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Apple Upping the Ante with New iPhone 5 Screw Design?

One of the more significant changes that could be coming to the next generation iPhone is a completely redesigned screw. This photo featured on BGR shows a rendering of what is claimed to be an iPhone 5 assembly screw. As you can see, this design leaves no room for at-home repair.

Apple iPhone 5 asymmetrical screw design

In fact, should this design actually come to fruition, the screw head has no known tools capable of turning the part and loosening the iPhone 5 chassis. The screw is completely asymmetric, unlike any bolt or screw seen before on mobile electronic hardware.

What This New Battery Means for the iPhone 5

Although these next generation iPhone battery photos from 9to5 Mac may not be much to look at, they give us some more insight into the iPhone 5 hardware coming this fall. With a larger display and an LTE radio, the iPhone 5 will require more power in a slimmer package.

iPhone 5 next generation battery

Assuming Apple goes with the battery pictured above, the component is slightly thinner and increases capacity to 1440 mAh over the iPhone 4S at 1430 mAh. Voltage is also increased in the new battery from 3.7 to 3.8 volts. As it turns out, these increases are not as large as some were expecting to see.

iPhone 5 New Dock Connector Details Revealed

The smaller, 19-pin dock connector expected to arrive with the next generation iPhone may be a different design after all. Leaked photos on 9to5 Mac show a dock connector cable with 16 pins, including 8 on each side. Apparently only 8 pins would be used in the iPhone 5, with the other side reserved for future use.

iphone mini dock connector

The plug has contacts that look more like a USB cable or SD memory card, and would not have to be oriented in a particular direction to connect. This symmetrical design simplifies the process of plugging in a dock cable to the port at the bottom of the iPhone or accessories. Speaking of which, there is some concern that the new design will render many third-party accessories obsolete, despite a rumored adapter.

MacBooks Could Wirelessly Charge iPhones in the Future

Wireless charging is not a new concept, the Palm Pre introduced the Touchstone Charger in 2009, and Samsung announced a wireless charging kit along with its Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone earlier this year. Even though the Samsung wireless kit has been delayed, a similar Verizon-branded charging station has been spotted at Verizon stores.

Wireless Charging

According to the DigiTimes, chip maker Intel may be adopting "its self-developed wireless charging technology into Intel-based ultrabooks and smartphones in the second half of 2013". Since Apple uses Intel’s chips in its MacBooks, the company could potentially adopt this upcoming technology... But I wouldn't get my hopes up.

iOS 6 Allows iPhones to Automatically Switch to 3G When Wi-Fi Isn't Doing the Job

Do you hate when your iPhone doesn't automatically switch to 3G if your Wi-Fi connection is too slow? A new feature in iOS 6 will solve this problem. The new option called "Wi-Fi Plus Cellular" allows your iPhone to automatically switch to a cellular connection when Wi-Fi isn't doing the job. iPhone owners can also manage their data usage by toggling specific services on and off. As you can see from the picture below, the cellular option allows you to turn off access to iCloud Documents, iTunes, FaceTime, Passbook Updates and Reading List.

iOS Features

The "Wi-Fi Plus Cellular" option was discovered within the Settings menu in the latest iOS 6 beta by AppAdvice. The blog also discovered a toggle for Shared Calendar Alerts within the beta. When enabled, the new feature will notify you whenever the shared calendar is modified.

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