Tech Media Wrangles Over Whether 2012 Will Bring an iPhone 5 Or iPhone 6
Posted by Michael Nace on Wednesday Oct 12, 2011 Under iPhone 6 OpinionThe tech media and iPhone users alike anticipated an iPhone 5 in 2011. But now that the 4S has been injected into the iPhone’s legacy, questions remains about whether the 2012 iPhone will be iPhone 5 or iPhone 6.
Speculating and prognosticating about the iPhone has quickly become a pastime in the tech blogosphere, with websites like DigiTimes leaking just enough bits of information throughout the course of the year to fuel a wide range of rumors about the next iPhone’s features and release date. 2011 marked a fever pitch of rumors that ubiquitously became known as the “iPhone 5 rumor mill,” with the “iPhone 5″ as the working title for what everyone expected the next iPhone to be named.
All of the stars seemed to be aligning: the 2011 iPhone was to be the fifth generation iPhone, with the A5 chip, iOS 5, and presumably a new form factor, validating the name “iPhone 5.” What we got instead was the incongruous “iPhone 4S,” named after the re-use of the iPhone 4 chassis and the added processing power accounting for the “S” in its name for “speed” — just as Apple had done with the iPhone 3GS.
Sticklers now have to get past the fact that the iPhone 4S has iOS 5, the A5 chip, and the designation of being the fifth generation iPhone. Apple was well aware of all these fives — and purposely turned their backs on the “iPhone 5″ name. And for good reason: the iPhone 4S, while indeed a groundbreaking device, isn’t necessarily deserving of the “iPhone 5″ moniker.
But from a naming standpoint, where do we go from here? How is the tech media going to brand the next iPhone? What name will it be given — “iPhone 5″ or “iPhone 6?” It is a conundrum, and there are no definitive answers on how to predict which one Apple will use in 2012 — or if they’ll use either or them.
iPhone Taxonomy
Usually, when humans are presented with a pattern or series — even if it’s just a segment of that pattern — they can manage to put together the rest of the puzzle. Apple’s taxonomy for the iPhone, however, has proven so complex and hard to track that it makes guessing the name of the next iPhone more of an uneducated guess than an educated one. While an infinite number of theories abound, it would seem that the culprit in this naming nightmare is the skipping of “iPhone 2″ with the second generation iPhone: because Apple chose to jump on the chance to brand their second iPhone with the “3G” network, the naming process has forever been in flux.
Those who believe the 2012 iPhone will be the iPhone 6 will tell you that, because it will be the sixth generation iPhone, and very well may include the A6 chip and perhaps [though unlikely] iOS 6, Apple will skip over “iPhone 5″ just as they did with “iPhone 2,” in order to get back on track with naming the iPhone after its generation, just as they did with the iPhone 4.
Logic prevails in this theory, and it is hard to argue. But there are some salient points to consider: back when Apple skipped “iPhone 2″ for “iPhone 3G,” the device wasn’t as high-profile as it is today, and the skip in numbers might come to confuse the public at large. Also, back when Apple jumped from iPhone 1 to iPhone 3G, they did it to capitalize on branding with the 3G technology. Even if the 2012 iPhone turns out to be 4G, if it features a form factor redesign, it is unlikely that Apple would call it the “iPhone 4G” or “4Gs” — that would turn out to be one too many 4s. But what Apple’s number jumping in the past tells us is that they have never done it just to get back on track with the correct generation.
As a result, they might be just as happy to call it “iPhone 5,” even if it is the sixth generation iPhone.
And that’s what those who believe that Apple will use “iPhone 5″ fr the next iPhone will tell you: just as there was a 3G and 3G, followed by a 4, there will now be a 4 and 4S followed by a 5 — it’s the new pattern that Apple is trying to establish; they will sandwich refreshed models between overhauls. Just as they disregarded the fifth generation designation of the iPhone 4S, they’ll be happy to disregard the sixth generation designation of the 2012 iPhone and simply call it “iPhone 5.” After all, there is still a great deal of pent-up energy and desire for the iPhone 5, and Apple deciding to skip over it may cause a compounded sense of bewilderment.
