While we’ve been calling the next iPhone the
“iPhone 5S,” the latest rumor suggests that the next
Apple smartphone could be called the “iPhone 5G.”
The iPhone 5G news comes via uSwitch, which
spotted a leaked package from China. Even if the
next device is called the iPhone 5G, don’t expect it to
have support for 5G networks.
The iPhone 5G name would be a break from the past,
as Apple likes to add an “S” to its iPhones. We saw
this for the iPhone 3GS and the iPhone 4S and both
times, the “S” carried a different meaning: the first
one was for “speed” and the second one was for
“Siri.”
If Apple decides to name the next handset the iPhone
5G, it will be interesting to see what it designates the
“G” for. The most widely rumored feature of the next
iPhone is supposedly a fingerprint sensor but I’m not
sure how that could be tied into the letter “G.”
Continuing on the Apple alphabet soup, the company
is also expected to introduce a cheaper iPhone that
will be called the iPhone 5C. The “C” will likely
stand for “color” because the iPhone 5C is expected
to arrive in a variety of colors.
The iPhone 5C could also be the “cheap” phone, as
we expect this to be much cheaper than the normal
iPhones. This is especially important in fast-growing
markets like China, India and Brazil where the
carriers don’t offer a heavy subsidy. For example,
buying the iPhone 4 in the United States can be free
when you sign a new contract but without the subsidy,
that two-year-old phone still costs about $450.
Whatever it’s called, the next iPhone is expected to
be revealed on 10th September and it should be
available for sale at the latest.
