Next-Gen iPhone, OS 4.0 Talk Intensifies

Details leaked by people familiar with Apple’s plans, including part suppliers, are beginning to paint a pretty good picture of what Apple’s new iPhone model will look like. If, indeed, Apple plans to roll out a new version of its revolutionary smartphone this year, the device is expected to boast better video/picture-taking capabilities, multitasking, and more.

Next-gen device may be substantially different from current models, from a hardware point of view

Ars Technica looks at several rumors picked up by the likes of AppleInsider and The iPhone Blog, which say that not only will iPhone 4 boast a five-megapixel camera, but that it will actually include a flash LED (for better lighting), a better graphics chip, a less power-hungry processor, and finally, multitasking.

Citing people familiar with Apple's initiative, AppleInsider reveals that, “The electronics maker is seeking allotments of LED camera flash components in the tens of millions for delivery during the 2010 calendar year, meaning future iPhones -- and possibly the iPod touch -- are the most likely recipients of those parts, due to their sales volume.” According to the same people, Philips' Lumileds Lighting sector seems to be “the front-runner for Apple's business.” The company is believed to have been already tapped by Apple for part orders.

Back to the Ars Technica report, Imagination Technologies is known to have introduced an improved SGX545 graphics processor core. The company that develops the PowerVR graphics processors employed by the iPhone has revealed that its new graphics solution is compatible with OpenGL ES 2.0 3D graphics API, as well as OpenGL 3.2 and even OpenCL. Designed to be used in multi-core applications, Ars believes it would only appear as a single core in iPhone applications, in order to limit the impact on the battery. Adding that the technolody is already “licensed by a lead partner,” according to Imagination, with Apple being one of the big investors, new-gen iPhones are likely to benefit from these advancements.

Another key find believed to be tied to Apple’s next-gen iPhone is dished out in a report by The iPhone Blog, which suggests Apple is planning to add multitasking to the next version of the iPhone (admittedly, in a limited form). Although Apple has denied its customers multitasking in favor of battery life, the Mac maker is believed to finally justify the acquisition of chip designer PA Semi by introducing a new, low-power ARM Cortex A9 processor in the next version of the iPhone, and finally answer demand for this functionality.

Speaking of which....

Fans want big changes in iPhone 4.0.

A CultOfMac report published last week says that Apple’s January 27 product announcement will not only see the introduction of the much-rumored tablet, but also an iPhone OS 4.0 and an associated Software Development Kit (SDK) for programmers. Citing French site Mac4Ever, 9to5Mac also includes a relevant (translated) excerpt from the report in question. Get the full scoop here.

In a move akin to Softpedia’s latest efforts of finding out what iPhone customers want in future iPhone software updates, TUAW has compiled a few requests from readers and owners of an Apple iPhone regarding changes they’d want to see on an OS-level. Saving hardware- and application-specific requests for a later post, TUAW reveals that a high percentage of those requesting changes in iPhone OS 4.0 want the following enhancements:

· a new lock screen showing all the stuff you’ve missed since the phone was last used;
· a new home screen (while they’re at it), which includes location-aware features that kick in as the user changes their location; a Genius Location feature is also suggested by iPhone fans, TUAW points out;
· a screen that acts like a feeds service for apps that get constantly updated (Mail, IM, Twitter, Facebook, etc.) by swiping upwards regardless of the home screen page you’re in;
· overhauled app navigation, including the ability to see all the home pages on one screen;
· multitasking and 3rd party background apps, but not at the cost of battery life;
· Flash support ;
· the ability to toggle use / ignore orientation (accelerometer);
· the ability to remember where the user was before clicking on a link that takes them to Safari;
· the ability to remove Apple-brandd apps, the Stocks app being accounted as the most useless with solutions like Yahoo! Finance clearly beating it;
· a universal documents folder;
· better support for codecs and add-ons;
· the ability to connect the iPhone as a storage device.

All this being said, it’s your turn to speak your mind. How do you see Apple’s next-gen iPhone? As an existing iPhone / iPod touch user, what are your expectations from iPhone OS 4.0?