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Sorry but chances are, Apple will release an 11S (not new form factor) in 2020; just look towards the past 3 form factor changes for the probable answer:

4/4S/5/5S then 6/6S/7/8 then X/XS/11/(11S)? AND THEN the 12 ... in 2021.
I disagree, 4/4s and 5/5s should not be lumped together. 6/6s/7 are one design and I think 8 was a hold over for Xr.

Now that we have the low price 11 I don’t think we will see a 4th gen of the current pro design.
 
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I personally do not care if Apple has 5G iPhones for 2020 or not.

5G mobile is so over-hyped, with many people not understanding the basics of how it works.

For most of us iPhone users, LTE will be still use long after our phones are 5G capable.

Now, 5G Fixed Wireless Access is something that I think will be a game changer, and doesn't get talked about enough.
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4/4S/5/5S

I disagree, 4/4s and 5/5s should not be lumped together.

I saw someone doing this in another thread too.

I agree, iPhone 4 and 5 should be in their own generation, and not grouped.

IMO, the iPhones should be grouped like:

Gen 1: 2G
Gen 2: 3G,3GS
Gen 3: 4,4s,
Gen 4: 5,5s,5C,SE
Gen 5: 6,6s,7,8
Gen 6: X,XR,XS,11, 11 Pro

Grouping 4 and 5 together is just silly, and haven't seen a good argument on why to group them into one generation.
 
I agree, iPhone 4 and 5 should be in their own generation, and not grouped.

IMO, the iPhones should be grouped like:

Gen 1: 2G
Gen 2: 3G,3GS
Gen 3: 4,4s,
Gen 4: 5,5s,5C,SE
Gen 5: 6,6s,7,8
Gen 6: X,XR,XS,11, 11 Pro

Grouping 4 and 5 together is just silly, and haven't seen a good argument on why to group them into one generation.
Grouping 4 & 5 together is silly; however, grouping 3 & 4 is proper (which I think is what you meant to say?).

I said it before, and I'll say it again:

4/4S/5/5S then 6/6S/7/8 then X/XS/11/(11S)? AND THEN the 12 ... in 2021.
 
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Grouping 4 & 5 together is silly; however, grouping 3 & 4 is proper (which I think is what you meant to say?).
I am not following what you are saying.

I am saying it is silly to group the iPhone 4 and 4s with the 5, and 5s. They should be in seperate generations.

But, maybe you could make an argument to convince me otherwise?

I said it before, and I'll say it again:

4/4S/5/5S then 6/6S/7/8 then X/XS/11/(11S)? AND THEN the 12 ... in 2021.

I say again, why are you grouping the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5 in one generation? What is your reasoning?
 
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I am not following what you are saying.

I am saying it is silly to group the iPhone 4 and 4s with the 5, and 5s. They should be in seperate generations.

But, maybe you could make an argument to convince me otherwise?

I say again, why are you grouping the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5 in one generation? What is your reasoning?

Because the 4-series & 5-series really are the same form factor, except for an elongated screen & switch to Lightning connector.

Even Rene Ritchie (popular long-time journalist & enthusiast of Apple stuff) considers 4/4s/5/5s to be of the same form factor - he actually said it and made the case on his recent Vector video.

Skip to 2-minutes in, but watch all of you can:

We can all have our own opinions, but I believe his makes the most sense for Apple's history and for predicting the future.
 
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Because the 4-series & 5-series really are the same form factor, except for an elongated screen & switch to Lightning connector.
But they are not the same form factor, and not even kind of the same.

The 4 has an alloy band frame with a glass back and front, and the band in the middle. The iPhone 5 has an aluminum case for majority of the back that wraps to the majority of sides, not the alloy frame band of the 4.

The iPhone 4 form factor has more in common with the iPhone X than the iPhone 5, imo. And the iPhone 5 has more in common with the iPhone 6 than the iPhone 4.

Just look at any video of the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5 being dissembled.

Even Rene Ritchie (popular long-time journalist & enthusiast of Apple stuff) considers 4/4s/5/5s to be of the same form factor - he actually said it and made the case on his recent Vector video.
Do you have a link? I am curious to Richie's argument, because I still do not see any good argument for grouping them.
 
I am not following what you are saying.

I am saying it is silly to group the iPhone 4 and 4s with the 5, and 5s. They should be in seperate generations.

But, maybe you could make an argument to convince me otherwise?



I say again, why are you grouping the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5 in one generation? What is your reasoning?

The argument could be made both ways, but IMO they are too similar to not group together. The iPhone 5 can be compared to the design of the iPhone 11 Pro, in that they changed the back of the phone to a matte finish, but the rest of the phone was basically the same form factor as the 4/4s. It depends on your definition of “re-design”, of course, but really not much was changed Apple did increase the screen size to a 16 x 9 aspect ratio. This was when android devices were already going with big screens, and Apple felt the pressure to make something bigger. Again, they played it safe and didn’t go massively big until the iPhone 6 which was a true redesign.
I remember I was so frustrated by the end of the iPhone 5 and 5S lifecycle that I was ready to jump to an android for a bigger display. Even when Apple released the 6+, people joked about the bezels then because they were thick compared to the android devices
 
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People are extremely motivated to make this happen (obviously), so 12 months......we shall see.

