Two reports involving a purported next-generation iPhone dovetailed quite nicely last week.
First off, Silicon Alley Insider reported that it had heard a "rumor" that the next-generation iPhone--expected to launch around the middle of the year but unconfirmed by Apple--would come with faster networking chips. The tipster apparently wasn't clear on whether or not that meant an upgrade to 802.11n Wi-Fi or an upgraded 3G chipset meant to take advantage of faster 3G networks in testing by AT&T, according to Electronista.
But it makes sense viewed against another rumor floated by AppleInsider with a greater degree of certainty. The site said it had been told by a previously reliable source that Apple plans to introduce video recording on the next version of the iPhone, a capability that many iPhone customers have requested over the past two years.
With access to faster networking connections, iPhone owners could find it much easier to upload video shot from the phone to social-networking sites or to e-mail it to friends. Engadget noticed earlier this week after examining the iPhone 3.0 beta that a "Publish Video" screen was visible in the MobileMe application.
We've already seen evidence that Apple has at least one future iPhone model in the works, and adding video recording features and faster networking could be a decent way to encourage older iPhone owners to upgrade. No one seems to know exactly when such a model would arrive, but Apple seems to have settled into a midyear release window for the iPhone based on the last two launch events and the "summer" target date for the iPhone 3.0 software.
This article was first published as a blog post on CNET News.
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