Clearly it’s not a good idea to believe everything you read, that may even be more the case if you are reading it on Twitter. That said, if Twitter and the hashtag #iphonegold are to be believed, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) may be adding its first new color since Apple began production in 2007.
Apple To Announce New iPhones On Sept. 10
Yesterday saw the Twitter-verse light up with suggestions based on reporting from TechCrunch and AllThingsD that when Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) announces its new line of phones on September 10 it will include a shade of gold. Not a gaudy gangster chain gold, but more of a champagne hue on the backplate and edging.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), as always, declined to comment on the matter. Those that report on the iPhone will simply have to wait until September 10th or until an engineer leaves one lying around a Cupertino, CA bar or restaurant.
The addition of gold would not be a big deal here, but “huge” in China, says Tim Bajarin, an analyst at Creative Strategies.
“The market is driven by colors, and gold means prosperity,” says Bajarin. The Chinese are a superstitious lot, so it’s good for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) that they have gone beyond the dreaded number four in is modeling scheme.
It has been widely reported for some time that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) plans to introduce both an upgrade to the iPhone 5 and a lower cost iPhone option that is believed to be made of plastic. As to whether or not one or both will be available in gold is anyone’s guess.
As is the case each time Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) moves closer to release date, rumors begin to swirl and take life. Presently it is largely believed that an iPhone 6 is not set to be released but rather an upgraded iPhone 5 that will include a faster processor, stronger battery and improved camera with the possibility of new fingerprint technology for added security.
Fingerprint tech in new iPhone
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) purchased security firm AuthenTec in 2012, so Bajarin expects Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) to include AuthenTec’s fingerprint technology in the new iPhone.
Because so many iPhones are either lost or stolen, and so much of our personal data live inside the phone, “Security is very high in consumers’ minds right now,” says Bajarin.
The latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system, iOS 7, which will be released with the new iPhone, has a “death sentence” feature that lets the owner send a signal to the phone if it’s lost, effectively turning it into a useless brick. Whether this will deter a potential mugger unfamiliar with these features is another animal all together.
“The combo of the two is a killer,” says Bajarin. Additionally, “Android doesn’t have anything like it — not yet anyway.”
As Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is in a constant battle with Samsung and other Android phone makers, this security upgrade featuring the two new technologies would certainly give Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) bragging rights for the security focused consumer.
Samsung is not sitting idly by and while allowing Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) to rule September. It is, rather, hosting a Sept. 4 event where it is expected to unveil its new Galaxy Note model, and possibly, according to Bloomberg, a smartwatch as well.