Wishful thinking? Absolutely :D
 
Think about it. 5G is nowhere near where it should be still in the US and Apple is known to be late to the game.

I think a lot of people will be disappointed when next year's iPhone doesn't have 5G because 5G will not be ready in 12 months.

This is the most ridiculous post in the history of this website.
 
Even Rene Ritchie (popular long-time journalist & enthusiast of Apple stuff) considers 4/4s/5/5s to be of the same form factor - he actually said it and made the case on his recent Vector video.
Watch the video again.

Ritchie doesn't make an argument that the 4 and the 5 are the same form factor. He even mentions that the iPhone 5 has an aluminum uni-body versus the glass sandwich chassis of the iPhone 4.

His argument is that almost all the iPhones have little *internal* differences from model to model, not form factor changes.

If you want to use his argument, he includes the 5s more in -line with the iPhone 6 due to the changes of the 5s "at the atomic level" versus the iPhone 5.

His argument has more to do with model to model changes, not generations.
 
Think about it. 5G is nowhere near where it should be still in the US and Apple is known to be late to the game.

The thing is that because the first part of what you wrote is true, I'm not yet worried about whether my 2020 iPhone will have 5G. I don't expect 5G coverage to be meaningful for years. For that matter, VZW still doesn't have great 4G coverage, and 5G will have a much shorter range. :(
 
the rest of the phone was basically the same form factor as the 4/4s.
Except for the body for the phone, which is totally different.

It depends on your definition of “re-design”
You are correct about this, as everyone has a different opinion on what this means.

But, would you consider the iPhone 5s a redesign of the iPhone 5? The outside looks the same, but as the video @phillytim posted states, they are very different.

I doubt too many people would consider it a redesign.
 
Dude I think you need to recall what we're talking about here: iPhone form factors.

Gen1: original/3G/3GS

Gen2: 4/4S/5/5S/SE

Gen3: 6/6S/7/8

Gen4: X/XS/11/(11S?-2020)

That's what Rene Ritchie was talking about, YOU should rewatch the video. @vertical smile

 
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That's what Rene Ritchie was talking about, YOU should rewatch the video. @vertical smile
I rewatched the whole video this time, instead of the timestamp you suggested before, but at no point does Ritchie group the 4 with the 5 and SE as one form factor.

Please, if I am wrong, post the time stamp at which Ritchie makes this statement.

The only thing that comes close is @0:27, he is stating the criticisms that was common when the iPhone 5 was announced (criticisms that I don't recall hearing), that the iPhone 5 looked too much like a iPhone 4 "with rounded rectangles, home button, and flat screen". But, he doesn't state that it is his opinion, nor that the two are the same form factor.

If fact, @ 2:45 he explains the form factor differences between the 4/4s and 5. Then explains why the 5s is completely different from the ground up, but made to look like the 5 form factor.

Dude I think you need to recall what we're talking about here: iPhone form factors.
Yes, but the 4 has a different form factor than the 5.

It looks different, has a different shape, and a significant different weight, and is made up of very different external parts that make up the body's shape, size, and have a big influence on weight.

How do you define form factor?

Gen2: 4/4S/5/5S/SE
At no point in the whole video does he group these models into one generation.
 
Think about it. 5G is nowhere near where it should be still in the US and Apple is known to be late to the game.

I think a lot of people will be disappointed when next year's iPhone doesn't have 5G because 5G will not be ready in 12 months.


Well if that is the case, I guess I keep my iPhoneX for 4 years. Wouldnt be a bad optioN.
 
Except for the body for the phone, which is totally different.


You are correct about this, as everyone has a different opinion on what this means.

But, would you consider the iPhone 5s a redesign of the iPhone 5? The outside looks the same, but as the video @phillytim posted states, they are very different.

I doubt too many people would consider it a redesign.

I get what you are saying, but I think what Phillytim and myself are saying, is that the outward design of the 5 models shares more similarity with the 4 models than the 6/7/8.

Would you consider the iPhone 11 pro a redesign? By your logic, the back of the phone has been redesigned as a single piece of machined glass and the different internals make it a new design. I think most people would agree that it shares its design with the X models.

I’m not saying you are right or wrong and I am not right or wrong. Either way I think the discussion has gone a bit off topic from OP’s post
 
Would you consider the iPhone 11 pro a redesign?
I could see an argument stating it is a redesign, but no, I would consider them too similar to be a redesign.

Same with the iPhone 8 compared to the 6, 6s, and 7. Another example would be the 5, 5s, and SE compared to the 5c. Plastic was used for the case compared to aluminum, but the overall phone remained unchanged in size and dimension.

I personally would separate the iPhone 2G from the 3G and 3GS, but can see a void argument why they should be grouped.


