iphone preview

What we know about the new iPhone
There is perhaps no company that values secrecy more than Apple.That makes media events like Tuesday's — where Apple is expected to unveil the long-awaited iPhone 5 at its Cupertino, Calif., headquarters — that much more high-profile.
Because Apple seldom offers hints, all we know is that Apple has an event planned for 1 p.m. Tuesday. The invite to members of the media said just, "Let's talk iPhone."
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Apple broke its own pattern this year of releasing an iPhone each summer, so the fall release of the iPhone 5 — this is only what we expect it to be called — has forced the Apple faithful to wait a few months longer than usual.
There's a whole lot we won't know until Apple says it Tuesday. Here's a look at the five biggest questions.
Will the iPhone 5 see a redesign?
Most expect the iPhone 5 to have a slightly larger screen and perhaps a slightly redesigned home button that will allow for multi-touch gestures.
Both those clues have come from leaked case designs from third-party manufacturers. Such leaks are not altogether trustworthy.
Thinner, faster, lighter is a very common refrain for Apple, though. Look for all that and an even better camera in the iPhone 5.
Which carriers?
When the iPhone was launched in 2007, AT&T was the exclusive U.S. carrier. Verizon landed the iPhone 4 earlier this year and has since sold millions.
Look for Apple to announce yet another carrier — most likely Sprint.
There has also been some late speculation that the iPhone 5 would support the 4G-like speeds of HSPA+, which is a souped-up 3G network that allows for faster speeds.
But of those three carriers, AT&T is the only one that supports HSPA+. Verizon has gone the LTE route and Sprint uses a 4G standard called WiMax.
Apple, to a fault, usually lags about a year behind next-generation wireless networks.
How many models?
While most attention will surely be paid to the new iPhone 5, Apple is also expected to release another version of its iPhone 4, which is expected to be called the iPhone 4S.
Photos of parts for an iPhone 4S have leaked steadily from Chinese manufacturing plants in the last couple weeks.
This would allow Apple to continue its successful venture in selling older iPhone models at a steep discount to try to lock more customers into its platform. Apple has sold its iPhone 3GS for as cheap as $50 with AT&T.
How will new CEO Tim Cook perform?
This will be the first big public event for new CEO Tim Cook, who took over for Steve Jobs in August when the iconic leader stepped down for health reasons. Jobs remains on Apple's board.
Cook had long been a deputy to Jobs, but his role is now to be a bit of a showman — something at which his former boss excelled.
An iPhone 5 announcement will be a good first public step for Cook, who'll likely bring a supporting cast for parts of the announcement, including Apple's design chief Jonathan Ive, a fan favorite.
Any surprises in iOS 5?
Current iPhone users have also been waiting for the fall release of Apple's next mobile operating system — iOS 5.
The new software is set to bring an Android-like notifications center, deep Twitter integration and iMessage, a messaging system to connect iOS users. Apple, too, could announce another last-minute feature to iOS 5 alongside the new iPhone.
iOS 5 will be a software upgrade available to users of the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPad or recent iPod Touch models.
Apple has said it would come out this fall. We should get a date Tuesday, most likely a few days before the iPhone 5 release.
'One more thing …'
A hallmark of Apple keynotes over the years has been when Steve Jobs slyly announces that he has "one more thing" for the audience. It has long been his coy way of making some big news to an audience already enraptured by Apple's new offerings.
Some of Apple's biggest devices and services have been announced this way, including the MacBook Air and the company's FaceTime video chat.
While it seems unlikely that Cook would pull out such an iconic Jobs gesture, it will be something big if he does.
There's nothing that makes an Apple fanboy smile quite like, "One more thing …"
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Contact Mark W. Smith: msmith@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @markdubya