Apple confirms next iPhone announcement on 4 October

Image by tychay via Flickr

Apple has finally confirmed what we have all known for a while – that on 4th October it will be announcing something big to do with the next iteration of the iPhone. In issuing invitations to various media organisations, as always, it has been tantalising cryptic with just “Let’s talk iPhone” on the invite with some graphics showing the date, time, location and an icon of a phone.

So, what will be revealed on the day (taking place at Apple’s campus in Cupertino, starting at 10:00 AM PT on 4th October)? The jury is still out but when you consider the specification of the Samsung Galaxy SII, it had better be better or Apple will come under fire for failing to impress. We Apple Aficionados are loyal but also hard to please, it has to be said!

Here, in case you have forgotten is what the Samsung Galaxy SII specification is:

1.  4.3″ SUPER AMOLED Plus display
2. Dual Core Processor
3. 16GB/32GB (with MicroSD up to 32GB)
4. 8MP Camera AF with LED Flash + 2MP Front
5. Wi-Fi a/b/g/n
6. HSPA+ 21Mbps/ HSUPA 5.76Mbps
7. EDGE/ GPRS Class 12
8. Quad band GSM 850/900/1800/1900
9. Quad band UMTS 850/900/1900/2100
10. MicroUSB, 3.5mm Ear Jack
11. Android Platform 2.3 OS
12. 1650mAh Battery
13. A-GPS
14. Various image and video standards – inc. PEG, PNG, GIF, WBMP, BMP, AGIF, MPEG4, H.264, H.263, WMV, DivX, Xvid, VC-1 and Recording & Playback 1080@30fps

Yes, we know Apple is suing Samsung for copying the iPhone but, whatever the outcome of that legal spat, Apple still has to trump Samsung when it brings out the next iPhone. The version number doesn’t matter, it’s the specification and usability that does. So, what can we expect to see on the day?

My guess is that as always with Apple, it’s not just the actual handset that matters, but also the iOS features. Sure, we should see a better camera and screen resolution than on the iPhone 4. We may also see some integration with Nuance and their voice recognition software, including voice control. I hazard a guess too that we will see some announcement of a so-called iPhone 4S, possibly a cheaper version of the iPhone 4 to broaden the appeal to a wider market.

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