The White iPhone 4 is Vulnerable to the LimeRa1n ExploitThe White iPhone 4 is Vulnerable to the LimeRa1n Exploit

Good news, since I know nearly all of you will be lining up in the morning to lay claim to a white iPhone 4. I kid, I kid.

Nevertheless, there's a bit of good news coming out of the Twitter-sphere this afternoon, and it's regarding the vulnerability of the white iPhone 4.

The question people have been wondering is this: Will the iPhone 4 be vulnerable to a jailbreak out of the box tomorrow? Renowned iPhone hacker @chronic gives the answer inside…

The apparent answer to that question, according to the fine bunch of hackers on Twitter, is yes; you should be able to jailbreak your white iPhone 4 as soon as you bring it home from the store tomorrow.

This is highly indicative that the white iPhone 4 will come preloaded with iOS 4.3.2, a firmware version that has already been successfully jailbroken.

Even better is the fact that the current iOS 4.3.2 jailbreaks are untethered jailbreaks, so you get the real business from day one. As always, you can find our full list of jailbreak tutorials here.

Nice, huh? So who's lining up with me in the morning?

Even More Evidence Pointing At A Late iPhone 5

In the last week, many reports have been popping up with clues pointing at a later than usual iPhone 5 release. Historically, iPhone's have been announced during Apple's annual WWDC that occurs every June, but a new report suggests that the iPhone5 will be announced in September 2011.

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Ming-Chi Kuo, an analysts with Concord Securities reported earlier today that he checked with manufacturers that are involved in the making of iPhones and has concluded a few things based on what they've had to say.

Ming-Chi Kuo claims that the iPhone 5 will not feature a brand-new design, but will instead feature "slight modifications" from the current iPhone 4. He also goes on to state that the iPhone 5 will feature a faster A5 processor that was included in much acclaimed iPad 2, along with an 8 megapixel camera that we reported on a few weeks ago.

Kuo states that his conversations with the Apple supply chain also suggest that the iPhone 5 will go into production in August with an anticipated September announcement.

He also offers a very accurate estimations that Apple hopes to reach a production of 28-32 million iPhone 5′s this year that, according to him, will be ready on time for a late September/early October release of the iPhone 5.

Strangely enough, Kuo still believes that Apple will unveil the iPhone 5 at their annual Worldwide Developers Conference (where they've unveiled previous iPhones), regardless of his belief that it'll be release 3-4 months after that. We believe that it is quite unlikely that Apple would present the iPhone 5 that early as it would definitely lose a lot of the buzz it would be generating at the time of its announcement.

Also, in what is sure to be one of the first semi-legitimate predictions about the iPhone 6 (yes, you read that correctly), Kuo claims that the sixth-generation iPhone will be completely revamped in every way and will be release earlier than usual.

That means that there might be two generations of iPhones released within a year, which would not be too smart of a decision on Apple's part should the speculation be true but might be necessary to compete with upcoming Android phones.

He does make some bold claims, but many of them seem to be very plausible given current speculations on the iPhone 5′s release date. In the past, he's made some accurate predication about the white iPhone 4′s release date and the iPad 2′s screen size, which definitely adds some credibility to what he says.

iPhone 5 Part Shown and May Come Sporting a Sliding Cover

More speculation on the next generation Apple iPhone has hit the net waves, this time an image of a purported iPhone 5 part along with the speculation that the iPhone 5 may come out to play carrying a sliding cover of some description. According to an article over on Apple Insider, Chinese site Tw.apple.pro have posted what appears to be a picture of the 30-pin dock connector cable for the next generation iOS smartphone, with the item tag of 821-1300-02 HF/c1.

According to the Chinese site via a rough translation by Google, the previous rumours that the iPhone 5 may arrive with a larger edge-to-edge display are fake, and claims that the latest piece of mobile tech from the Apple camp will have a "frame shape" the same as the iPhone 4 but will be "slightly thicker," and have a "sliding cover."

No real word on just what the iPhone 5 "sliding cover" will offer, whether it would deliver a physical keyboard to the iPhone is unsure, but the same site also claimed earlier that there are 3 iPhone 5 prototypes, one of which would have a sliding keyboard.

Obviously this is all firmly in the speculation stages at the moment so should be taken with the usual pinch of salt, but would iPhone users like to see a physical keyboard finally come to the iPhone?

iPhone 5 & iPad 2 Keynote Possibly

Looks like the WWDC Even this year will be held on June 5 to June 9 and is marked down as the Corporate Meeting' placeholder, wonder what we can expect this year then. We all know by now that at WWDC events Apple announced new iPhones and iOS software so surely that means we can expect the likes of the new iPhone 5 and a new iOS update and features.

June 6 is more likely to be the Keynote, hopefully Steve Jobs will be the man talking about new Apple devices and software but this is not known as of yet.