So what’s the answer?
In the end, the tech media is going to have to work out what they will want to refer to the 2012 iPhone as. They could do what I’ve been doing in this article — just call it the “2012 iPhone,” but let’s face it: it doesn’t have the sexiness that “iPhone 5″ or “iPhone 6” has. At this juncture, my belief is that the tech media is bound to keep using “iPhone 5,” if for no other reason than they have a great deal invested in that keyword — it still remains highly searched on Google.
It will most likely work itself out in the weeks and months to come.
By Michael Nace
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October 12th, 2011 at 6:52 pm
i dont care what will it be called because itll mean the same thing which is a redesign iphone i just hope that when they unveil itll leave a wowww factor and that will be worth my 200 dls.
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October 13th, 2011 at 7:28 am
I’m hoping for the fabled “Pico Projector” on the next iPhone. Though, a nice new form factor with a slightly larger screen and the A6 would do.
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October 14th, 2011 at 6:16 pm
With all due respect, I don’t agree with the comment – Apple skipped “iPhone 2″ for “iPhone 3G,” – I believe it went like this: “What should we call the next iPhone, hmmm, oh wait, it’ll be the 4t generation and it will transition nicely from iPhone 3GS to iPhone 4!”
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October 15th, 2011 at 7:52 am
Michael,
I had sent you an email on October 1st in regards to an article I found on engadget and was wondering if you had received it. I love your blogs and always come to them for analysis of new rumors and information pertaining to the new iPhones.
Keep up the great work!
As a side note, what do you think a potential time frame is for the next iPhone iteration, regardless of the naming convention given to said phone?
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October 15th, 2011 at 9:43 am
I feel like I’m typing this reply on the iPhone 5. This 4s has given me the wow factor that iphoneer is looking for. But being able to search about info on the upcoming iPhone is the question. I guess the dust will have to settle and you along with the folks from 9to5 and gizmodo and the other tech savy sites will have to agree, or loose readers.
I do however plan on following your blog, no matter what you call it.
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October 15th, 2011 at 5:32 pm
You raise very good points, Michael. However, I should point out that the idea that Apple skipped the iPhone 2 is an incomplete one; if Apple did indeed “skip” the iPhone 2, then it also skipped the iPhone 3. I sustain that the “3″ in “3G” is no more than coincidental and it in no way means that the 3G was meant to be the iPhone “3.” Bear in mind that the iPhone 3G was arguably the least significant generational change of all, as it only brought higher network speeds to the device. Even the 3GS was more significant an upgrade in many ways.
My interpretation of the Apple taxonomy is that the fact that the fourth iPhone was called the iPhone 4 means that the 3GS was the 3 and the 3G was the 2. It stands to reason, then, that the 4S is the 5 and its successor will be the 6 (if it is to carry the current nomenclature).
Of course, even though it may not seem that way I’m very much willing to admit that mine is just an opinion and everyone is entitled to a different one. I do think, however, Michael, that it would make all the sense in the world for you to switch all the talk about the next-generation iPhone to this blog. For better or worse, the conversation in your previous blog always centered around a phone that already came out, and this blog was meant to start the conversation about the next-generation phone. I suspect that you’ve opted to stick to the iphone5newsblog to talk about the next-generation phone because some people are still talking about the “upcoming iPhone 5,” but I would say that they do so *because* blogs are still talking about an iPhone 5. If blogs start talking about an upcoming sixth iPhone, people will talk in those terms and the name of this blog will make a lot more sense.
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October 16th, 2011 at 6:52 pm
Hi John R. I’m sorry if I missed your e-mail, as last month was utterly crazy. Could you re-send it to me?
