next generation

Sources at Apple have told the Boy Genius Report that a revised iPhone 4 model is currently in the final phases of field testing before release. This model revision is known as "iPhone3,2" and may be launched ahead of Apple's typical summer iPhone refresh cycle. Speculation is rampant over exactly what revisions are coming to the iPhone 4.

The leading contender is a CDMA-compatible version of the iPhone 4, which could be offered by either Sprint or Verizon Wireless in the US. Although this would make sense given the impending end of AT&T exclusivity, BGR also reports that the new iPhone 4 retains a SIM card slot. SIM cards are used on GSM networks like AT&T and T-Mobile.

Apple as usual has made a business decision that could lead to exciting new features on the next generation iPhone and beyond. The company has acquired Swedish company Polar Rose, known for its mobile face recognition technology FaceLib among other similar products.

With full face detection and tracking of faces in video, the solutions Polar Rose delivers could change how you interact with your iPhone. Now that the iPhone 4 has a front-facing camera, passcode lock could end up going the way of the dinosaurs.

Apple claims to have sold over 600,000 iPhone 4 units in just over a day. Customers struggled to pre-order yesterday as online systems failed and eligibility verification was inaccessible for hours at a time. The mad rush for the next generation iPhone has resulted in shipping delays and the complete suspension of AT&T Wireless pre-ordering.

Apple now lists the iPhone 4 as "Shipping by July 14," a full three weeks later than the original June 24 release date. Apple retail stores will open on June 24 at 7:00 am across the country, however it's first come first served and if the online demand is any hint, the lines could rival those of the original iPhone.

Sources familiar with pre-release builds of iPhone OS 4.0 claim the operating system will lift restrictions on the multitasking of apps. AppleInsider reports that an interface modeled after the Mac OS X Expose feature would show icons of all running apps and allow the user to switch between them.

In the desktop version of Expose, windows of running applications are reduced in size and aligned so they can all be seen simultaneously. Currently, only a list of native iPhone apps is permitted to run in the background, although iPhone OS is fully capable of multitasking. These apps include the iPod, SMS, Phone, Mail, and Voice Recorder among others.

Well it's that time of year again, and the number of speculations, leaks and purported photos and videos of the next-generation iPhone is sure to increase. The latest blurb to sweep the web involves tech pundit John Gruber mocking the Wall Street Journal for not having any interesting information. He then goes on to drop some killer specs for the upcoming iPhone release.

This mockup of the next generation iPhone has nothing to do with Gruber's information (predictions?) but we liked the fact that it resembles the iPad. Back to the specifications of the iPhone 4G: