First: poor, poor Infineon. It was the scapegoat for the issues with the iPhone 3G, and now it's being tossed aside for a Qualcomm chipset. Honestly, the move to Qualcomm makes sense, as Apple needs to address both CDMA and GSM needs, and the Verizon iPhone uses one, and so will the iPad 2 and iPhone 5, according to the report.
In fact, if the iPhone 5 is as good as it sounds, anyone thinking of a Verizon iPhone should stop, look, and listen. Not only will it have a Qualcomm chipset, it will have a CDMA / GSM / UMTS baseband processor, meaning Apple can sell one device for all. That implies it could be a International roaming phone, meaning even those on Verizon would be able to use it globally. However, there will be no LTE in the iPhone 5, the report adds. It will also sport Apple's new A5 CPU (a Cortex A9-based, multi-core chip).
That is the set of changes from an interior perspective. But more to the point for buyers, it is reportedly a completely redesigned handset, with a "total rethink from a design standpoint." Once again, those considering the Verizon iPhone 4 should stop and think for a second. Those who buy in early February will be unable to take advantage of this new phone, unless they want to pay a hefty penalty.
Meanwhile, the iPad 2 will share in the Qualcomm glory, with its own dual GSM / CDMA chipset. The device won't be early, but rather will land around April, which is exactly where it should be for a one year refresh cycle. The iPad 2 will be thinner and sleeker, as already rumored, and although it will not have the same retina display of the iPhone 4, but it will have a new screen technology that is "super high resolution."
Screen size will be unchanged, but (to no surprise) it will have front- and rear-facing cameras. The big surprise is an SD clot. That's a great idea, because, frankly, as it was a pain and unnecessary expense to have to buy Apple's special adapter to plug in SD cards to import photos to the device. The A5 may make it into the iPad 2, but it is unconfirmed.
Finally, a new version of Apple TV is coming, one which will include the iPhone's A5 processor. It will be able to support 1080p video; the current version is limited to 720p.
It all sounds like another banner year for Apple. Of course, we're not saying you should buy the stock. You really should have purchased shares when the Great Recession dropped AAPL pricing below $100.
