Rumors

Sure the iPhone already has voice control commands, just hold down the home button and tell your device to call someone or play a tune. iOS 5 could bring voice control to a whole new level of integration if recent reports from 9to5Mac come true.

Apple has driven speculation that it is bringing improved speech-to-text technology or even voice navigation to iOS 5 since its 2010 acquisition of Siri and recent partnership with Nuance. Both companies currently have free applications in the App Store that heavily utilize voice recognition technology.

Those "well placed and anonymous sources" are at it again. The tech blogs Chip Hazard and West Coast Gadgets have kicked off a whole new set of rumors by claiming that the iPhone 5 is in the hands of AT&T and Sprint beta testers. Chip Hazard's "well places sources" in AT&T mobility revealed that beta testers have been testing the iPhone 5 since July 6. Citing no sources, West Coast Gadgets announced that Sprint beta testers will be spotted in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, New York City, and Chicago starting this Monday.

Why is Apple purportedly using 3rd party testers? According to another tech blog, AT&T and Sprint are ensuring another Antennagate doesn't happen by checking for reception and connectivity. The author also points to Apple's own internal testers losing an iPhone last year, but wouldn't giving out more devices to 3rd parties increase the chances of a repeat, and more leaks? With all the so-called "inside sources" releasing so much information, it seems like Apple is having a hard enough time keeping their own people quiet these days.

Every possible future iPhone scenario has already been theorized this year, but what about a new iPhone carrier? Starting tomorrow Sprint will be one of the last U.S. carriers to offer unlimited data plans, and with the rise of the Android Market, the days of Apple exclusivity looks to be coming to an end.

Analyst Shing Yin of Citadel Securities believes we will see an iPhone added to Sprint's arsenal by the 2011 holiday season. Out of all the analyst predictions and rumors this one seems quite plausible, however, there are no known talks between Apple and Sprint about an upcoming deal.

When asked about a possible future Apple/Sprint team-up, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse said, “What is this — like the 55th time I’ve been asked that one? Something like that. And of course, we can’t comment on any potential discussions with any of our suppliers.”

I don't know why I started following all these analyst reports, but since I did here's the latest:

Monday: Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Whitmore predicts Apple will announce an unlocked mid-range ($300 to $500) iPhone to penetrate the pre-paid mobile market share.

Tuesday: BMO Capital analyst Keith Bachman believes Whitmore is wrong because Apple will never release a low-end phone. Instead, Bachman thinks Apple will discount the iPhone 3GS to attract people on a budget.

Today, analyst Mike Abramsky with RBC Capital Markets said Apple will break tradition and not discontinue the iPhone 3GS when the iPhone 5 is announced. Abramsky said Apple is “expected” to offer the iPhone 3GS for free to attract mid-market buyers and slow the growth of the Android market.

On Monday, Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Whitmore told his clients to expect Apple to release two iPhones, one of which would be an affordable device to help Apple grab a part of the pre-paid mobile market share. But BMO Capital analyst Keith Bachman says Apple is all about making exciting high-end devices, and he doesn't see them releasing a low-end phone this year. Bachman believes that AT&T's re-marketed iPhone 3GS will be the phone Apple uses to hook budget-conscious consumers.