iPhone Name Game Gets Mighty Murky With Newest Insider Info
May 14, 2011
A new report out of BGR (via Forbes) has us again debating what the fifth-generation iPhone will be called.
Industry analyst Peter Misek of Jefferies & Company says that in addition to a now-certain September launch and the availability of the phone on T-Mobile and Sprint, the new handset will in fact be called the "iPhone 4S."
While plausible, the name goes both with and against Apple's historical schemes.
The first iPhone was supplanted shortly after launch by a fairly substantial aesthetic redesign and spec bump in the iPhone 3G. Apple chose this name for obvious reasons (perhaps even against its better judgment): to denote the inclusion of a cellular 3G radio within. In other words, the second-generation model had a prominent "three" in its name. The 3GS then launched a year later, with subtle external changes. The problem here, though, is that Apple could neither call that new model "iPhone 3" -- as marketing a "downgraded" name ("3G" to just "3") could prove perilously difficult -- nor could it logically call it "iPhone 4." Thus, many people believe the iPhone 3GS nomenclature was chosen primarily as a stop-gap, setting up last year's launch of the chronologically-appropriate iPhone 4.
There is a problem with that, though; and it depends upon perception. Those who think the name will hold to the cellular network relationship (evident in the first model jump) maintain that Apple has only changed the specific model designation by number when it's accompanied by a significant aesthetic alteration. If true, the new phone -- which by all accounts will look extremely similar to the iPhone 4 (with an A5 SOC, upgraded cameras, a refined antenna, and a universal carrier build) -- should not get a number bump.
Simply put, those who prescribe to the aforesaid "stop-gap" idea hold that Apple will name its newest offering "iPhone 5," while those who think that the name aligns with cellular designations and processor speed expect "iPhone 4S." (AT&T, on the other hand, might be pushing for "iPhone 4G.")
Looking at future releases, "iPhone 5" is far more straightforward. However, I think that Apple will ultimately drop numbers altogether, as it's done with the iPod touch from the start.
Place your bets, folks. What'll it be?
