iOS4 Blog: Will The iPhone 5 Have a Smooth Release Like The iPad 2?

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Will The iPhone 5 Have a Smooth Release Like The iPad 2?

Posted: 30 Mar 2011 04:00 AM PDT

Early reports indicate that fewer defects and glitches are being reported on the iPad 2 than were reported with last year’s iPad release. But does a smooth iPad 2 release necessarily indicate a similarly smooth release for the iPhone 5?
So far, it has been smooth sailing for Apple in 2011.
After some initial glitches with the first iPad’s launch in 2010 and a few flubs surrounding the iPhone 4, our favorite gadget company seems to have regained their mojo: the iPad 2 has been a relatively smooth release. To be sure, there have been some flaws and defects reported with the screen, as well as some weak Wi-Fi issues with the base model iPad 2, but these complaints are sporadic at best. The sum total of iPad 2 press has been quite positive.
The initial success of the iPad 2 begs an interesting question: can we expect the iPhone 5 will have a similarly smooth ride when it is finally released sometime in 2011?
Making that prediction is a lot more complicated.
The good news for the iPhone 5 is that the dual core A5 chip seems to be performing nicely in the iPad 2. This tells us that processing should not be an issue with the iPhone 5. However, it’s looking more and more like there will be a number of new bells and whistles on the iPhone 5 that could lead to complications, glitches, and flaws.
After all, the iPad 2 is at its core a refresh of the original iPad. Apple didn’t go out a limb and redesign much that could have been faulty. The iPhone 5, however, may end up being much more breakthrough, for no other reason than the fact that Apple finds itself locked in mortal combat with Droid. and with news that iOS 5 will be announced at the WWDC this year, we can expect the iPhone 5 to be the first Apple device to feature iOS 5.

Another possibility is that NFC technology could become a complete disaster. Droid has already stepped into the NFC mud — it has been deemed a partial failure at best, even by the most avid Droid fans — and Apple could suffer an even worse disaster with the iPhone 5, if for no other reason than the fact that iPhone users are early anticipating NFC technology on the next iPhone.
Finally, the introduction of an 8 megapixel camera — a potentially new piece of hardware for the iPhone 5 — is also a new foray into uncharted waters.
All of these alleged, new “moving parts” on the iPhone 5 are subject to being problematic in ways that the more conservative iPad 2 has not had to deal with.
Of course, quality control remains at the forefront of all Apple products, and new features on the iPhone 5 in no way guarantee that problems are imminent. It’s just a good idea to recognize that, if the iPhone 5 is more than a simple refresh, more things could go wrong.
Be sure to read iPad 2 Online’s recent article, “Smooth Sailing for the iPad 2.”