“For all its talk of doubling down on secrecy, Apple’s efforts to keep its upcoming iPhones under wraps seems all for naught,” Josh Lowensohn writes for CNET. “Over the past few weeks there have been a flurry of photos of both plastic and metal iPhones that may or may not be (but probably are) its next-generation devices.”
“Most notable is that it looks very much like Apple’s going to introduce not one but two new iPhones for the first time since the device first hit the market in 2007. That could have a big impact on Apple’s fortunes, as well as the types of users it has gone after all these years,” Lowensohn writes. “What’s different about the low cost one? This model, rumored to be called the ‘iPhone 5C,’ will sport a plastic back instead of metal. However, the key difference will be price, not so much the what people pay with a multi-year contract from their carrier, but what the phone costs up front.”
Lowensohn writes, “What’s different about the new high-end model? Leaks suggest Apple plans to offer the “iPhone 5S” in more colors, notably a ‘gold’ or ‘champagne’ color. The device is also said to sport a better camera with a dual-LED flash and a home button that can scan your finger — something that’s likely going to be used for security features. Other expected specs include a 128GB storage option and a jump to a 64-bit processor, which could speed things up.”
Read more in the full article here.
And why not .. ?
Anyone guess how significant a speed boost 64 bit processing would be? Would it only boost apps that are created or re-worked to take advantage of it?
Thanks.
I think you’d have to look elsewhere for benefits, like simplifying the manufacturing requirements or something. As far as computing goes, I don’t think it would matter much to today’s apps. Today we use a value like MAXINT to have a rotation go on forever… forever as defined by the largest value a 32-bit integer can store. It’s pretty much forever. Upgrading forever to 64 bits won’t make it any more achievable! 🙂
@aka Christian, if you recall that when Mac OS-X made the jump to 64-bit processing, it was not so much about speed but data registers, or the amount of RAM that could be addressed by the CPU. This is great for more sophisticated functions, such as large databases, graphics, DNA sequencing, video and music editing.
But there’s more to it than needing to have a huge file to parse or memory to address. Right now, the OS-X code base is forked: OS-X runs on 64-bit (and can also still natively run 32-bit legacy applications), while iOS, which is based on OS-X, runs at 32-bit. I am guessing here, but I have a hunch that putting both OS versions on the same 64-bit code base will make life more simple for Apple and 3rd party developers.
Add to that the fact that mobile processors are becoming more sophisticated, faster and at the same time, more stingy in terms of battery drain, and it makes sense to make sure that iOS is on the same 64-bit code base (in its essence – there are still differences between OS-X and iOS, but both do run the same kernel and core functions).
For us chowderhead fanboy consumers, it means that looking forward to future years, we will have many more options for increasingly elegant and sophisticated OS versions and apps in the palm of your hand. iOS will continue to do more things with greater depth and power. Damned cool, I say.
So, 64-bit does not necessarily mean faster, but instead, far more capable of doing things we may dream of now, such as even more sophisticated multitasking, and more powerful apps.
People with larger foreheads than me are free to weigh in and correct me as necessary.
Thanks Brian.
“For all its talk of doubling down on secrecy, Apple’s efforts to keep its upcoming iPhones under wraps seems all for naught,” Josh Lowensohn writes for CNET. “Over the past few weeks there have been a flurry of photos of both plastic and metal iPhones that may or may not be (but probably are) its next-generation devices.”
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The frickin moron answered his own question. 😛
A 64-bit processor would be sweet indeed. Apple wouldn’t pursue it if higher clock speeds on a 32-bit processor was better.