Further Indication iPhone 5 Release will be Q4 2011

It’s a rumor which has been around since Apple officially announced the date for WWDC 2011, and now Reuters have added further fuel to the fire.  We’re talking about the next generation of iPhone not being released soon after the conference as has been the tradition, but in September instead.
Quoting a trio of individuals with ‘direct knowledge of the company’s supply chain’, the report says production of the iPhone5 won’t begin until July or August, leading to a September shipping date.This ties in with the previous rumors suggesting a Q4 release for the phone, which given Apple’s preference for short lead times indicated a late Q3/early Q4 announcement.  Why they’ve decided to extend the life of the iPhone 4 this time isn’t known, but it could be down to many things:

1. The White iPhone 4.  It’s still supposed to be on its way, don’t forget!
2. iOS 5.  Perhaps the new software isn’t quite ready?
3. Supply Problems.  Touchscreens, new camera lenses etc.
4. A change in Apple’s release structure across the board.

A September onwards release date should please a few people though, as anyone with an 18-month iPhone 4 contract will be a few steps closer to upgrading to the fifth model than expected!
Reuter’s sources also say the iPhone 5 won’t look all that different to the iPhone 4, something many have also suspected.  If the design doesn’t change, the good news is all those iPhone 4 cases won’t be useless; unlike any iPad 1 cases you may have…
Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference will take place between the 6th and 10th June 2011.

Tags: Apple, downloads iphone, free ipad, iOS, iPad, iPad 2, ipad accessorie, iPad Apps, ipad new, ipad news, ipad price, ipad review, ipad reviews, iPad sales, iPads, iphone, iphone 4 apps, iPhone 4 cases, iphone 4 price, iphone 4 review, iPhone 4 sales, iPhone 4 unlock, iPhone 4 unlocked, iphone 4 white, iphone 4g, iphone 5, iphone 5 2011, iPhone 5 news, iPhone 5 Release, iPhone 5 rumors, iphone 5g, iphone download, iPhone downloads, iphone Jailbreak, iPhone New, iphone new apps, iphone new os, iphone new software, iphone news, iPhone sales, iPhone unlock, iPhone users, iPhone Verizon, Iphone5, iPhones, iPhones Verizon, iPod touch, jailbreak iPhone, new iPad, new iPhone, new iPhone 5, unlock iPhone, unlocked iPhone 4, Verizon iPhone, Verizon iPhones, white iPhone, white iPhone 4, white iPhone 5, your iPhone

Dueling iPhone 5 Release Rumors; It's Like Daisy Petal Picking

It's coming in June; it's coming in June – not; it's coming in…..

Appleinsider's Neil Hughes says that rumors of a later-than-usual iPhone model revision for 2011 are being fueled by notoriously secretive Apple being even more secretive than usual in its dealings with overseas suppliers subcontracting to build the devices and their various components as regards the iPhone 5.

Hughes cites a note to investors by Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White, who is on a tech company visit sweep through Taiwan and China, commenting last Friday that "Apple is keeping its iPhone 5 cards extra close to the vest on this launch to avoid a falloff in iPhone 4 demand ahead of a refresh, especially given the February launch of the CDMA iPhone 4 with Verizon." However, White guesses there's still room for the iPhone 5 to still launch in June or July, consistent with Apple's usual calendar envelope for major iPhone announcements and revisions, and noting that there's really no solid evidence supporting either that postulate or a later iPhone 5 release in the fall.

TheStreet's James Rogers agrees with White, suggesting that with iPhone 5 rumors "ping-ponging" back and forth, the chatter, and in some instance angst, over a significant iPhone 5 release delay may be getting overblown.

On the other hand, Rogers notes — as I too have here previously — that Apple's press release for the June Worldwide Developers' Conference (WWDC), which in recent years has been a venue for iPhone revision announcements, made no reference to new hardware, a seemingly pointed omission, and affirmed instead that this year's WWDC will be focused on unveiling the future of iOS and Mac OS. Of course, we can't discount the possibility of a Steve Jobsian "one more thing" surprise announcement of the iPhone 5 at the keynote climax, whether or not the ailing (and we hope mending) Mr. Jobs is there to deliver it.

My takeaway is that while Apple's new and revised product releases are at least roughly predictable more often than not, attempting to pin them down to a precise time frame is a mug's game and an exercise in frustration and futility, compounded by the fact that from the moment the iPhone5 (launch of which is inevitable at some point in the not too distant future) is announced, new speculation will ramp up focusing on iPhone 6. Indeed, the iPad 2 announcement was still weeks in the future when prognostications about an iPhone 3 began circulating.

