The iPhone 5S rumor roundup

iPhone 5S: Will it look the same as the iPhone 5?

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

iPhone rumors are like flies at a summer picnic: they're nearly unstoppable. Collected in one batch are all the iPhone 5S/6 rumors CNET has reported so far, with some commentary on where these rumors came from.
We always have long wish lists for newer features and further redesigns, but the bottom line is this: nobody knows exactly what we'll get until Tim Cook reveals it on stage later this year.
That said, we've got plenty of educated guesses. With that caveat firmly in place:
Likely:
Odds are strong that the immediate successor to the iPhone 5 will debut in the summer to autumn time frame (June to October). The release will all but certainly coincide with the availability of iOS 7. Moreover, if it follows Apple's previous history, the new iPhone will have the same design but with tweaked innards, in the spirit of the iPhone 4S and 3GS.
Beyond those obvious notes, the areas that seem most ripe for updating on the "iPhone 5S" would be the resolution of the cameras. And now that there's a 128GB iPad, maybe there will finally be a 128GB iPhone option, too.

iPhone 6: 9 most-wanted features (pictures)

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Unknown:
Everything else is pretty much a crapshoot. A bigger screen? CEO Tim Cook says no -- but saying one thing and doing the opposite would hardly be a first for Apple. Beyond a screen size change, though, Apple could also go with a different technology -- say, Igzo or OLED.
There are plenty of other unknowns, too. Will there be another iPhone that debuts before a fall model? Could the iPhone product line split into several differently sized models? Will an affordable "new" budget-line iPhone emerge? Will Apple finally add NFC to the iPhone, as part of a new mobile payments scheme? Anything could happen. Or not.
As more rumors emerge, they'll be added here.
The rumors thus far:
January 29, 2013
Low-cost iPhone will be like a plastic iPhone 5, claims site
The much-rumored budget iPhone will borrow many elements from the current model but use a plastic design, says iLounge. The site claims the budget phone will be something like a fusion of the iPhone 5 and fifth-gen iPod Touch.
January 27, 2013
Images of alleged next-gen iPhone components surface
A French blog posts images of what it says are speaker components for the next round of Apple smartphones, what it calls an iPhone 5S and iPhone 6. Blurry, close-up shots of speaker components don't tell much of a story, though.
January 25, 2013
iPhone, iPad, iPad Mini rumors afoot: Upgraded iPhone rear camera
According to another iLounge report, the iPhone 5S will feature a 13-megapixel rear camera from Sony.

(Credit: Apple Digger RU)

January 22, 2013
Renderings tease what a 4.8-inch iPhone would look like
Continuing along the rumor that Apple is preparing an even larger-screened iPhone for 2014 (see below), Russian Apple news site Apple Digger created renderings of what such a device would look like. This is speculation on top of rumor.
January 22, 2013
Bigger iPhone still coming -- just not this year, report says
If you're holding out for a 5-inch iPhone, you might have to wait until 2014, a new report from DigiTimes (which must be taken with a whole shaker of salt) claims.
January 22, 2013
Rumor: 4.8-inch iPhone to debut in June
A Google translation from the Chinese language Commercial Times points to a larger-screened iPhone in time for the Worldewide Developers Conference. While it's a sketchy rumor, it seems reasonable that Apple will get serious about taking on smartphones like Samsung's 4.8-inch Galaxy S3.

Nak Design's concept art for the iPhone 6.

Apple to stop Mac Pro sales in much of Europe on March 1

Apple today told retailers and distributors in most European countries that it will stop selling the Mac Pro on March 1 because the desktop system doesn't meet electrical regulations.
The Mac Pro's ports and fans don't comply with a new amendment -- which goes into effect at the beginning of March -- addressing safety and electrical standards for electronics, according to Macworld. An Apple spokesman confirmed the decision to CNET. The regulation affects the 27 countries of the European Union, which includes the U.K., Germany and France, and the four countries in the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) -- Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Although Apple itself will stop its sales of the Mac Pro, Apple resellers will be able to sell any remaining inventory after March 1.

Apple releases new iPad with 128 GB of storage

Apple added a new member to its iPad line on Tuesday, offering a 9.7-inch Retina iPad with 128 gigabytes of storage -- doubling the tablet's previous max capacity.

Everything else about Apple's tablet is the same, including the dual-core A6X processor, 2 gigabtyes of RAM, and 10 hours of battery life.

To account for the added storage space, the 128 GB Wi-Fi model will now cost $799, while the LTE model will cost $929.
To offer some differentiation from its other iPads -- which start at $329 for the iPad mini -- Apple is targeting the new model primarily at professional users, including those in the architectural and medical fields who handle large files. Gamers, movie fans and avid magazine readers are also likely to appreciate the extra storage space.
The abrupt release marks a shift in how Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) is updating the iPad. Instead of rolling out new iPads once a year or so, as it does with iPhones and iPods, Apple is now treating the iPad more like its Mac line, releasing incremental updates to existing models. (Tech blogs began publishing leaked reports about the new iPad two days ago.)
In late 2012, Apple released a fourth-gen iPad with new processor a mere six months after the release of the third-generation Retina iPad. Much like in this most recent update, all other specs remained the same.
Apple has not explicitly announced this strategy shift, so it's an open question whether or not we'll see a more significant iPad update this year.

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