insult fretful: Will the iPhone 5 Prove to Be as Popular as its Predecessors?

As its rumoured autumn release date looms ever closer, the iPhone 5 is the phone that every gadget-lover is talking about. The iPhone series has been hugely popular since its release back in 2007, and the anticipation surrounding the iPhone 5 is to be expected. Yet again, Apple is keeping pretty quiet about the details of the iPhone 5, and so it?s difficult to tell exactly what delights await us.

We may not have all the facts regarding the iPhone 5, though there is no shortage of rumours to sift through. However, in the past week or so, a couple of things have come to light which will help us understand what to expect from the Cupertino-based electronics supremos, come the autumn. It would appear that Apple is aiming to please by packing all manner of cutting-edge technology into the latest iPhone for our entertainment.

?NFC

?For starters, it seems likely that the handset will come bearing NFC. Near Field Communication technology has been mentioned before regarding Apple; the firm had to deny its use a year ago, when rumours surfaced that the iPhone 4S would come with NFC technology built in. This year, we?ve had no such denials, and it looks much more likely that Apple will include it. A year ago, it was difficult to tell where NFC was going, and indeed whether it was going anywhere at all. Nowadays, anyone who?s anyone seems to be including NFC in their phones, and, well, Apple is definitely someone.

LTE

While we?re on the subject of communication and connectivity, US consumers can expect their iPhone 5 to come with 4G/LTE connectivity. That?s not something that us Brits can get too excited about, given that the technology hasn?t reached us yet. Most smartphone manufacturers release simplified models in the UK for that exact reason; 4G is a big step up in terms of data speeds and connectivity, but we?re going to have to wait a little longer before the infrastructure can support it here.

Quad Core

When it comes to technology, it seems like the iPhone 5 will have everything it needs to compete with the best of them; it?s almost certainly going to pack in a quad-core processor of a similar power to that which you?ll find inside the Samsung Galaxy S3 or the HTC One X, and its camera is likely to offer something between 8 and 12MPs, also at the upper end of the market today. However, as we all know, it?s not this stuff that keeps Apple fans coming back for more; you can get cutting-edge tech like this in Android phones, too, for less money, and plenty of handsets have been sporting the likes of NFC for over a year now.

Design

What will really make or break the Apple iPhone 5 is the quality of its design and software. The rumours surrounding iOS 6 are many, and they?re a matter for another day ? but the quality of the operating system that?s bundled into the iPhone 5 is going to be a very big deal indeed. The difference between iPhones and Android phones is that there is only one iPhone, which means that absolutely everything on the handset has to be as close to perfect as possible. If the software doesn?t live up to the high standards set by the phone?s hardware, then the iPhone 5 will be a stinker. Luckily for us, iOS 6 looks set to impress.

The external design of the handset is another big deal for Apple. While there is no shortage of attractive Android handsets, none of them have the instant recognisability of the iPhone.? Apple?s iconic design has made the iPhone a fashion accessory and a status symbol just as much as it?s a device for making phone calls on. The new iPhone needs to retain the classic design of the iPhone will subtly enhancing it for a new generation. Rumours have it that the iPhone 5 will feature a 4-inch screen, which would be a slight step-up compared to previous incarnations, all of which have a featured 3.5-inch display. Other rumours state that the phone will be made from liquid-metal, which is ?super strong?, we?re told, and perfect for high-tech consumer products.

Release Date

We won?t know just how popular the iPhone 5 is set to be until it?s actually released upon the world, but expect it to casually break all previous records within its first week. While it was initially thought to be released in October, new reports are suggesting the iPhone 5 may be released as early as August. Apple are pulling out all the stops yet again with the iPhone 5 ? though it faces tough competition in the form of the recently released Samsung Galaxy S3, which many critics consider to be the definitive Android phone of 2012. What?s important is that Apple maintains its distinctive style and brand identity, while providing cutting-edge features both in terms of software and hardware. It?s a lot to ask, but after five iterations, Apple haven?t let us down yet ? only the brave or the foolhardy would bet against the iPhone 5 raising the bar once again.