By your logic, the back of the phone has been redesigned as a single piece of machined glass and the different internals make it a new design. I think most people would agree that it shares its design with the X models.
Not the same thing, as they are very different.

Yes, they are rounded rectangles, and share some of the same aspects, but the 4 has a very different design.

Just take the side profile of the 5 versus the 4. The iPhone band frame is very pronounced and protrudes from the glass from and rear. You can see the both the front and rear panels of glass from side profile on the 4, but only the aluminum case of the side profile of the 5.

The feel of the two are very different, and would be really hard to confuse the two while in one's hand. On the 4, the ridges of the frame and where it meet the glass panels are very pronounced, not remotely the case of the 5.

The extra weight on the 4 is very noticeable, along with the extra thickness.

If it was just one or two of these differences, I could understand grouping them. Or comparing internals, I could understand grouping them. But, until recently, I never knew that anyone didn't consider the iPhone a redesign or form factor change.

I guess we all have our opinions, I was just curious as to why some people thought this.
 

Interesting article, but not anything that is surprising. Worth a read though.

Based off of the first few paragraphs, I thought the author was all caught up with the 5G hype that has been going around, but later she objectively states the pros and cons of 5G mobile, and basically states that for 5G mobile phone users, the reality most likely will not live up to many of their expectations and hype.
 
The article brings up another good point....most people probably don’t know and don’t care about 5g. The vast majority of people don’t analyze every spec like techie people, whether they be the good Apple people of this community or in Android.

I think that this is true, but the marketing of mobile 5G is changing that.

Worst off is that many non-techies (and some techies) really don't understand the capabilities and limitations of 5G Mobile, or how 5G mobile will affect (or not affect) them.

They hear the term 5G, and 5G is one more than 4G, so that must mean it is better and they need it right away.

While not exactly the same thing, the 5G hype kind of reminds me of some people I know that sign up for Gigabit internet from my local ISPs for watch Netflix. They pay a much higher monthly subscription than they need to, but they hear Gigabit, and that what they think they need. (Then they complain about their ISP bills)

I personally don't think Apple should have put a 5G radio in the iPhone 11, and I think it would be perfectly fine to leave it out of the 2020 iPhone, but I am not sure how others will feel about it, as sometimes the hype overrules logic.
 
Yes Qualcomm has a 5g chips and look how much more raw battery capacity those 5g phones need to keep up. The Samsung 5g phones (s10+ and note 10+) have 4500mAh batteries.

Per a tomsguide test, the S10+ (4100mAh) lasted 12:35 and the s10+ 5g version (4500mAh) 10:56, almost 2 hours less lif despite 400 more mAh. They're roughly the same screen size and specs overall too.

Its very clear power is still a huge issue with 5g. It's really a beta test right now.

And 5g coverage wont be NEAR usable/widespread until minimum late into next year it sounds like. And from tests I've seen if you turn the wrong way or stand behind something the 5g drops to 4g. They have a huge issue they need a ton more access points for 5g.

it's going to take WAY longer to roll out than 4g slap some new nodes on the towers and done rollout.

And let's be real, what is 5g going to do exactly for you? You can download an app in 1.5 seconds rather then 10? Your Youtube video wont buffer for 3 seconds before playing? A website will load 1/2 second faster? What actual practical use in the consumer market does it really have that it's THAT big a deal?

No one has even been able to explain that- I understand remote surgery, cars, drones, VR, etc but havent seen any significant difference reported for phones to have a such a stiffy over that the geek tech market seems to have over 5g other than different for the sake of different.
 
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I think that this is true, but the marketing of mobile 5G is changing that.

Worst off is that many non-techies (and some techies) really don't understand the capabilities and limitations of 5G Mobile, or how 5G mobile will affect (or not affect) them.

They hear the term 5G, and 5G is one more than 4G, so that must mean it is better and they need it right away.

While not exactly the same thing, the 5G hype kind of reminds me of some people I know that sign up for Gigabit internet from my local ISPs for watch Netflix. They pay a much higher monthly subscription than they need to, but they hear Gigabit, and that what they think they need. (Then they complain about their ISP bills)

I personally don't think Apple should have put a 5G radio in the iPhone 11, and I think it would be perfectly fine to leave it out of the 2020 iPhone, but I am not sure how others will feel about it, as sometimes the hype overrules logic.

Yep, I just had my ISP out to do repair work, and he was trying to up sell me on Gigabit and a new modem.

So many people have it in their heads that 5G is coming to iPhone next year.... I just don’t see it as highly probable.
 
5G will take at least 5 years for the build out to be viable in most cities. Good luck getting anything close to 5G out in the sticks. I could see Apple using the new modem in the 2020 phone but not activating it until the 2021 model.
 
5G will take at least 5 years for the build out to be viable in most cities. Good luck getting anything close to 5G out in the sticks. I could see Apple using the new modem in the 2020 phone but not activating it until the 2021 model.

That would be interesting. Similar to what Google did with the Pixel 4. The modems in the Pixel 4 had LTE capabilities but Google had them turned off. Custom ROM and kernel builders were able to turn on the LTE radios.
 
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