WSJ Says Prepare for a Thinner, Lighter iPhone 5

The Wall Street Journal is the latest to weigh in on the on-going debate over the design of Apple's next-generation smartphone. This venerable newspaper indicates that the upcoming iPhone is going to have different design from the current one.

However, the report is light on details. Citing unnamed sources at companies producing components for this handset, the WSJ said that it's going to be "thinner and lighter than the iPhone 4", though by how much wasn't revealed.

There has been speculation that Apple is going to change the design because the current one is subject to the infamous "deathgrip" -- the antennas around its outside edge can cause dropped calls if the device is held in a certain way. The man behind the design of the iPhone 4 left Apple after this problem became international news.

More Changes
The WSJ went on to predict that Apple's next smartphone is going to have an 8-megapixel camera. A number of earlier reports have said the same thing. The current iPhone has a 5-megapixel camera.

No mention was made of a change in the size or shape of the screen -- previous unconfirmed reports have indicated that the iPhone 5 will have a slightly larger display that might be curved to fit better against the user's face.

Coming by the Truckload
Apple is allegedly being very aggressive in its sales estimates for its next mobile device. A component maker told the WSJ that a few million will be manufactured before the launch, and Apple wants to have 25 million units shipped by the end of the year.

This device is reportedly being assembled by Hon Hai -- the Taiwanese company that handles all of Apple's products. Despite its long experience making cutting-edge smartphones, Hon Hai is supposedly having problems manufacturing units as quickly as Apple would like, as the device is "complicated and difficult to assemble."

Both AT&T and Verizon are expected to offer this handset when it launches. Most sources agree this is going to be in September.

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