14 DAY TRIAL // The company that supplies Apple with 5 megapixel lens modules for the current generation of iPhones and iPod touch players may see an increase in orders for its high-end 8 megapixel lens as Apple is believed to have tapped the manufacturer yet again, this time for the next-generation iPhone 5.
Trade publication DigiTimes again takes it upon itself to report iPhone 5 talk in Taiwan, citing industry sources as saying that Largan Precision may see 8 megapixel modules replace the current 5-megapixel ones to become the mainstream for smartphones in the third quarter of 2011.
The change is “due to possible orders from Apple” these people reportedly said. 8-megapixel lens modules for cell phones account for nearly 10% of Largan Precision’s total lens module shipment volume, according to the report in question.
Less than two weeks away from WWDC 2011 and a possible iPhone announcement, the Apple-centric blogosphere faces an impossible task of determining whether Apple plans to introduce an incremental iPhone 4S update, or the next-generation iPhone 5.
One way or the other, most pundits agree Apple will enhance key hardware parts, including the CPU (with the introduction of the A5 chip), and the cameras (with a relocated LED flash).
The latter has been widely reported on using various alleged hardware leaks and photos of iPhone cases said to fit the phone’s new design. None of these leaks seem too accurate, though.
Moreover, these enhancements alone cannot constitute a solid enough reason for Apple to introduce a new device altogether.
And, if history is any indication, we should have heard of an iPhone 4S / iPhone 5 prototype leak by now, so maybe Apple is launching its new iPhone in September, as many analysts believe.
Finally, iOS 5 is also said to be playing a major role in the introduction of Apple’s new iPhone, as it is poised to deliver enhanced Internet services comprising voice, mapping, and advanced search functions, as well as the rumored MobileMe locker.