Waiting out anticipated product announcements can be frustrating, or part of the fun, depending on how you choose to look at it, but the upside is that current iPhone 4 is an excellent device that will do a fine job for you if you really need to make a purchase in the short term.

iPhone 5 or 4S: My Name is?

Well the latest revelations regarding the iPhone 5 seem to blow quite a few of the previous rumours regarding this device out of the water. That is of course if they are to be believed.

Apple's newest iPhone has become known by us as the iPhone5 and was thought to be launched with this name, but this new information that has surfaced indicates that the handset will actually be called 'iPhone 4S' and will look like the iPhone 4, but with an Apple A5 dual core CPU within.

The handset apparently will also not come with an 8MP camera and not be able to record 1080p HD videos, but will have a 5MP camera that is only capable of shooting 720p HD videos, with the front camera being the same resolution. This information comes to us by way of a thegadgets article via what they claim is there 'Apple source'.

According to the thegadgets article there is no information on the screen size or resolution of the smartphone. However, their source did say that Apple has given the prototype versions of the 'iPhone 4S' to certain developers within the Apple headquarters and also some selected application developing partners who are getting the apps sorted for the phones release and that the prototypes must stay on the campus.

In addition, the source indicated that the iPhone 4S will not come with iOS 5, but will have a version of iOS 4 instead, believed to be iOS 4.5 or possibly 4.6 and that it is more likely that the iOS 5 will be revealed at WWDC 2011, with the release date being withheld. However, the shipping of the latest iPhone addition in 'September', is believed to be correct, with the white version being shipped from the start.

Earlier today we did a post on this topic, see article here and we would now like to know what your thoughts are on the 'iPhone 4S' name and the possibility of the iOS handset not coming with many of the features we were perhaps hoping for? Please let us know below.

iPhone 5 Now Reportedly Hit by Delay As Well

Earlier today I reported that there may be a possible delay to the release of the Apple iPad 2, you can check out that article by hitting up (here), and now apparently there are rumours hitting the net waves that the iPhone 5 may be delayed as well.

According to an article over on iPhonefaq, reports are saying that due to component shortages and a last minute change in design, the next generation iPhone, commonly being referred to as the iPhone 5 have resulted in pushing back the device release until September.

Well I guess that kind of smarts for all you iOS faithful out there that have been banking on picking up the iPhone 5 in June/July.

Not too sure where iPhonefaq got its news from as they don't list a source, however according to an article over on Time, according to Business Insider, FBR Capital Markets analyst Craig Berger said in a note…

"For the iPhone 5, we continue to hear that a July launch is unlikely, with various casing suppliers and touch suppliers still ramping up, with some chip vendors not having yet received firm iPhone 5 orders, and with other sockets like the image sensor (most likely going to Omnivision exclusively, but with some potential for Sony to split that socket) still in flux. Given these factors, we think a September launch is more likely, off from Apple's traditional iPhone launch schedule, but giving the firm more time to enhance its next-generation instant communications on the phone."

So there is, if true the iPhone faithful can expect a long wait for the next generation smartphone to fall into their waiting hands, annoying isn't it?

The Global iPhone 5: Why Not Sprint, Why Not Now?

Verizon's CFO recently leaked information that the iPhone5 would indeed be a "global" device that works on both GSM and CDMA networks. Given the fact that Sprint operates on CDMA, why wouldn't the iPhone 5 be offered on the U.S.'s third largest carrier this time around?

Ever since the release of Verizon's iPhone, many had wondered whether Apple would design the iPhone 5 to be a dual network device, integrating both GSM and CDMA compatibility into one phone, or instead offer two separate devices for AT&T and Verizon, respectively. Lucky for us, Verizon's CFO Fran Shammo seems to have spilled the beans on a dual-network, "global" iPhone 5, as we reported in another article. Outside of an official confirmation from Apple — which won't come until the formal announcement of the iPhone 5 — it's apparent that the iPhone 5 will support both GSM and CDMA.

Given these apparent facts, why doesn't Apple extend the iPhone 5's availability to include the Sprint network?

In the world of U.S. mobile networks, Sprint is often regarded as the red-headed stepchild of them all: while AT&T touts speed and Verizon boasts of coverage, Sprint's business model is all about marketing its value pricing. Because of this, many performance-minded smartphone users opt for speed or coverage over savings, making AT&T and Verizon the top two carriers. But Sprint, after all, is the third largest mobile carrier in the U.S., with over 55 million subscribers. When you consider that AT&T, America's top provider, has 62 million subscribers, you begin to see how the difference between first and third isn't all that wide, and that opening up the iPhone 5 to Sprint's customers could be advantageous.

Especially considering that the Android smartphones are already on Sprint.

