Report: iPhone 5 to get major chip upgrade

Apple’s next-gen iPhone will reportedly feature a speedy A5 processor – the same advanced SoC that powers Cupertino’s flagship iPad 2.

According to Bloomberg, the iPhone 5 will also boast a new 8-megapixel camera along with iOS 5, and is likely to arrive in September 2011.

Unfortunately, it remains unclear if the iPhone 5 closely resembles its predecessor in terms of physical appearance.

Some publications claim a extensive redesign is not in the cards, while others, like BGR, say it could offer a “radical new case design,” perhaps in the form of a “teardrop-shape.”

Although details pertaining to the unannounced iPhone 5 are understandably sparse, the frenetic rumor mill continues to churn with reports of a lower-tier smartphone geared towards emerging markets, which could include “chips and displays of similar quality to today’s iPhone 4.”

It should also be noted that Bloomberg claimed Apple is “testing a new version of the iPad [with] a higher resolution screen, similar to the one now used in the iPhone 4.”

As you may recall, the iPhone is equipped with a Retina Display which offers a resolution of 960 x 640 and a pixel density of 326 pixels per inch. 



As such, a next-gen iPad could theoretically feature a more resposnive touchscreen with a resolution that is approximately one-third higher than the iPad 2’s display.

[Via AppleInsider & Bloomberg]