The rumour mill has kicked into gear once more, after word from a Foxconn employee indicates a summer launch for the next-generation iPhone is likely.
The upcoming Apple smartphone is apparently all set for production, and it could be released during the summer months.
This newest iPhone 5 rumour comes from the guys over at 9to5Mac’s “reliable source at Foxconn in China” who has revealed that there are several sample devices on the scene at the moment.
These next-gen iPhones share some common features, including a 4+inch display, a design that won’t be teardrop-shaped but will be different to the iPhone 4 and 4S models. Each version differs a little and it is unknown which one will end up being the real iPhone 5 – at least one of the iPhones in production is said to have a display made by LG.
There are no final versions yet.
If you recall, the iPhone 4S went into production in spring last year, so if you reckon on a similar 5-month lead time, it is not impossible to think Apple could be set to introduce the newest iPhone during WWDC and follow it with a summer launch – as it did, pre-4S days.
This rumour is in keeping with earlier leaks, which have pointed to a summer or early autumn release date for the iPhone 5. It has also been previously suggested that the next-gen Apple phone will sport a distinctive design, a bigger screen, and quad-core processor.
So this does seem to fit – and as 9to5Mac points out, this Foxconn source is the same one who implied at the end of summer 2011 that the 5 model wasn’t happening, and that the 4S version was being worked on instead.
Add to this the spectacular Q1 Apple enjoyed and the “amazing new products in the pipeline”, and it looks reasonable to us that the next iPhone could be on its way soon!
When do you think the iPhone 5 model will be released, and what specs are you hoping will onboard?