100% chance
• iOS 5: Prepare your iPhones, because the final iOS 5 is coming for sure… but perhaps not yet. Most probably it will not be available for download tomorrow — the latest beta was not a very good one and there’s no sign of the golden master anywhere. Still, if there’s no download, there will be a release date and a full tour of the complete operating system, including its new killer feature: Assistant.
The new iOS 5 comes with a lot of new features — these are the top 10 — but Assistant is the one that nobody has experienced yet. Assistant is based on Siri, a technology that Apple bought for a couple hundred million dollars. The rumour is that it will require the new and more powerful iPhone’s A5 processor to work correctly, as well as a connection to the Internet. This is because Assistant is not just voice recognition, but artificial intelligence assisted by servers in the cloud. Expect a deranged Scott Forstall to be extremely excited about this tomorrow.
• iPhone 4S: We know this is real because we got the exclusive info. The rumour is that it is a cheaper version of the iPhone. I think this is the new iPhone, period. It has appeared in the latest iOS 5 beta and has also been leaked on Germany Vodafone’s site. An updated iPhone 4 with new A5 processor and more RAM, maybe a better camera, but with the same design. Just like the iPhone 3GS was a faster update to the iPhone 3G.
50% chance
• New iPod touch: The event invitation says “Let’s talk iPhone”. That clearly sets the tone and perhaps it’s an indication that they will only talk about iPhones. However, traditionally they have also made announcements about iPods during the iPhone events, so they may mention the new models for the holiday season. Or perhaps they will just pass on these completely, just like they usually do when new Macbooks or iMacs appear on the Apple Store without any fanfare.
• Click-wheel iPod is dead: If they talk about iPod, then they most probably will announce the death of all the non-iOS 5 iPods except the touchscreen iPod nano. In a one slide, farewell, you served us well, NEXT! kind of way.
10% chance
• iPhone 5: Don’t hold your breath for this one. Despite all the Chinese cases and all the rumours, there’s not a single tangible evidence of the iPhone 5. None of the iPhones — or any other Apple product in history, for that matter — has reached the day before its announcement without a leak in the supply chain. Our bet is that the iPhone 4S is the next iPhone.
1% chance
• One more thing is Steve Jobs. Maybe he will appear and say hi. I doubt it.
Roland
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 9:26 AMWell after many years and countless apps purchases if they bring out a piddly iPhone4S upgrade offer I will look at changing to another brand… To what I don’t know, but it will be with a heavy heart…
Sean
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 10:02 AMWhy? If it has a faster processor, more RAM, better graphics performance, more reliable network connections and longer battery life that wouldn’t be enough for you? Genuine question, I am curious to know what features it would need to have to keep you as a customer.
Roland
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 10:15 AMOh Sean I want all those for sure and I noticed the difference when I went the upgrade from 3 to 3S, but then the iPhone was the market leader in smartphones… now the simple minded person that I am wants a bigger screen too… I feel quite inadequate pulling mine out now that all the new ones have a bigger screen than mine… :-P
z3d
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 10:30 AMI am pretty happy with the iphone 4. I think screen size is really the only spec that needs to be addressed. everything else is a bonus. In a perfect world, it’d look exactly the same only the screen would be longer but phone size would remain. that way the current accessories would fit. i’m sure they don’t want that.
Benny
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 11:19 AMAgreed. I have ‘i’ everything and even I simply can’t wait any longer for a worthwile upgrade to the 3GS.
Julius
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 9:48 AMI fear a revolt and leaving of iOS for Android if they don’t bring out the big bling with a new iPhone 5 tomorrow. There needs to be something to show for that delay. SOMETHING BIG!
Maybe I expect too much…
Jed
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 9:50 AMWhy would they call it the iPhone 4S? that makes no sense. They called it the 3GS to bring it back into number order. Even if it is just a spec bump they should call it iPhone 5!! or am I to understand that the squence is 1, 3G, 3GS, 4, 4S, 6, 6S, 8….
Entilzha
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 9:52 AMIf Steve Jobs doesn’t come on stage in the Star Trek Original Captain Pike chair I will not be happy.
Dan Miller
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 9:52 AMMy theory is that all those so called iPhone 5 cases are really for the new iPod touch. It’s easy for them to hide the touch because everyone will be convinced it is the new iPhone.
blueevo
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 10:31 AMThats exactly my thought.
But there is a little evidence that the 5 may be exclusive to some carriers but we really wont know till tommorow.
If its a iPhone 4S ill forget it and get a Galaxy S2 or hold off to see what Nokia does or get the Nexus Prime. If theres a 5 released I probably will get that and forget about the other phones.
If Apple wants my money they know what to do.
Penmonicus
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 10:34 AMI figure that iOS5 means there’ll be an “iPhone 5″, whatever guts it has.
But I’ve been waiting a long time now. I’m hoping for more than a minor upgrade.
And 64GB! Pleease!
Marlon
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 11:06 AMIt’s inconceivable to me that after such a long delay all they would release is a slightly faster 4S.. the iPhone 4 is already an ‘outdated’ phone in many ways, and in terms of design, a lot of phones (like the Xperia Arc, Nokia N9 or the Galaxy S2) have surpassed it..
I hate Apple, but there is no way they would release something that they didn’t believe was going to be a market leader when it came out.
smurfydog
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 7:14 PM“the iPhone 4 is already an ‘outdated’ phone in many ways, and in terms of design, a lot of phones… have surpassed it.”
While the specs of the iPhone4 may be outdated, on the design issue I beg to differ.
The iPhone4 stands out in the crowd as a true design original. There’s simply no phone that looks anything like it. A single steel band sandwiched between two panes of glass – who else does anything like this?
I’ve commented before that I’m not a fan of the design from a user perspective.
Surely there is a way to design a phone that is just as visually appealing AND also much more robust? (Stainless steel back anyone?)
But having said that, I wouldn’t be surprised to see it featured as a standard exhibit in design museuems in years to come.
From a design perspective, to me it’s as much an object of beauty as the Leica M5 or Ray Ban Wayfarer sunglasses (to name just two random design classics).
But each to their own I guess.
Steve
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 8:04 PMWhy not? The exact same thing happened with the iPad 2. All the blogs were going into overdrive about how it would have a 300 dpi+ screen, expandable SD card slot and many other equally optimistic guesses when it turned out to be slightly thinner and faster.
A yearly update doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be ground-breaking as the iPad 2/iPhone 3GS attest.
Michael
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 11:45 AMAll I can say is LOLS to the news paper the other day saying the iPhone 5 was coming out on the 4th. People in my lunch room was talking about it after reading about it in the Herald Sun. After not being able to take it anymore, I chimed in and set them straight with the whole, “They are anouncing SOMETHING and if it is the iPhone 5, Australia will probably have to wait a month or so till we get it.” I said this while reading the Herald Sun on my Galaxy S2 and not lifing my eyes off the screen.
Salmonpie
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 12:09 PMIphone Universe, T5, 4.4inch super-duper AM-LODE (runner) screen, 7G and running IO, IO, S O5,5!
smurfydog
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 7:17 PMI’ll take two good sir!
John
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 4:40 PMIf they don’t bring out an iPhone 5, there will be a lot of ‘Apple disappoints’ style coverage about it.
I’m not convinced Apple would be foolish enough to let the hype about a brand new phone build up to such a frenzy, when they would know that the inevitable backlash could easily ruin the launch they had in mind all along.
There are plenty of subtle ways in which Apple could have long ago dampened the speculation and it seems to me likely that a company as PR-savvy as Apple would have done just that.
But, hey, I could be wrong.