iPhone 5 Release Rumors: Will ‘Refined’ Ultrasonic Bonding Make Apple’s Next iPhone Stronger?

Apple and Apple products have always remained hot topics of discussion around the tech world, allowing spicy rumors to make the wait for the company's upcoming devices even more exciting. The same happened to the newly launched iPad and all the earlier major releases from the tech giant. And now, users' attention seems to have turned to the next iteration of iPhone aka iPhone 5.

Speculations are rife that Apple will launch the next generation iPhone in the second half of 2012. However, Apple fans have already started crowding the Web with speculations on what features the next iPhone will offer to its users.

The latest iPhone 5 rumor to hit the scene is about the device featuring ultrasonic bonding. According to Patently Apple, On March 15, 2012, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that refines an older 2008 patent on using Ultrasonic bonding in products like the 2009 metal back iPhone and current iPods.

Apple may have refined the process of ultrasonic bonding in their latest Apple TV and iPad designs where it's necessary to bring metal and plastic together to save on costs and to keep the devices lighter, the report added.

According to PA, ultrasonic bonding can be useful for making stronger, more lasting bond than using adhesives to hold different materials together, i.e. in a phone casing. Various iPods and iPhones utilize housings having plastic parts that have been ultrasonically welded together. Seams and joins of plastic parts that have been ultrasonically welded together can also be quite aesthetically pleasing in comparison with some traditional metallic welds.

However, ultrasonic bonding can prove complicated because of the use of materials with two different melting points, like metal and plastic. This serves to limit the abilities of designers with respect to the materials that can be used in a particular design, such as for the housing and internal features or parts of an electronic device having complex internal features.

When it comes to compact portable devices like the iPhone, Apple's solution is to use a metallic surface that can withstand the flow of melted plastic into one or more surface irregularities therein, allowing a plastic item to ultrasonically bonded to a metal item.

More From the Rumor Mill

Before the release of the New iPad, multiple reports surfaced speculating on whether or not the device would feature 4G LTE connectivity. Well, rumors suggesting much faster download speeds in the new iPad were spot on with Apple offering both the Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi + 4G models of the iPad.

After the Cupertino-based tech giant confirmed the 4G LTE inclusion in the new iPad, numerous unnamed sources have stated that the upcoming model of the iPhone will be launched later this year, featuring the same technology.

Though there was no clear reason for the delayed release of iPhone 4S, many analysts believe that it was Apple's failed attempt at implementing LTE into the phone that held back the much-awaited launch. Since the new iPad got 4G LTE support, there is an even higher chance that LTE may be incorporated in Apple's next iPhone as well.

According to analysts at UBS, the next iPhone will have a complete revamp that includes new innovations that will be significant enough to drive above average excitement and buzz, Fox Business reported.

The Swiss banking giant thinks the next generation iPad will be Apple's biggest launch ever, driven by a boost in the number of carriers it's available on and the variety of countries in which it is available, the report added.

The complete redesign should drive a stronger than average upgrade cycle for existing iPhone users and continue to encourage other smartphone and non-smartphone users to make the switch, UBS's analysts wrote.

Considering that the new iPad has Retina Display with a ground breaking 2048 x 1536 resolution, the forthcoming iPhone model is also highly expected to feature something higher in terms of its display. If rumors are to be believed, iPhone 5 will come with a 3.7- to 4-inch Quantum Dot LED curved glass edge-to-edge display with 1280 x 720 resolutions (367ppi).

Rumors also suggest that an A6 processor will eventually power the next iPhone. It will be a superfast 1.2 to 1.5 GHz processor with 1GB or more of RAM to offer amazing processing capabilities to the smartphone.

What about the camera? Well, considering Android smartphones are increasingly coming with 8 megapixel camera, iPhone 5 is also expected to feature something similar or even higher. Another rumor indicated that iPhone 5 will even have a 3D camera.

Apple had been granted a new patent for a new iDevice self-timer that allows the iPhone camera to wait till the photographer himself comes to the frame. Once the photographer is in the picture, the camera will detect his face and will take the picture.

Many reports also said that the Near Field Communication (NFC) technology would also be featured in the upcoming Apple phone. The New York Times reported even before the launch of iPhone 4S that a forthcoming iPhone would feature NFC. Since it did not turn out to be iPhone 4S, it could well be the one on the cards.

Will the battery finally be improved? Yes, it's very likely to be. It's expected that iPhone 5 will have better battery life than the Li-Po 1420 mAh battery in iPhone 4S that gives up to 8 hours of talk time on 3G and up to 14 hours on 2G (GSM).

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