The iPhone 5 running iOS 6
Keen-eyed developers have spotted references to new hardware and software from Apple in app usage logs, suggesting that a new smartphone and operating system have reached testing phase.
While it’s no surprise that Apple is working on upgraded products and services, this is the first inkling we’ve had of iOS 7 and a new smartphone from the tech giant and thus it has caused some excitement and speculation as to when they will launch.
According to The Next Web, developers have begun seeing iOS 7 and new hardware appear in app usage logs. The app requests are said to originate from Apple’s HQ in Cupertino, California, and the identifier used for the hardware is ‘iPhone 6,1’, which is in line with the ‘iPhone 5,1’ and ‘iPhone 5,2’ identifiers used for the iPhone 5.
A new iPhone has been rumoured to arrive as early as spring this year, and our own John Kennedy predicts that the new generation will go by iPhone 5S and feature a faster processor in a handset optimised for improved performance on 4G networks, and perhaps the inclusion of an NFC chip.
A full-HD screen, improved camera, 128GB storage and colour options have also been suggested as features on the new device.
