Apple Plans to Launch iPhone 5

Put away those BlackBerrys and hide your Androids! Apple is set to launch the iPhone 5 this summer, the newest generation of its wildly popular smartphone. According to The New York Times, the phone will be "completely redesigned" and will run on a chip capable of supporting AT&T and Verizon. There is also a possibility that the device will support other carriers, offering a more varied lineup for consumers.

The iPhone 5 will be equipped with NFC (near field communication), which is a high frequency technology enabling data exchanges between two devices that are near one another. This iPhone becomes smarter with Siri, an application that listens to questions spoken or typed and then provides answers. Apple's new device will be competing directly with the voice search and voice actions available from Google Android. There might also be a cloud version of iTunes, where consumers would be able to purchase and download music straight from their phone, no desktop required. Apple executives are also excited about introducing facial recognition to enhance its mobile devices. The phone could be unlocked just for the owner, or photos with the names of friends and family could be automatically tagged, and then could be synced to iPhoto on a Mac.

Apple never fails to impress with its creative and innovative technology. Competition among smartphone producers will be fierce once the iPhone 5 is released. Apple's iPhone emphasizes how technology is revolutionizing the world of communications and the power of the Web. For those of you with iPhones, an amazing upgrade is coming soon!