Why the next iPhone won’t be an iPhone 5

The new iPhone that is having an anticipated release of either this summer or early fall won’t be called the iPhone 5.  Here’s why:

The iPhone has had some rather peculiar names in its past when you really think about it.  The very first iPhone was simply called an iPhone.  This makes sense as it was the first of its kind.  But here is where the confusion comes in.  The next year, Apple released the new iPhone, which included the 3G network.  Rightfully so, they labeled this iPhone, the iPhone 3G.

From that point on, the iPhone naming scheme got a bit more complicated.  For some reason, the first iPhone can be referred to as both a 1G and 2G iPhone.  One referring to the network before 3G (and calling it 2G) and the other referring to the 1st Generation of iPhone (1G).

Then to make matters more confusing, for Apple’s next release (their third iPhone), they simply added an S to the name, to make it an iPhone 3GS.  At this point, the naming scheme started to make sense again.  Their 3rd iPhone actually had a 3 in the name (albeit so did the previous 2nd generation iPhone, the 3G).

Then Apple came out with the iPhone 4 in June of 2010.  Their 4th iPhone, released with the quite simple name iPhone 4.  It seemed like the naming/numbering scheme with iPhones would all fall back into place with this generation, and it would be simple to refer to iPhone’s by their generational number.  The 4th iPhone could be referred to as the 4G, and so on.

Everyone assumed that the 5th generation of iPhone would be called the iPhone 5.  But…  It wasn’t.  It was called the iPhone 4S.  So the 5th generation iPhone is called 4S.  Seems a bit confusing, but thats the way it is.

This next iPhone, however, won’t be called the iPhone 5.  It would be a mistake on Apple’s marketing to do such a failure of a name.  Why would you name the 6th iPhone, iPhone 5?!  Especially when they had the lead-up setup from the 2nd iPhone to skip a generation (since the iPhone 3G was actually the 2nd generation).

I predict that the new iPhone will be called something new.  There is potential that it will be called the iPhone 6, but given that there was no distinct “iPhone 5” released, I anticipate they will choose a new name, something likely without reliance on the numbering system.  A new name for the iPhone could come with something like iPhone X, although it is unlikely that Apple would choose that name given that Droid has already used it for their hardware.  iPhone Z?  Maybe they will go back to the basics, and call it something simple “The iPhone” or “The New iPhone”.  iPhone Air?   iPhone Mini?  iPhoneHD?  iPhone Chrome?

I guess well just have to wait and find out!

How your iPhone can save your life

We all know what your iPhone can do for your social life- let you keep in contact with all your friends, help you meet new ones, keep up with all the new trends, etc. But it is important to know that your iPhone can also literally save your life. Whatever kind of emergency you may find yourself in, there are ways your iPhone can help you – apart from dialling 911- that you need to be aware of.

How many of you know CPR? How many of you know it but fear that you ( or the person doing it to you) might freeze up when it came down to it? Firstly, if you don’t know CPR, download the new CPR guide. It’s free, has a step by step how-to guide and has the ability to dial worldwide emergency numbers from every screen.
If it’s the freeze that has you worried, tell everyone you know that is actually trained in CPR and you know won’t freeze to download The Fire Department App. Once they’ve signed up, this app intercepts data from 911 calls and using the iPhone’s GPS, will alert them and anyone in the area trained in CPR– so help can get there faster. It also alerts that person to where the nearest defibrillator is. Invaluable.

A fantastic app that you should know about is PanicGuard. This app has the ability to bring great comfort for those who worry about the safety of their daughters/sons/brothers/sisters/friends, etc. All you need to do is set up an account on their website and install the app on your iPhone. If you find yourself going into a worrying or potentially dangerous situation, turn the app on, and PanicGuard will track your movements until you switch it off.
If the potential danger turns into actual danger, just shake your iPhone vigorously and it will begin to emit a very loud alarm and trigger your iPhone’s flash in an attempt to scare off anyone who might be trying to do you harm.
Once the alarm has been activated your iPhone will send a text to your chosen emergency contacts, letting them know that you are in danger and your exact location. The beauty of this app is that once the alarm stops, the phone returns to the home screen to fool anyone else into thinking that the alarm is over. It actually starts recording a short video in case anyone around you needs to be identified at a later time, and uploads the video in case the iPhone is broken or smashed.

A less intense, but still important app is Circle of 6, created specifically for college students. This app lets you pick six friends, representing them with icons on your screen which you press in a situation where you might need help. It also sends your exact location to whichever friend you choose. Although this app can also be used for scary situations, they are very useful for situations less serious, and in need of a little subtlety, such as needing to be interrupted on a bad date, needing advice, and needing to be picked up because you had a few too many drinks. All of which are important.

Hopefully you won’t ever need your iPhone to save anything except your social life, but just in case, it is very comforting to know that this technology can be in our hands, on hand, to help us if need be.