iPhone 5

I don't know which is more annoying, all the iPhone 5 release date predictions, or all the conflicting reports about who will win the smartphone marketshare.

The latest next-generation iPhone rumor has the iPhone 5 being released the first week of September, prompting some tech blogs to crunch some Harold Camping type numbers and predict a Sept. 7 launch. According to the unverified reports, the iPhone 5 will come pre-loaded with Apple's latest operating system, the iOS 5, which was confirmed to be getting a fall release at this year's WWDC. Sept. 7 is also a Wednesday, the day Apple generally chooses to make its announcements. I guess that is another reason the date was chosen.

Some blogs are pointing to misinformation from the International Business Times, who appears to have started the rumor by plucking it out of thin air. Chris Smith noted that the IBTimes said iOS 5 will be released in July, but that's OS X Lion's launch date, not the iOS 5. And John Brownlee of Cult of Mac was left scratching his head over their claim that Apple is finding it “difficult to contend” with future Android devices.

iPhone Dev Team released the first tethered redsn0w jailbreak for iOS 5 via their blog on Friday. MuscleNerd tweeted, "Last day of WWDC…seems as good time as any to release tethered iOS5 jailbreak (for Mac owners with registered UDIDs)"

The blog warns that the tool is intended only for developers of jailbroken apps, and that unlockers should stay away, or risk losing their unlockable baseband. The redsn0w beta runs on third- and fourth-generation iPod touch, iPad , iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 (both CDMA and GSM version).

It looks like the rumored 8 megapixel camera for the iPhone 5 is finally confirmed. DigiTimes has reported that OmniVision will be handling 90 percent of Apple's supply of 8 MP camera sensors, with Sony handling the other 10 percent.

In April, Sony sparked 8 MP camera rumors when CEO Howard Stringer said the company faced delays in image sensor production for Apple, due to its earthquake damaged facility in Sendi, Japan. There was speculation that Apple was looking to switch to Sony, from OmniVision, who handles production for the current 5 megapixel camera for the iPhone 4.

If you are a regular reader of iPhoneFAQ then you're probably too smart to fall for a phishing scam, but sometimes these things even fool the best of us.

Attackers are preying on the excitement surrounding the WWDC by trying to infect your Windows PC with a nasty Trojan. An e-mail from noreply@apple.com with the subject line, "Finally The amazing iPhone 5. Now available in black edition," promises a bigger and better iPhone 5 with QWERTY keyboard.

"Introducing the iPhone that lets you do more than ever. And do it amazingly faster. Launch and switch between applications quickly. Bigger display, transparent mode, better cloud integration. Shoot, edit, and share video like never before. Slimmer, faster and sleeker. Discover many more features that make iPhone 5G S the best iPhone yet"

In an press release Apple revealed it will kick off the annual Worldwide Developers Conference with a keynote address on Monday (June 6) by unveiling Lion, the newest version of Apple's OS X operating system, as well as their still not fully understood online service, iCloud.

"At the keynote, Apple will unveil its next generation software - Lion, the eighth major release of Mac OS X; iOS 5, the next version of Apple’s advanced mobile operating system which powers the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch; and iCloud, Apple’s upcoming cloud services offering."

Previous rumors have suggested that Apple had plans for a surprise iPhone 5 announcement at the WWDC, but the May 31 Apple press release mentions nothing about introducing any hardware.

Even though Apple has made their intentions clear, some blogs are still pushing iPhone 5 rumors.
Like one blog claiming AT&T running out of the iPhone 4 is a sign that the iPhone 5 is right around the corner. Cult of Mac noted later that the black iPhone 4 is now back in stock on the AT&T website.

CNET and several other sites have posted first looks at the logos for iCloud and iOS 5 being displayed inside the lobby of San Francisco's Moscone Center.