New iPhone 5 design and processor insight: Quad-core or second best for Apple

We have just given you the latest update regarding the rumored, but still very much elusive 15-inch Macbook Air, but now we have some fresh details on the iPhone 5 in relation to Apple possibly choosing to give their fifth-generation iPhone an aluminum makeover.

Yes, the aluminum rumors are back, as you’ll probably be aware that this is a rumor that first started prior to the release of the iPhone 4. Apple eventually settled with a slick stainless steel rim around the edges of the device, a design which also doubled up as housing the antennas for the iPhone 4 as well.

Now though, fresh rumors are speculating that Apple could enhance their stainless steel rim further by opting for a complete aluminum casing this time around. The details have surfaced from iLounge, who add that Apple’s fifth-generation iPhone will feature a 4-inch display screen which obviously isn’t the first time we’ve heard this, but also it will apparently be ’8mm longer’ than the iPhone 4 as well.

As usual, this is according to their anonymous source, but another exciting aspect of their report also mentions the possibility of the iPhone 5 being an LTE device with less-battery drain a key feature. Verizon and ATE are now in the stages of rolling out a full 4G LTE service for their consumers as they look to move past 3G networks, and you’ll be well aware of the battery life problems that now seem to be dragging their latest iPhone 4S model into the mud as consumers continue to report problems.

One factor that hasn’t been talked about yet but will very much be on the minds of consumers is what processor the iPhone 5 will contain. At the moment, the company are using their dual-core A5 processor for the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S, but after the introduction of NVIDIA’s powerhouse quad-core Tegra 3 chip, it seems like dual-core is yesterday’s technology already. We’re hoping that the iPhone 5 will be the ‘true’ successor to the iPhone 4, and we’ll be able to enjoy this new aluminum model with a quad-core processor to compete with Android. Anything else may be deemed as second best by demanding consumers.

What are your thoughts on a possible aluminum design for the iPhone 5 – would you buy one without a thought if this became a reality? Also, what are your predictions on Apple’s next big processor jump? Do you agree that the iPhone needs a quad-core processor to compete with Android?

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