(The Root) — It's safe to assume that even some Android users are just a little excited about what Apple has in store with its new iPhone. Well, "excited" may be a tad strong, but for the last several months, everyone's been at least a bit curious about the new smartphone's offerings. Rumors have been flying around the Web, with most reports agreeing on a few specific new features.
It will likely be faster. No new smartphone entering the market has a chance of survival if it's not 4G-enabled. The next-generation communication standard will put the iPhone's download speed on par with the extremely popular Samsung Galaxy S III, or any other smartphone with 4G LTE technology.
It will be (slightly) bigger. Actually, taller is a more accurate description of the new iPhone screen size. Currently the iPhone has a 3.5-inch diagonal screen size. Rumors are that will increase to four inches, making it longer but not wider. The new smartphone is also rumored to be thinner and have a longer battery life as well.
It will have a smaller dock connector. On current iPhones, the 30-pin dock connector on the bottom of the phone is much larger and more inconvenient than what you'd get on any other non-Apple device. The new dock connector will be smaller, although reports are mixed as to whether the actual size will be 19 pins or possibly even eight pins. Another report says that the dock connector may be moved to the top of the new device, while the headphone jack will be moved to the bottom. This is all supposed to make the iPhone easier to use with other products, and the smaller dock connector will allow space inside the smartphone for other cool hardware. The downside to this is you'll probably be buying an adapter to use with all of the products you already have for your current iPhone.
It may (or may not) be called "iPhone5." The thinking here is that Apple may go the route of the new iPad and not add a number to the name of the new smartphone. This would stay within Apple's typical standard for their Macs and bring their tablets and phones in line with it.
Whatever features the new iPhone may have, people are ready to buy. According to a survey by TechBargains, 74 percent of iPhone4 owners plan to upgrade. I've always been sort of a "wait and see" kind of person, so while I will most likely make the switch when I'm eligible, you won't catch me outside standing in line on Sept. 21.
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