There is not much to go on here to tell you the truth other than visiting 9to5Mac and AppleBitch for a screenshot of the event dates, we all know that  announces a new iPhone at WWDC in June with a release in July so it is a safe bet that the iPhone 5 will be announced.

Will we get to know official news about the iPad 2 soon or will this also be announced officially in June? Join us on Twitter or Facebook for up-to-date news as soon as we receive it.

The Global iPhone 5: Why Not Sprint, Why Not Now?

Verizon's CFO recently leaked information that the iPhone5 would indeed be a "global" device that works on both GSM and CDMA networks. Given the fact that Sprint operates on CDMA, why wouldn't the iPhone 5 be offered on the U.S.'s third largest carrier this time around?

Ever since the release of Verizon's iPhone, many had wondered whether Apple would design the iPhone 5 to be a dual network device, integrating both GSM and CDMA compatibility into one phone, or instead offer two separate devices for AT&T and Verizon, respectively. Lucky for us, Verizon's CFO Fran Shammo seems to have spilled the beans on a dual-network, "global" iPhone 5, as we reported in another article. Outside of an official confirmation from Apple — which won't come until the formal announcement of the iPhone 5 — it's apparent that the iPhone 5 will support both GSM and CDMA.

Given these apparent facts, why doesn't Apple extend the iPhone 5's availability to include the Sprint network?

In the world of U.S. mobile networks, Sprint is often regarded as the red-headed stepchild of them all: while AT&T touts speed and Verizon boasts of coverage, Sprint's business model is all about marketing its value pricing. Because of this, many performance-minded smartphone users opt for speed or coverage over savings, making AT&T and Verizon the top two carriers. But Sprint, after all, is the third largest mobile carrier in the U.S., with over 55 million subscribers. When you consider that AT&T, America's top provider, has 62 million subscribers, you begin to see how the difference between first and third isn't all that wide, and that opening up the iPhone 5 to Sprint's customers could be advantageous.

Especially considering that the Android smartphones are already on Sprint.

Recently, Sprint has been pushing Kyrocera's new Echo smartphone, a dual-screen marvel that seems to be paving the way for the next generation of Android 3.0 gadgets, both in the smartphone sector as well as tablet devices to go up against the iPad 2 (such as Sony's new S2 fold-up, dual-screened tablet). For as much as the iPhone 5 will need to compete with dual-screened devices like the Echo on the technological level, Apple will also have to match Android in availability as well.

With this in mind, wouldn't it make sense to offer the iPhone 5 to Sprint's 55 million subscribers? After all, Sprint utilizes the same CDMA technology as Verizon. In this way, the iPhone 5′s "global" characteristics would jive perfectly with Sprint as it does with Verizon.

To date, there is no hard evidence that the iPhone 5 will indeed be offered on the Sprint network. The only credible shred of information about Sprint and the iPhone 5 was from Sprint's Chief Financial Officer Robert Brust, who simply said of the iPhone 5 in May of 2010 that "we'd love to have it." The iPhone 5 News Blog reported on this story way back in February that a Sprint iPhone 5 is a possibility. So, if the iPhone 5 surprisingly appears on Sprint at the end of this summer, remember that you saw it here first!

The iPhone 5 on T-Mobile?

Just today, there are fresh reports from Beatweek and other tech news sources that either the iPhone 5 and/or white iPhone 4 will be released on AT&T's newly subsumed carrier T-Mobile. Beatweek boldly claims that, "AT&T just bought T-Mobile. AT&T already offers the iPhone. As such, T-Mobile was probably already a lock to offer the iPhone 5. A late arriving iPhone 5 means Apple could, if it wants to, go ahead and do a T-Mobile iPhone 4."

While that deductive reasoning by Beatweek and others may make for a sensational headline, it represents irresponsible journalism at best: at the time of T-Mobile's acquisition by AT&T for $39 billion in March of 2011, T-Mobile made it resoundingly clear that the iPhone 5 — or any iPhone for that matter — would not be released to T-Mobile customers in 2011.

In a succinct article on IT Pro Portal, Desire Athow reports that, when asked about the iPhone coming to T-Mobile:

"In a FAQ published by the company earlier today, the answer is a resounding no. T-Mobile USA says that it remains an independent company as the acquisition process is expected to last at least one year. It added that it will not offer the iPhone 4 (and its successor the iPhone 5), instead redirecting customers to "cutting edge devices" like the Samsung Galaxy S 4G and the Sidekick 4G, also built by Samsung."

Unless the official statements from AT&T and T-Mobile were blatant lies, then there is no reason to believe rumors of a T-Mobile iPhone release this year.

Don't believe the hype.

More rumors of larger iPhone 5 screen

Here we go again with the rumors that the iPhone 5–or whatever Apple chooses to call its fifth-generation iPhone–will have a larger screen. This one comes out of China, where iDealsChina has posted what it claims is a photo of the front bezel or digitizer panel for the iPhone 5.

