News Analysis: The iPhone 5 rumor mill is heating up. But at this point, there's no reason to trust any rumors. Apple may be getting billions of dollars of free publicity from all these iPhone 5 rumors, but we aren't left with any factual information that's worth a penny.
Just
about every time one checks out the news and blogs on the Web these days,
there's some sort of rumor related to Apple's iPhone 5. The latest rumors
discuss everything from the device's screen size to whether it will come with a
better antenna to overcome the reception-killing "death grip" issue that
plagued its predecessors.
But
readers of these rumors are left with no more knowledge than what they started
with. We know no more factual information about the iPhone 5 than before these
rumors started circulating. This situation is sure to continue until Apple
decides to release the phone, or it trickles out some real information about
it.
That
was made abundantly clear as of late when an alleged iPhone 5 prototype was
reportedly lost in a bar. Immediately, reports cropped up suggesting it was
definitely the next smartphone that Apple would launch. But after the
excitement faded, it's apparent this rumor didn't help to prove or disprove
anything that has been suggested about what features the iPhone 5 will actually
offer. In fact, it was little more than just another smartphone that might or
might not make its way to store shelves.
But
this begs the real question: If an iPhone 5 prototype has really surfaced, why
do Apple employees keep losing them in very public places? Readers might
remember that this is the same thing that happened with a reputed prototype of
the iPhone 4.
With
this situation in mind, it might be a good time to
examine why iPhone 5 rumors cannot be trusted. As many as there are out
there, there isn't a single rumor that you should believe will definitely come
true.
Read
on to find out why:
1. Prototypes aren't finished products
Much
has been made about the alleged iPhone prototype that was lost in a bar in San
Francisco. Apple reportedly tried to find the device, leading some to wonder if
it was, in fact, the iPhone 5. But the chances of that happening seem rather
slim. Prototypes are by no means finished products. For a single device, there
can be many prototypes out there. But the finished product is likely locked
away at Apple.
2. Remember Apple's secrecy
Even
though Steve Jobs is no longer CEO at Apple, his company's
value of secrecy has not changed. Over the years, Apple hasn't let anything
slip out. In fact, leaking information to the press is punishable with
termination at Apple. Realizing that, all the rumors that crop up hardly ever
(if ever, in fact) come from an Apple employee, which immediately makes them
unreliable.
3. They're an attention-grabber
One
of the things about Apple rumors is that they do a good job of grabbing the
attention of people. They tend to be sensational; they usually discuss major
improvements that folks would want to see in their next iPhone; and for the
people crafting them, they get a chance to show off their predictions for
Apple's future. But sadly, they hardly ever prove to be true.
4. The ideas don't make sense
If
one considers some of the ideas that have been floated on the Web about the
iPhone 5, they will quickly realize why Apple rumors can't be trusted. Some
suggest that the iPhone 5 will come with several versions for people looking
for different things in the device. Other rumors say Apple will finally offer
an enterprise-friendly, physical-keyboard-equipped option.
Both rumors are fanciful and make little sense. That's the problem with
many of the iPhone 5-related rumors.
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