iPhone 5 release date rumors in the week ending March 11: Corning collaboration, glass back, quad-core processor and others

Apple names Corning an iPhone manufacturer

Recently, Apple acknowledged that the Gorilla Glass maker is among the manufacturers for the future iPhone.

However, the Cupertino tech giant released its US Jobs report and mentions the following:

“Corning employees in Kentucky and New York who create the majority of the glass for iPhone,..”

Since the collaboration between the two companies seems official now, many are assuming that the iPhone 5 will feature Corning Gorilla Glass 2, which was presented at CES 2012.

iPhone 5 to feature glass back

According to a “repeatedly reliable source” cited by iLounge, Apple is reportedly working on new materials for the iPhone 5, including glass and ceramic rear shells.

Thanks to the incorporation of Corning’s thinner Gorilla Glass, the iPhone 5 could become even thinner.

The site also reported that the smartphone is likely to be equipped with a smaller USB connector and a larger screen.

iPhone 5 to feature quad-core processor

According to The Verge, Apple isn’t planning on launching the A6 any sooner. Instead, the company would rather wait for the release of the iPhone 5 to introduce the chip.

The site wrote that the new version of the A5, currently found in the iPad, includes improved graphics capabilities and more RAM than on the previous model.

iPad A5x CPU may not power the next iPhone

Apple presented the new A5X processor in the third-generation iPad on Wednesday, sparking rumors that the gadget could be featured on the iPhone 5.

However, Linley Gwennap, founder and principal analyst of Linley Group, claims that the A5X may not be used on the next iPhone since it isn’t ideal for smartphones.

The analyst believes that Apple is more likely to focus on improving battery life rather than graphics on the next iPhone.

In addition, MacWorld cites Dean McCarron, an analyst with Mercury Research, who agrees with Gwennap.

“There’s no technical reason to make the iPhone display better,” he said. “For phones in particular … there’s a lot of incentive to use the latest process.”

Will the iPhone 5 be released as ‘the iPhone’?

On March 7, Apple presented its latest version of the iPad and to everyone’s surprise chose not to name it the iPad 3 or iPad HD, but opted instead for the name of the iPad.

The naming seems logical to some analysts who argue that Apple could have wanted to avoid a product numbering, as it happened with the iPhones.

Consequently, speculation has risen that the next iPhone could follow a similar pattern and simply be called the iPhone, and not the iPhone 5 as it has long been dubbed.

“The iPhone” is expected to feature Gorilla Glass 2 for its display and an improved camera. Rumors also suggest it will be powered by a quad-core ARM A6 processor and will include larger storage options.