The latest iPhone 5 rumors point to a device with a new sleek design and a launch date in October
With mid-April fast approaching, iPhone 5 rumors are starting to trickle in with greater frequency.
Over the past few days, we’ve seen reports which have touched on the purported iPhone 5 release date along with features we can expect to see in Apple’s next-gen iPhone.
First, let’s tackle the alleged iPhone 5 launch window.
Last week, word spread that the iPhone 5 was set for launch this Summer. While this would align with previous launches (save for the iPhone 4S), it would mean that the current iPhone would only be out on the market for 9 months before being superseded by a superior model. Such a move would likely frustrate current iPhone 4S owners and I therefore doubt it’s something Apple is keen on doing in order to arbitrarily revert back to its Summer launch schedule. A business wise, why kill of the iPhone 4S prematurely when there’s no pressing need for a summer iPhone 5 launch?
What’s more, a South Korean newspaper recently contacted the head of human resources at one of the Foxconn plants responsible for iPhone production. The paper asked him about the iPhone 5 release date, to which he reportedly replied, “We just got the order. It [the release] will be around October.”
Now the veracity of the report is clearly open to skepticisim – after all, are we really to believe the head of HR has the inside soop on Apple’s top secret plans? But again, both practically and economically, it makes more sense for Apple to revert back to its 1-year release cycle (and hence an October launch) rather than revert back to its Summer launch window.
As for other rumors, Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White recently returned from a trip to Asia, and after vising with a few of Apple’s component suppliers, he relays that Apple’s next-gen iPhone will sport a “new, sleek look” and will come with a 4-inch screen.
In our view, this will be the most significant iPhone upgrade with a four-inch screen and a new, sleek look that we believe will require a Unibody case. This new, sleek look will be the most important reason that consumers decide to upgrade to the iPhone 5, while we believe the addition of 4G will also attract buyers of the new device.
Notably, rumblings of a larger screen have been making the rounds in the Apple rumor mill for quite a few months now.
And so, let the official iPhone 5 speculation begin.
via Kotaku
