Brazilian company to release Android phones under IPHONE brand

Brazilian electronics company IGB Electronica SA has announced a new line of Android phones. The curious thing about the devices is that the company is branding them as IPHONE. The company had originally applied for the trademark of the IPHONE brand back in 2000 in Brazil.

According to Reuters, the first model in the line-up will be called the Neo One. IGB was formed this year after restructuring Gradiente Electronica SA, which had originally applied for exclusive rights in Brazil to register its products under the name IPHONE in 2000.

IGB’s IPHONE branded Android device (image credit: MacRumours)

While a lawsuit is imminent, it will be interesting to see how this plays out, as IGB has owned the trademark for the brand since much before the launch of Apple’s first iPhone. This could also simply end through quiet settlement negotiations from both companies.

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While this ‘IPHONE’ branded Android device line-up will probably cause some interesting scenarios in the months to come, the actual iPhone may also be worth watching. According to an earlier report, Apple may release the next iPhone—rumoured to be named the iPhone 5S as it follows the naming convention so far—in June next year.

These speculations come from analyst Peter Misek. Misek has predicted that the iPhone 5S will be launched in June, making it the first iPhone to be released in this time of the year since the iPhone 4. He also states that the iPhone 5S will be available in a range of colour options. Misek states that the iPhone 5S will be launched in 6 to 8 different colour options. This prediction could turn out to be true as some of Apple’s rivals such as Samsung and Nokia release smartphones in a variety of colour options. Apple too has recently released the new 4-inch iPod touch in 6 colour options.

Apart from the launch date and the availability of the smartphone in different colours, Misek also states that the iPhone 5S will come loaded with improved specifications such as super HD camera and screen, an improved battery and Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology. The last feature was expected to be featured in the iPhone 5, but Apple did not add it; hence, it makes sense if the brand adds it with the upcoming model.

It is advised to take Misek’s predictions with a grain of salt, though, as the analyst’s predictions about the iPad mini has been wrong. But again, to Misek’s credit, his predictions about previous iPhones have been right.

The last we heard of the iPhone 5S was earlier this month when a French website Nowehereelse.fr had acquired some images of the internals of the upcoming model. From the images we can see that the screw placement on the upcoming model is a bit different from the iPhone 5. Some other minor changes can also be noticed. However, in the side-by-side comparison of the two, we can see that the external design of the handset remains the same.

Apple has a tradition of opting for similar designs with every alternate model and hence, it may come as no surprise if it does decide to keep the external design the same. The brand did it with the iPhone 3GS and the iPhone 4S and from the looks of it, the iPhone 5S may not have any cosmetic improvements over its predecessor.
 
Read our review of the iPhone 5 here.