Here's the long caption that was posted along with the image, which was first noticed by 9to5Mac:

China's 1st iPhone 5 photo has surfaced! From this photo it seems that the screen size will be larger than iPhone 4. There has been a lot of speculation about a larger screen and maybe this will be one of the upgrades we will see when iPhone 5 is released this summer.

Previous rumors have the iPhone 5 sporting a 4-inch "edge-to-edge" screen, which some are interpreting to mean that it will have a smaller bezel or border. With so many of the new Android smartphones having more generous screens than the iPhone, some consumers–including many CNET readers–are hoping that the next iPhone will have a larger screen.

It's also worth pointing out that a recent rumor suggested the next iPhone and iPad will ditch the home button for onscreen gesture commands. But as you can see from this photo, there's a spot for the home button.

If you're looking for a track record on iDealsChina's rumors, it's hit and miss. In 2008, this Chinese reseller of Apple parts claimed on its Web site that an iPhone Nano was in the making (ironically, those same rumors of a smaller iPhone are making the rounds now). But it did better with posting images of some molds for iPhone 3G cases prior to that model's launch.

iDealsChina says that more photos of parts for the iPhone 5 "may be available soon" and that the part it would really like to see is the back of iPhone 5 to "verify if the rumored tapered back is true."

Future iPhone 5 Already Plagued With "Privacy Fix"

With rumors of a return to a metal back and internal antenna, the iPhone 4′s Antennagate controversy last Summer has already forced Apple to implement a "fix" into the iPhone 5′s design. Now, the privacy issue is forcing Apple and Steve Jobs to do damage control for an iPhone5 that hasn't even materialized yet.

In spite of the millions of iPhones and iPads sold,  it has been a rough road for Steve Jobs and Apple recently.

In addition to Jobs' health issues — which have had its share of business reprocussions on Apple, with shareholders fretting over CEO succession details in the untimely event of his passing — there have been a series of public relations blunders that he and Apple have had to damage control, beginning from as far back as last summer.

First, there was the embarrassment of the iPhone 4 prototype being leaked via Gizmodo. Then, Antennagate marred the release of the iPhone 4. More recently, Apple has been branded by eco-warriors Greenpeace as the "least green" tech company on the planet, and now U.S. lawmakers are aggressively attacking Apple's flagship device — the iPhone — for logging users' locations. In almost all of these cases, Steve Jobs has aggressively defended Apple, its products, and its business practices. WSJ.com reports that "Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs, who is on medical leave, was unapologetic in his defense of his company's actions. 'Your precise location is never transmitted to Apple,' he said in an interview."

But there's no doubt that these ongoing PR foibles are straining Apple's marketing efforts. This is particularly true for the upcoming iPhone 5.

Amid recent reports that the iPhone 5 could turn out to be a mere refresh of the current iPhone 4, Apple will have to convince iPhone users that the A5 chip and iOS 5 is something to get excited about, should these purported features end up to be the centerpiece of the iPhone 5′s developments.

Even more concerning is that the new iPhone 5 specs may include as many "fixes" as it does new features.

Our favorite tech news source IT Pro Portal recently reported that Apple will indeed fix what they forgivingly call the "iPhone Location Logging Bug." Writer Radu Tyrsina states that Apple "will be making changes in an iOS software update soon that will 'fix' certain bugs relating to the unencrypted file," according to a Q&A that the company published in light of the controversy. In order to contain the public relations damage of the issue, Apple has taken a careful tack, stipulating that the inclusion of the "secret file" was a "mistake" — albeit an innocent one — and that Apple never downloaded this information nor used the data maliciously.

In any case, fixing the iPhone Location Logging Bug on the iPhone 5 won't be a feature that Steve Jobs will be able to brag about when he walks out onto the stage to present it — whenever that may be. The same can be said for the antenna "fixes" that will make their way onto the iPhone 5 — namely, the purported return to an internal antenna and/or a metal back.

Is The iPhone 5 Already Dead On Arrival?

Several tech pundits have started to wonder: based on what we know at this point, does the iPhone 5 really have any chance to match or surpass its Android counterparts? The fact that Apple already has to "fix" two major features by essentially retro-engineering the iPhone 5 back to pre-iPhone 4 specs is a palpable black eye that will need to be overcome if the next iPhone is to compete in the smartphone market. But when you add up the two fixes, the later-than-usual release, and now the prospect of lackluster features, the outlook for the iPhone 5 begins to dim.

And considering that the antenna and privacy issues, plus the fact that every new 2011 Android release pushes the iPhone 4 further into obsolescence, an ominous forecast for the iPhone 5 leaves potential iPhone buyers with more and more reasons to go with an Android phone.

There is, however, one reason to hope.

One of the defining characteristics of Apple and Steve Jobs is the ability to blow our minds. Time and time again, Apple has managed to outdo itself and its competitors with new designs and features that revolutionize the consumer electronics industry. For as much as we think we know what is and what isn't for the iPhone 5, something may indeed be in the works that no one will see coming, and that no competitor will be able to match.