Recently, Sprint has been pushing Kyrocera's new Echo smartphone, a dual-screen marvel that seems to be paving the way for the next generation of Android 3.0 gadgets, both in the smartphone sector as well as tablet devices to go up against the iPad 2 (such as Sony's new S2 fold-up, dual-screened tablet). For as much as the iPhone 5 will need to compete with dual-screened devices like the Echo on the technological level, Apple will also have to match Android in availability as well.

With this in mind, wouldn't it make sense to offer the iPhone 5 to Sprint's 55 million subscribers? After all, Sprint utilizes the same CDMA technology as Verizon. In this way, the iPhone 5′s "global" characteristics would jive perfectly with Sprint as it does with Verizon.

To date, there is no hard evidence that the iPhone 5 will indeed be offered on the Sprint network. The only credible shred of information about Sprint and the iPhone 5 was from Sprint's Chief Financial Officer Robert Brust, who simply said of the iPhone 5 in May of 2010 that "we'd love to have it." The iPhone 5 News Blog reported on this story way back in February that a Sprint iPhone 5 is a possibility. So, if the iPhone 5 surprisingly appears on Sprint at the end of this summer, remember that you saw it here first!

The iPhone 5 on T-Mobile?

Just today, there are fresh reports from Beatweek and other tech news sources that either the iPhone 5 and/or white iPhone 4 will be released on AT&T's newly subsumed carrier T-Mobile. Beatweek boldly claims that, "AT&T just bought T-Mobile. AT&T already offers the iPhone. As such, T-Mobile was probably already a lock to offer the iPhone 5. A late arriving iPhone 5 means Apple could, if it wants to, go ahead and do a T-Mobile iPhone 4."

While that deductive reasoning by Beatweek and others may make for a sensational headline, it represents irresponsible journalism at best: at the time of T-Mobile's acquisition by AT&T for $39 billion in March of 2011, T-Mobile made it resoundingly clear that the iPhone 5 — or any iPhone for that matter — would not be released to T-Mobile customers in 2011.

In a succinct article on IT Pro Portal, Desire Athow reports that, when asked about the iPhone coming to T-Mobile:

"In a FAQ published by the company earlier today, the answer is a resounding no. T-Mobile USA says that it remains an independent company as the acquisition process is expected to last at least one year. It added that it will not offer the iPhone 4 (and its successor the iPhone 5), instead redirecting customers to "cutting edge devices" like the Samsung Galaxy S 4G and the Sidekick 4G, also built by Samsung."

Unless the official statements from AT&T and T-Mobile were blatant lies, then there is no reason to believe rumors of a T-Mobile iPhone release this year.

Don't believe the hype.

US Army opts for Android over iPhone

Wired is reporting that the US Army has chosen to use an Android-based phone as its first smartphone for US troops. Now in prototype stage, the US Army Android smartphone is called the Joint Battle Command-Platform and will have its SDK released to Android developers in July. Currently, the phone has mapping apps and apps that track where friendly forces are.
It's really no surprise the US Army opted for an Android phone over an iPhone. Android phones allow the US Army to build its own specific hardware and not rely on a company like Apple for system-level improvements.
Also, a sleek design style doesn't seem to be a priority for the army as troops need smartphone hardware that can take a beating, which a phone like the iPhone, or even current Android phones like the HTC Thunderbolt, don't seem capable of. The prototype Joint Battle Command-Platform currently weighs in at two pounds.
It should also be noted that while the US Army is currently testing Android as its smartphone OS of choice, Wired states that could change. However, given Apple's relatively closed iOS ecosystem, it's hard to imagine the US Army choosing Apple's platform over other smartphone OS makers.

iPhone 5 May Release on Verizon and AT&T Simultaneously

It's probably not too surprising but when the iPhone 5 eventually see release at some point later this year, the iPhone 5 may simultaneously launch on both Verizon Wireless and AT&T networks, which would be a bit of a bummer for those Verizon customers who have just picked up the Verizon iPhone. According to an article over on Ubergizmo and by way of Beat Week, apparently Apple has laid "too much groundwork" to no go ahead with a simultaneous launch of the iPhone 5 on both networks.

There's also mention that eventually Apple will deliver the iPhone 5 to both T-Mobile and Sprint as well as the mention of a carrier free iPhone 5 this summer, although personally I can't see Apple delivering an iPhone 5 without carrier intervention somehow.

I'm not quite sure where they got their information so for now at least this should be treated as pure speculation, although personally I see no reason why Apple shouldn't release the next generation iOS smartphone to Verizon and AT&T at the same time.

What are your views on this matter, do you think Apple should push out the iPhone 5 to both AT&T and Verizon simultaneously or do you feel AT&T should get the first bite of the cherry and Verizon gain the iPhone 5 at a later date?