Display
Way back in April, This Is My Next posted a mockup of what they heard from a reliable source the next iPhone would look like.
The big takeaway there is that Apple will make the display of the iPhone 5 bigger by shrinking the bezel of the device, expanding the iPhone’s 3.5-inch display to 3.7 inches. That confirmed previous reports that the iPhone 5 would have a larger display to better compete with Android devices like Samsung’s Galaxy SII, and a Foxconn source saying the same.
Since then, we’ve seen increasing evidence that Apple was planning on making the iPhone 5 with a bigger display… including numerous Chinese iPhone 5 case designs.
The most compelling evidence that the iPhone 5 will have a bigger display, though, comes via an official Apple icon in the latest Photostream dev beta, which again suggests a 3.7-inch display.
Everything seems to align in one direction here: the iPhone 5 will have a larger display of at least 3.7 inches.
Design
Likewise, evidence suggests that the iPhone 5 will be a more radically different evolution in terms of design from its predecessors than any previous model.
For many of the same reasons that the iPhone 5 is expected to have a larger display, we expect a different chassis design thanks to a combination of leaked Chinese iPhone 5 case designs and Apple’s own Photostream icon.
What we currently expect is for the iPhone 5 to be a wider phone than the iPhone 4, but thinner. This will allow Apple to expand the display to 3.7 inches in order to stay abreast with the trend in smartphones towards larger, easier-to-use 4 inch displays while still shrinking the physical footprint of the device.
It’s worth keeping in mind that the iPad 2 is actually thinner than the iPhone 4… a treat it manages largely by spreading its components out over a larger horizontal and vertical footprint. The iPhone 5 looks ready to do the same print, albeit on a much smaller scale.
Storage
Apple’s been shipping iPhones with a max of 32GB of storage since the iPhone 3GS came out back in 2009. It’s past time for an upgrade.
We already know that Apple has toyed around with the idea of 64GB iPhone 4, even going as far as designing themselves a prototype to play with last year.
In addition, Toshiba is already making NAND modules that have a maximum of 64GB of storage per chip.
We think it’s a no-brainer at this point that Apple will put one of these chips into the iPhone 5. Expect the iPhone 5 to max out at 64GB of storage. Why not more? Because the iPhone 5 only has room for one NAND module. If you want 128GB of storage, look to the updated iPod Touch, which can fit two modules.
Capacitive Home Button
One way in which the iPhone 5 seems ready to radically differentiate itself from past iPhone models is by changing the home button. Instead of just a single button you press to call up the home screen, the iPhone 5 is rumored to have a capacitive button which can both be pressed and swiped along, allowing limited gesture support on the face of the button itself.
An obvious use for this functionality would be to allow users to quickly switch between apps, but there’s other possibilities besides. Rumors as early as April peg a capacitive home button as a fact, and again, Apple’s leaked Photostream iPhone icon seem to suggest a home button that is more rectangular than round… perfect for gesturing. Leaked case designs also take into account a changed home button design.
Without knowing exactly what Apple intends to do with a capacitive home button, this seems like a frill, but at this point, we think the safe money is on some change to the design of the home button, even if it’s just aesthetic. Apple does everything for a reason, though, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see a home button you can gesture on.
Conclusion
Obviously, the only people who really know what the iPhone 5 will look like are the people working on it at Apple, and even the best third-party predictions should be taken with a grain of salt.
That said, Apple’s been testing the next iPhone for months and building it in bulk with their manufacturing partners… and there’s enough details slipping out at this point to put together a pretty good picture about what the iPhone 5 will be like when it ships.
There’s bound to be a few surprises, but — fingers crossed — we think we can bank on most of these details, based upon overwhelming evidence. If the iPhone 5 is shown off in October and it’s nothing but a speed bump, I’ll eat my hat… even without all the proof that Apple’s got something big in store, they just aren’t going to let 16 months go by between iPhones without blowing our socks off.
Cult of Mac’s prediction? Expect the next iPhone 5 to be the most dramatic upgrade yet,.
John Brownlee is a writer for Fast Company, and a contributing writer here at CoM. He has also written for Wired, Playboy, Boing Boing, Popular Mechanics, VentureBeat, and Gizmodo. He lives in Boston with his wife and two parakeets. You can follow him here on Twitter.
