next generation

The Japanese website Macotakara (translated) reported that Foxconn has recruited more than 18,000 people to begin production on the iPhone 5. In March, the China Morning News (translated) also reported that Foxconn was in need of approximately 20,000 workers to help produce the next generation iPhone.

Macotakara said a Foxconn personnel recruiter told TV Tokyo’s World Business Satellite that Foxconn is preparing to produce Apple's next generation device which will be ready in June. This lines up with a previous iLounge report that claimed the iPhone 5 would receive a summer launch. However, it contradicts a previous iMore rumor that claims the new device will be launched this fall. I would take all these early release date rumors with a grain of salt since no one has accurately predicted anything about the iPhone 5.

Sprint's existing contract with Apple will make it possible for the wireless carrier to sell the next generation iPhone, widely expected to launch with LTE 4G connectivity. Reports that an LTE iPhone would cause problems for Sprint may have been exaggerated. Sprint's chief financial officer, Joe Euteneuer, told investors that LTE network development is underway.

Sprint expects to roll out LTE to six major markets by mid-2012, covering 100 million people in the US. Euteneuer said the process will continue until most major markets are covered by LTE this fall, which is when Apple is expected to launch the next iPhone. The remarks published in Dow Jones Newswires claims that Sprint will not be disadvantaged at all when compared to Verizon and AT&T.

With all the recent talk of a 4.6-inch iPhone screen in the works, Italian design studio ADR has released a new iPhone 5 concept. The latest renderings from ADR are impressive, although they truly push the limits of what's possible.

Maybe this is why we like them so much! Not only does the concept show off a massive Retina display, but the front of the device actually consists of three separate screens. The top and bottom displays are narrow and consistently show the same information. This provides more space for the main screen to run apps.

Apple routinely describes the appearance and operation of its mobile products as "magical" for a reason. Ever since the first iPhone touch screen came on the market, the company has been refining its interface and raising the bar for intuitive interaction to a new level. A patent revealed by Patently Apple shows how Apple plans to add the illusion of 3D to future iOS devices.

Much like the head-tracking demo we've already seen that creates the illusion of 3D on the iPad, Apple's concept would track the movement of the iPhone user's eyes and alter the display accordingly. Finger position would also determine how the interface would move to provide "depth" to the iPhone screen.

Another report has surfaced pointing to a summer iPhone 5 announcement from Apple. The analysis from Daiwa Securities claims the next generation device will be revealed at the Apple Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC) in June. This would bring Apple back to its tradition of mid-year iPhone releases.

The shift back to a summer release would mark a departure from last year's October iPhone 4S launch, leaving just eight months between the two generations of smartphones. The normal venue for WWDC already has the dates June 11-15 blocked off for a "Corporate Meeting" and is expected to host the Apple event during this week.