When the iPhone 5 hits sometime in the next couple of months (hopefully, if release date rumors are correct, and by the grace of Jobs), it will drop with iOS 5.
The next major upgrade to Apple’s operating system has already been demoed, so we know some of the new features. Of the over 200 new user features, some of the most notable are the new notification center and built-in Twitter integration. You can see a bigger list of iOS 5 features here.
The new rumor surrounding the upcoming Apple product is that users who need help fixing their new iPhones will have the help of a “web-based remote diagnostic tool.”
This new feature ha supposedly already been completed and announced internally. According to AppleInsider:
The entirely online system will be triggered by a special URL sent via e-mail or entered manually. When a user visits the website and agrees, Mobile Safari will conduct internal checks of the system and send that data to Apple’s servers.
To ensure user privacy, the only personal data that will be sent to Apple will include its unique identifier, or UDID, as well as the name of the owner, the report said.
Somehow I doubt that the last little blip about “ensuring user privacy” will be enough to put some people at ease, especially considering Apple’s troubles with data tracking as of late. Although somewhat of an invasive procedure for your iPhone, the type of information that is able to be accessed could truly aid the Apple tech trying to solve your problem.
The diagnostic sweep will allegedly be able to access your iOS version, information about charging and battery life as well as how the device was turned off during its last deactivation. No word on whether Apple would be able to see if your iPhone (or other Apple device) has been jailbroken or not.
Other rumors this week involve the iPhone launching with a 3.7 inch screen, smaller than the once projected 4.2 inch screen as well as having a metal chassis. Earlier this week, a memo leaked showing Sprint management advising employees to keep mum regarding iPhone 5 release date rumors. Most reports now put its release sometime in October.