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October 16th, 2011 at 7:23 pm
Now for a cynical answer to why, for now, I think that the speculation about the next iPhone will remain on the iPhone 5 News Blog, Andres: traffic. As of right now, the keyword traffic from the “iPhone 5″ is still screamingly high, and the search for “iPhone 6″ is nil. Because of this, the audience is still on the iPhone 5 News Blog — it gets 20 to 30 times the daily traffic as this one. In addition, the tech media is still using “iPhone 5″ in its prognostications about the 2012 iPhone.
If I begin to see that the working title for the 2012 iPhone becomes “iPhone 6,” then I’ll migrate the speculation over here. But I’m afraid that for now, I have to go with the flow and assume that when we’re talking about the iPhone 6, it could mean the 2013 or even 2014 iPhone (if there was an iPhone 5S after the iPhone 5).
Can you understand my rationale here?
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October 16th, 2011 at 8:01 pm
Micheal,
No problem. Email has been resent.
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October 18th, 2011 at 11:21 pm
Of course, Michael. I understand your rationale completely and I agree 100% with you. Whether I—or you—think the next iPhone should logically be considered to be the iPhone 6 or not is one thing, but whether *people*—those who are googling stuff and ending up on your Web sites—consider that the next iPhone will be the iPhone 5 or 6, that’s what actually makes a difference in real life. I support you 100%. I’ll continue to defend my position whenever it’s challenged (I won’t go out of my way to challenge other people’s positions, though), but I’m aware that the practical thing for you to do is to assume that we’re still looking at an iPhone 5 release next year, given that that’s what people think and that’s what people want to be informed about.
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November 28th, 2011 at 5:52 pm
I really think it will be neither iPhone 5 nor iPhone 6. Surely the next generation will have glamourously upgraded features like a larger screen, sexier design, even better camera, and 4G. Apple don’t name their products by predictability, but by milestones, and because the company has stressed its relations with network providers so much, I think they will stress their next “milestone”, 4G, through the name of their next phone. That’s why I reckon the next iPhone will be called iPhone 4G. The generation after THAT could well be the iPhone 7, because it sounds so futuristic and cool, and because the change from 4G to 7 seems such a large step, even though in reality it is just one generation of difference. It may sound a little simple, but hey, thats what the masses want!
iPhone 4G all the way.
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January 2nd, 2012 at 9:53 pm
I think the camera would be around 10 or 12 megapixels since the latest iphone is 8 megapixel and it will probably have a thinner design than the previous phones
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January 5th, 2012 at 10:29 pm
you are all wrong, it will be called iPhone 4GS
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March 14th, 2012 at 4:33 pm
The 1st iPhone edition was called “iPhone”
The 2nd “iPhone 3G” after the 3G technology
The 3rd one “iphone 3GS because it was an update to the privious one, with the same form factor and better Speed, hence the S in 3GS.
The 4th one was called “iPhone 4″, for the the first and only time so far, it’s named after the generation to which it belongs.
The 5th iPhone similarly to the 3rd one, “iPhone 3GS”, kept the same form factor, so it was named after the previous generation with and added S to it “iPhone 4S”
The 6th iPhone is not the 5th generation has no ????5 technology???? It’s not named after any previous generation, it makes no sense to call it “5″ and just because the last 4 ones had numbers in sequence repeating it twice 3G, 3GS, 4, 4S – 3,3,4,4 it doesn’t mean from now on they will follow it with 5(maybe a letter) 5( maybe a letter or two) 6( maybe a letter), and so on, that was just a coincidence. There was a reason for those numbers and letters and naming it 5 or even refering it to 5 has no reasoning. So no, there won’t ever be a
5, the next one most likely will be called… “iPhone” that’s it no number no letter, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see an iPhone 4g after 4g technology or 4gs, although they might save 4gs for the following one after the 4g, they could also call it 6 as it is the 6th generation or any other name but not 5 that would be random and make no sense, otherwise it might as well be the iPhone 9 or whatever random number.
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