Apple will be holding its highly anticipated iPhone 5 event this coming Wednesday, and the new iPhone is expected to go one sale Friday, September 21st. According to a new rumor, Apple will finally drop the iPhone 3GS and make the iPhone 4 its cheaper, entry-level model.
The 3GS was introduced back in 2009, and the phone is still offered 3 years later for free with a two-year carrier contract. With the introduction of iOS 6, the 3GS will be so outdated that it only makes sense for Apple to give it the boot.
According to The Telegraph:
The new update will mean that the 8GB version of the iPhone 4 will be the entry-level iPhone, probably given away free on £20 per month contracts, as the 3GS is currently. Sources close to retailers also suggested that an 8GB version of the 4S could be introduced.
Curiously, Apple notes that the iPhone 3GS will still be supported (albeit barely) in iOS 6. Perhaps this meant to appease existing 3GS owners while the phone is phased out of existence.
The U.K. publication says that Apple will introduce three versions of the iPhone 5 with different storage capacities, which keeps in line with previous releases.
Details of whether the iPhone 5 will also offer full 4G capabilities, allowing it to use 4G networks launching in Britain later this year on the Orange and T-Mobile networks, remain unclear however.
The Telegraph also reaffirms rumors that the iPhone 5 will feature a smaller nano-SIM card. Part leaks have suggested that Apple is moving to a new SIM design, and the new card is expected to be 40% smaller than the current micro-SIM, clocking in at only 12.3×8.8×0.67 mm. Carriers have reportedly started receiving stockpiles of these nano-SIMS ahead of the iPhone 5’s launch. The change means that customers will have to get a new SIM over the counter when they upgrade, but existing numbers should be transferred over just fine.
The Telegraph previously reported that Apple is set to introduce an enhanced version of AirPlay on September 12th. The technology, dubbed ‘AirPlay Direct’, will reportedly allow iOS devices to connect to supported peripherals by creating a device-to-device wireless network.
Source: The Telegraph
