iPhone 5S More Rumors: 13-Megapixel Camera, 128GB Memory, And Faster Processor

We all know that a new iPhone will be hitting stores' shelves this year, but what exactly will this device bring to the table? According to the latest rumors swirling around the tech world, the next iPhone should be sporting a 13-megapixel camera, a more powerful processor and could have a storage capacity as high as 128GB.

A new report from Apple-centric website iLounge states that the next iPhone should include a 13-megapixel sensor from Sony, and release sometime in July. iLounge also mentions that the iPhone 5S will feature a more powerful processor, probably a new A7 chipset and that the current iPhone prototypes are labeled N51 and N53.

Current iPhones top out at 64GB storage, but that all could change with Apple's next-gen offerings. Astute observer iNeal (via iDownload Blog) noticed that the iOS 6.1 beta includes an option for 128GB in the SystemPartitionPadding column, meaning that Apple is definitely exploring the idea of allowing iOS to run on higher capacity devices - and you can bet the iPhone will be one of them.

A 13-megapixel camera and 128GB should be the norm for high-end smartphones coming out in 2013. Just last year, Samsung announced that it had started mass producing 128GB memory chips for use in smartphones and tablets, indicating that the capacity should be proliferating itself rather quickly. With more apps and media content than ever at people's mobile fingertips, many would welcome a 128GB option, which is a 100 percent jump over the existing 64GB standard.

There are talks of a bigger iPhone, a cheaper iPhone, and iPhones in a multitude of colors, but nobody is quite sure how many iPhones will be releasing this year, or when. One thing is for certain though: Apple is eyeing its Android competition more closely now, and will be aggressively releasing more iPhones closer to each other than ever before in an attempt to give consumers enough options to choose iOS over Android. 

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Apple CEO to investors: Ignore the rumors

Apple's Q1 2013 earnings report is out, and it has been another strong quarter for the Cupertino giant. But there have been reports suggesting that Apple has made significant component order cuts, a move which may indicate that the iOS juggernaut could be stalling. However, Apple CEO Tim Cook is advising investors to be cautious about putting too much stock into the rumor mill.
During yesterday's earnings call with investors and analysts, Cook took time to address the rumor mill.
"I want to take a moment and make a comment," Cook said. "I don’t want to comment on any particular rumor, but I’d question the accuracy of any kind of rumor about our plans. I’d stress that even if a particular data point were factual, it would be impossible to interpret [what this means] for our overall business."
He went on to say that "yields can vary, supplier performance can vary" and that "there’s an inordinately long list of things that would make any single data point not a great proxy for what’s going on."
In other words, take what you hear with a pinch of salt, because even if the information is true, when it is taken out of the context of the business as a whole, it's impossible to know what it means.
 
I agree with this, and said as much when I covered the initial rumor last week. What bothered me about the report was the total lack of concrete figures. Without context, the report was virtually meaningless.
Cook also went on to dismiss the need for a cheaper iPhone. When asked whether Apple was considering a cut-priced iPhone, he said that the company was "not interested in revenue for revenues’ sake" and that the company "could put the Apple brand on a lot more stuff, but we don’t want to do that."
Revenues, cash in the back, and customer satisfaction suggests that Apple is doing a fine job of running Apple.

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