Last week gave us the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) where tech companies from all over the world gave the public a sneak peek at what would be hitting shelves in 2013. While Apple was, once again, absent from the showroom floor, more juicy rumors about its iPhone plans for the coming year happened to leak out. Here's a roundup about what to expect from the iPhone 5S (also referred to as the iPhone 6).
Apple is also expected to introduce a new, normally-priced iPhone in the first half of 2013, sometime around May or June. Analysts overwhelmingly believe that the will come in 6-8 different colors and in more than one size.
"Our checks indicate that the next iPhone will have more choices for customers. This entails an expansion in both the color patterns and screen sizes with the next iPhone (i.e., likely called the iPhone 5S) that we currently believe will be launched in May/June with certain supply production starting in March/April," said Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White.
The iPhone 5S should also have a higher-resolution display, a better camera, and iOS 7. It is also expected to be the first iPhone with NFC support.
Another piece of news involves a cheaper iPhone variant. Apple is interested in offering an iPhone that would be priced between $99 and $149, according to Bloomberg. A Wall Street Journal report also states that Apple will offer a low-cost iPhone in the second half of 2013. There was some confusion early on when a Phil Schiller interview was wrongly translated, but a correction shows that Apple has not ruled out a cheap iPhone.
Is the iPhone still at the top of your smartphone preferences? Or do Android smartphones like the Galaxy S4 have you more excited?