This morning’s press release from Apple clearly outlining the topics Steve Jobs would be covering in next week’s WWDC keynote make it crystal clear that the next iPhone is not officially on the conference’s agenda for the first time in three years. Instead, WWDC will focus on software: iOS, Lion and iCloud.
But could there be a “one more thing?” And could it be the iPhone 4S? That’s what a new rumor is suggesting… but take it with a grain of salt.
According to Japanese Apple site Macotakara, Cupertino will unveil the iPhone 4S at WWDC next week, for a launch early this summer.
Most of the reported features of the iPhone 4S that Macotakara cites gel with previous rumors. The iPhone 4S, according to them, will be a minor upgrade featuring a dual-core A5 chip, an 8 megapixel camera, support for both GSM and CDMA networks on one global device and — most interestingly — an integrated SIM.
It’s the talk of an integrated SIM where this rumor falls apart. Recent reports have suggested that Apple is working to make the SIM card in the iPhone even smaller, but they won’t be eliminating it completely.
An integrated SIM would take the form of a reprogrammable module, that could allow iPhone owners to switch their network through iTunes. It sounds like a killer boon for both Apple and users, but carriers hate this idea, and would likely fight it tooth and nail. An iPhone with a reprogrammable SIM module is an iPhone the carriers can’t control.
We seriously doubt Apple would surprise us like this with a WWDC reveal of the iPhone 4S. They’ve spent the last month or two making sure to set the expectation that there won’t be any new hardware at WWDC: they wouldn’t do that just to perform the cheap trick of revealing a negligibly updated new iPhone. This year, WWDC’s all about software… but just wait until September.
