The latest rumour has it that the next generation iPhone will be completely SIM-less to accommodate both GSM and CDMA carriers, along with 3 or 4 antennas so Apple doesn’t have to make two models like with the current iPhone setup. For CDMA users such as those on Verizon, having no SIM card in your phone is a way of life, however for GSM users (the majority of the world) Apple will have to implement an e-SIM in the device’s memory – a potential security issue.
Having no SIM card in the device, as Redmond Pie points out, will no doubt allow Apple to cram even more components into the relatively small footprint of the device. Other rumoured changes for the next iPhone, rumoured to be known as the iPhone 4S and launching late July-August, include an 8-megapixel rear camera with an altered flash position and a new ARM Cortex-A9 processor similar to that found in the iPad 2 and possibly dual-core to keep up with the latest Android devices.
Additionally mentioned was the possibility of an iPhone 5 for a Spring 2012 release; an unusual time for an Apple product launch but certainly possible as the upcoming iPhone launch has been rumoured to have little overall changes from the iPhone 4. As with the iPhone 3GS to iPhone 4 release, the iPhone 5 will likely feature aesthetic changes and more upgrades/features than the iPhone 4S.
Apple is rumoured to launch the iPhone 4S at this year’s WWDC conference starting June 6. Full details of the device should be available at that time if the rumours prove to be correct.