Wednesday, May 4, 2011

The iPhone 5 News Blog News Feed

The iPhone 5 News Blog News Feed

2011 Android Smartphones Challenge iPhone 5 Form Factor

Posted: 04 May 2011 08:36 AM PDT


iphone 5 slate

A clean, minimalist mock-up of the fabled "iSlate." Could the iPhone 5's form factor be similar?

 

So far, 2011 has been the year that Android got a beauty makeover, with dual touch screens; slide-out QWERTY keyboards, and next-generation chassis designs dominating the new crop of Droid smartphones. Will Apple up the ante on the iPhone 5‘s form factor in response to these new designs?

When you’re a big fan of the iPhone, it’s easy to filter out all of the beautiful, new Android smartphones that have hit the market in the past year or so. After all, the iPhone is no slouch when it comes to style. In fact, you can argue that the original iPhone form factor still remains the template for most smartphones out there — including Android.

But for as much as Apple and the iPhone have led the way in style and aesthetics, new Android form factors are pushing the envelope on smartphone designs, which means that Apple will have to consider some new looks for the iPhone 5.

If you search around the iPhone 5 rumor mill, you’ll find plenty of conflicting reports on the iPhone 5′s purported form factor and aesthetics. Some sources claim that the iPhone 5 will retain much of the same look as the iPhone 4, with only minor adjustments, such as a return to the metal back. We have reported in another article, however, that new rumors also suggest a brand-new iPhone 5 form factor, which could feature a wedge or teardrop-shaped chassis. None of these rumors, however, are reliable enough to have a sense of what’s to come in late Summer/early Fall when we predict the iPhone 5 will debut.

That being said, it’s worth taking a look at the new offerings from Android to see what the iPhone 5 will be up against.

kyrocera echo versus iphone 5

Kyrocera's new Droid-powered, dual-screened Echo. Could the iPhone 5 have a dual touch screen?

Could the iPhone 5 Be Dual-Screened?

At present, there is only one mainstream smartphone on the market that features dual screen functionality — the Droid-powered Kyrocera Echo. Read up on this audacious smartphone and you’ll be amazed at the R&D that Kyrocera undertook in order to get the dual screen idea to work. In particular, they had to develop a patented hinge that would allow users to quickly and easily convert the smartphone into a kind of “mini tablet.” The dual screen also allows users to multi-task, thanks to seven proprietary apps that let two things happen on the two different screens.

The Echo hasn’t gotten rave reviews, but if you dig deep into the critiques, you soon learn that what lowers its ratings from reviews are somewhat superfluous details: many find the monolithic design to be spartan and lackluster, and other complain that not enough apps exist for the dual-screen multi-tasking function of the Echo to get really excited about it. But considering that this is the smartphone market’s first foray into dual screen technology, the Echo is a pioneer.

The dual screen idea for a smartphone just seems like the kind of thing that Apple would try to perfect — maybe on the iPhone 5? And since Apple loves to make their gadgets thinner, lighter, and more compact, it wouldn’t be impossible to imagine a dual-screened iPhone 5 that would be remarkably thinner and sturdier than even the well-engineered Echo.

droid 2 versus iphone 5

The Droid 2 has an impressive look as well as a slide-out QWERTY keyboard to accompany its touch screen.

 

The iPhone 5 Slide-out QWERTY Keyboard Debate — Revisited

Less than two months ago, an article here on the blog about the possibility of an iPhone 5 slide-out QWERTY keyboard stoked major discussion and debate over this contentious feature. While no scientific poll was conducted, the comments and discussions were rather evenly divided, with some iPhone users balking at the idea of the iPhone 5 featuring a slide-out keyboard — claiming that such a feature would be akin to iPhone blasphemy — while others are pining for the option of a keyboard in addition to the iPhone’s dynamic touch screen.

For as much as the slide-out keyboard for the iPhone 5 still remains unsettled, there are a number of Android smartphones that feature both a QWERTY keyboard and touch screen. Models like the LG Axis, Droid 2, and Dell Venue Pro add a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, while other models like the Motorola Charm and Droid Pro feature a front-facing keyboard and touch screen together.

we had written in a recent article how it wouldn’t be impossible to imagine two iPhone 5 models being released at the same time. Perhaps a way to radically update the iPhone 5 form factor would be to offer users the option of a slide-out keyboard?

Minimalism — An Apple Mainstay That Could Differentiate the iPhone 5 From Android

Something that has always made Apple wonderfully different from other tech companies is its minimalist approach to gadget design, aesthetics, and form factors. This is the company, after all, that did away with the eject button on its disk drives, a three-button mouse, and put the power button on the back on its iMac. This is the company that brought the idea of combining a computer’s CPU and monitor into the mainstream.

While Android has gotten prettier in 2011, smartphones still remain somewhat cluttered and busy, what with buttons, rocker switches, camera and proximity sensors, dock connections, and a myriad of other bumps and crevasses that make a smartphone look increasing utilitarian.

Where Apple could wow people with the iPhone 5 would be a beautifully minimalist design.

If you agree, then there is some reason to believe that your wish could come true. Two persistent rumors — an edge-to-edge screen and the disappearance of the home button, both of which are discussed in our iPhone 5 features section — could contribute to a sleek, simple iPhone 5 façade.

In addition, the iPhone’s remaining buttons and switches could be completely phased out if rumors of an iPhone 5 Smart Bezel came to fruition, incorporating all controls into the iPhone’s touch screen interface.

Aesthetics Will Play a big Role in the iPhone 5′s Success

Right now, one of the biggest debates concerning the iPhone 5 is whether or not it will be a simple refresh or total overhaul of the iPhone 4. Parsing that debate further, it becomes more complex to define what a “total overhaul” for the iPhone 5 would look like. After all, if the iPhone 5 gets the A5 chip, iOS 5, NFC technology, and an 8 megapixel camera, but still looks like the iPhone 4, does that constitute an “overhaul?

while hardcore techies might answer a resounding “yes” to that question, many average iPhone users would disagree. The masses are led by what is visual, and because Apple has a strong tradition of producing aesthetically pleasing products, something big will have to happen to the iPhone 5′s form factor to make it seem revolutionary.

In other words, the upgrades inside the iPhone 5 will have to be reflected on the outside as well.