote: »

Although it appears that Apple called their last iteration the 3GS in order to "reset" the numbering system, I've a feeling that the next phone won't be called the iPhone 4G, primarily because there will be a lot of complaints that it amounts to misleading advertising - there'll be nothing 4G about the phone.

They'll probably call it the "iPhone E" (enhanced) or something and only in private and on forums will it be referred to as a 4G. Even the iPod is the same - although we refer to "generations" of iPods, Apple call the current model the "iPod classic".

Although "iPhone €€€" would be more appropriate!

Zascar

Here it is!
http://gizmodo.com/5520164/

babypink

Zascar wrote: »

Here it is!
http://gizmodo.com/5520164/

I'm almost convinced .... ALMOST.

If they had shown it actually powered on and displaying the connect to itunes screen like the article described they experienced, then I'd be pretty much on the bandwagon.

So, right now ---- not fully convinced.

Zascar

I'm pretty convinced... I don't necessarily think it was an 'accident' that it got lost and sent to Gizmodo though. Apple are very strategic with their leaks.

Sad Professor

Despite my initial resistance, I'm fairly convinced this is a legit prototype now. My only question is how close this will be to the final version. I still don't like the silver border around the outside of it.

Breezer

That reminds me of this thing I used to own:



I never liked that thing. I liked it even less when its alarm didn't go off one morning, resulting in me missing a bus, leaving me stranded in the middle of nowhere in the French Alps at 5am with no place to stay, subzero temperatures, several feet of snow on the ground, no phone credit, my only way out being a €200+ taxi to Grenoble Airport, where no drivers spoke English, on a morning when all the taxis were coming from the airport and wouldn't be available to head back there until after my flight left.

I'm now scared of the iPhone

displaced dub

Zascar wrote: »

Here it is!
http://gizmodo.com/5520164/

im glad i waited and didnt take o2 up on the upgrade to the 3GS.... by the way i came:D:D:D

sprinkles

Is anyone else following the Gizmodo crap about the iPhone 4? (I presume ye all are). In general they are hard to take as serious tech journalists with some of the tripe they put up - ala this - but the iPhone 4 stuff they are putting up over the last 2 days has been up there with the best (read:worst) of it.

The way they hung the Eng who lost the phone out to dry was in particularly bad taste and this piece is utter crap of the highest order!!!

I'm sure Apple are pissed off at losing the phone but there's nothing spectacular about the findings - front facing camera being the most surprising but then the iPhone OS has had mention of it for some months now.

/RANT

conor.hogan.2

oh i had no problem with them buying the phone for 5/10,000 dollars.

but them saying the engineer who lost it is being a **** - especially links and images of him.

alexlyons

apple asked for it back in writing so I'd say with almost 100% certainty it is the final product, maybe one or two minor changes but i doubt anything external significant will be changed

aidan_walsh

*snigger*

displaced dub

Does anyone think this will be launched at the WWDC10 conference between the 7th and 10th of June?

babypink

inevitable

Sad Professor

displaced dub wrote: »

Does anyone think this will be launched at the WWDC10 conference between the 7th and 10th of June?

Announced, yes, guaranteed. Released, extremely unlikely, despite the rumours. But maybe very shortly after.

conor.hogan.2

Announced and talked about for developers - released before or for Christmas I would imagine or maybe before as to put a downer on the first Win phone seven phone seven mobile series of phones by Microsoft seven series phones that will be out by that time.

sprinkles

It'll be released ASAP, most likely June. People are going to be put off buying a new iPhone if they know a better one is on the way (particularly when it's announced and the list of new features are revealed). Apple would be mad to announce it at WWDC and hold off on the release by anything more than a few weeks.

My guess is you'll hear this:
"....and one more thing. It's available as of tomorrow"

Sad Professor

Yeah, the 3G and 3GS were both released about a month after the announcement. We can expect the same again. Although with the cat already out of the bag, Apple will want to get it out sooner if they can.

banquo

..or else keep it in longer to build in more features, now that HTC and Samsung are undoubtable copying what they've seen.

alexlyons

Mr.S wrote: »

What are the chances of it being unlocked within a month? I'll be living/working in Canada over the Summer so would be cheap to pick one up when they get released over there.

pretty high but you'd be locked to a US contract

alexlyons

indeed but the cancelation fee is pretty high, and its still locked to AT&T so you'd need to jailbreak it etc. You can only buy an iPhone SIM free when they are about to release a new one, which is now. They're gonna release a new one in june so that'll be locked to AT&T. You can buy it without a contract I am just remembering, but its about $600 at least IIRC.

Much easier is wait till you get back, head up north and buy one of o2, pay £15 and its fully unlocked. PAYG is about €500 which is no where near as much as you'd pay for one in US/Canada if you include cancelation fee etc. Also, if anything goes wrong, its just a drive across the border and not shipping it to the states as warranty is only in the country of purchase.

speakeasy900

Zascar wrote: »

I'm due an upgrade on my iPhone. I have the 3G but would like the 3Gs - however I hear they are coming out with a new iPhone, 4g, 5mp camera etc.

I saw this article on Digg: http://thenextweb.com/apple/2010/04/14/iphones-rumoured-arriving-june-22nd But its just a rumor and who knows how long it might take.

Any good guesses as to when it realistically might be available here on 02?

I havent read all of this thread so I apologise if I'm repeating something that's already been mentioned, but I thought I'd come on here after Vodafone sold me an iPhone this week and I had not realised there is a new one coming out this summer. I know it probably won't be available here for ages but I'd like to hold off. The trouble is the store would not take it back the day after I bought it. Now I'm stuck with it on an 18 month contract.

So just be warned, Vodafone shop staff will pretend they know nothing about a new one arriving and they will say this if you try to return the old one like I did. This is hard to believe seeing as these obnoxious mobile sales people are usually techo geeks and usually seem to know everything.

thecommander

speakeasy900 wrote: »

This is hard to believe seeing as these obnoxious mobile sales people are usually techo geeks and usually seem to know everything.

Its not known when it will be announced, all is it is speculation at the moment. New things come out all the time, if you were to hold out you'd never make a decision.

On another note, I think there is a 7 day cooling off period on phone contracts. Im sure someone can confirm here.

whiterebel

speakeasy900 wrote: »

I havent read all of this thread so I apologise if I'm repeating something that's already been mentioned, but I thought I'd come on here after Vodafone sold me an iPhone this week and I had not realised there is a new one coming out this summer. I know it probably won't be available here for ages but I'd like to hold off. The trouble is the store would not take it back the day after I bought it. Now I'm stuck with it on an 18 month contract.

So just be warned, Vodafone shop staff will pretend they know nothing about a new one arriving and they will say this if you try to return the old one like I did. This is hard to believe seeing as these obnoxious mobile sales people are usually techo geeks and usually seem to know everything.

They don't know. It hasn't been officially announced, and therefore can't be commented on.