A Taipei-based analyst has claimed that Apple’s next-gen iPhone will feature a touch-sensitive casing along with a “more advanced” camera.
“Apple’s going to put a lot of innovation, not just on the hardware, but also on the software of the new iPhone,” Goldman Sachs analyst Robert Chen told Bloomberg.
“The handset will [include] a new plastic casing similar to that used for Apple’s touch-panel Magic Mouse released last year.”
Chen explained that upgrading to a 5-megapixels camera will bring the handset up to speed Google’s recently released Nexus One.
He added that the new device – which could be released as early as June – may include an updated version of the iPhone OS along with an “overhaul” of Apple’s application store.
Meanwhile, a recent patent application indicates that Apple has continued to examine various methods of creating a stylus for use on touch-sensitive panels.
According to AppleInsider, the iPhone does not currently support stylus use, as the touch panel on its display requires a conductive pointer.
However, Apple’s patent would rectify the apparent shortcoming with a conductive tip for a stylus that would be recognized by such a screen.
“A metallic or otherwise conductive disk may be attached to one end of the stylus,” read the application which was obtained by AppleInsider.
“The disk may be sized so as to guarantee sufficient electrical interaction with at least one sensory element of the touch sensor panel.”
The application also introduces the concept of a powered stylus that would provide the stimulus signal required by a capacitive touch screen. The stylus could include sensors to measure elements such as force and angle that would transmit additional information to the device.
