Apple may have iOS 5, MobileMe unveils in April

A rumor Tuesday had Apple following up the iPad 2 launch with an iOS-focused event. The gathering, which would happen at the Town Hall in Apple's Cupertino campus, would purportedly show off iOS 5 and the promised fruits of the MobileMe overhaul. Macerkopf in making the claim was told by its source that it would happen in the 14th or 15th week of 2011, putting it in the first half of April.

The tip isn't corroborated by other sources but would line up with Apple's pattern from last year. It shipped the iPad on April 3 but held what became its iOS 4.0 event on April 8, just days later. Apple has often been keen to keep the OS events separate from hardware outside of WWDC, both due to timing and to focus on a public-friendly message versus the more technical iOS releases.

Little has emerged of what iOS 5 will contain, although multiple rumors have pegged NFC support for wireless payments and other short-range tags. Many have hoped for an improved notification system based on its hiring a webOS notification lead as well as widgets and a more tablet-optimized interface.

MobileMe has received the most attention and is believed to be turning into a completely free service that would store a user's iTunes music, photos and videos online. iOS users could use it to access the parts of their catalog that won't fit on limited storage, and all could use it as a backup in the event a computer or handheld's storage is lost. More radical rumors have alluded to a live social updating platform that could include live video streaming.

Apple has been silent on its plans except a mention that its North Carolina datacenter would handle iTunes and MobileMe spring upgrades that most have interpreted as signs of the media locker plans. [via MacRumors]

By Electronista Staff