iPhone 5 to get redesign, announcement in August?

By Molly McHugh June 21, 2011

Just when all was relatively quiet on the iPhone front, new rumors about a possible iPhone 5 summer announcement have surfaced. Yes, you hard right: Not the alleged iPhone 4S, but what is being identified as the iPhone 5. BGR claims to have confirmed the next handset released will be a fully upgraded, next-generation iPhone. There have been rumblings that Apple would release something called the iPhone 4S, which amounted to the iPhone 4 with a variety of internal updates.

If BGR is right and Apple fanboys can set their sights on a next-gen model, that’s news enough. But the site is also claiming that inside sources say the iPhone 5 will also feature a “radical new design.” Unfortunately that’s as detailed as it gets, but there have been a variety of rumors about the handset’s possible remodel since the iPhone 5 chatter began earlier this year. Here’s a quick recap of what we’ve heard thus far:

The iPhone 5 will have a 4-inch screen.
The iPhone 5 will use aluminum backing of the original iPhone instead of the glass casing.
The iPhone 5 will look more like the iPod touch than an iPhone and feature a teardrop design, like the MacBook Air.
The iPhone 5 will have an edge-to-edge screen.
The iPhone 5 will have a curved glass display.

Whether one, all, or any of these are true obviously remains to be seen, but we definitely have months of speculation to pull from. How much longer we have to wonder is also up in the air: If Apple follows its usual schedule, it will announce the iPhone 5 at its annual September event. But it’s being suggested that Apple may announce the handset in August, possibly even releasing it at the end of the month. While it doesn’t necessarily mean that the iPhone 5 is due this summer, the fact that Apple suppliers have cut iPhone 4 production gives it some credence.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Before coming to Digital Trends, Molly worked as a freelance writer, occasional photographer, and general technical lackey…

Mobile

Best iPhone 14 deals: Unlocked and refurbished

The Apple iPhone 14 Pro's camera module

Some of the best Apple deals and best iPhone deals come from the iPhone 14 lineup. While it has been around a couple of years now, the iPhone 14 is still only one generation old as iPhone releases go. This means it still has a lot to offer, including much of what can be found in the newer iPhone 15, but it will often see some impressive price drops. Many of the best iPhone 14 deals we’re seeing right now are on refurbished models, but both new and refurbished models are out there, and each makes for some of the best phone deals going on at the moment. You’ll find all of the information you need to save on an iPhone 14 below, but if you’d like to land yourself the latest and greatest you should also check out the current iPhone 15 deals, Samsung Galaxy S24 deals, and Google Pixel 8 deals.
Apple iPhone 14 -- from $491, was $699

With the Apple iPhone 14 you’re getting what is still one of the most popular smartphones on the market. This is the iPhone 14 model that’s meant for everyone. It holds back a few features you can only get on the Pro model, but it still has an impressive 6.1-inch display, an impressive camera, and dozens of ways to personalize your iOS experience with widgets and fonts. The phone can reach up to 26 hours of battery life on a single charge, and it’s powered by Apple’s A15 Bionic chip. Face ID, emergency SOS via satellite, and super fast 5G cellular connectivity round out the top features of the Apple iPhone 14.
Buy Refurbished at Amazon — from $491

Mobile

Here’s how iOS 18 could change the way you use your iPhone

The lock screen on the Apple iPhone 15 Plus.

It seems the long-overdue Siri overhaul will finally arrive at WWDC in just over a week from now, and the digital assistant will embrace AI trickery in all its forms. According to Bloomberg, Apple’s planned upgrades for Siri will deeply integrate with on-device functions at the OS level and with the installed apps, too.

“The new system will allow Siri to take command of all the features within apps for the first time,” the report says. The most notable capability is that Siri will only require voice prompts to interact with apps, thanks to a major change in the AI architecture powering it and putting large language models in command, just the way Gemini or ChatGPT draw their own skills from such models.

Mobile

iOS 18 may give Siri the upgrade we’ve been waiting for

Hey Siri

Apple isn’t immune from the AI craze sweeping the rest of the industry. Following the likes of Google with Gemini Nano, Apple is set to roll out AI upgrades to the iPhone with iOS 18. Code-named “Project Graymatter,” the iOS 18 update will bring a variety of AI-powered enhancements to the iPhone and Siri in particular.

According to AppleInsider, the features are being tested in advance of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), and one of the biggest is called “Graymatter Catch Up.” The feature is tied to Siri, Apple’s voice assistant, which will now allow users to request and receive an AI overview of the most recent notifications.