The tech media is juggling rumors of an iPhone 5S release for virtually every month starting with June. But for one of those early summer months to feature the iPhone 5S release date, we’ll need to see iOS 7 soon.
In a perfect world, we would already be seeing some agreement in the tech media about the iPhone 5S release date. However, as we enter into the spring, the rumor mill is bucking wildly, spinning out a wide range of new release date rumors that fragment any continuity that we hoped to gain from following the breadcrumb trail of production rumors. In spite of a few early reports, we still remain largely in the dark considering the iPhone 5S release date, as well as the viability of an accompanying “el cheap-o” iPhone.
And iOS 7 beta still remains elusive.
This morning, there are two stories competing for top syndication concerning the iPhone 5S release date. A piece from Apple Insider lays out a large swath of the release date intel, but they are keying on a new report from DigiTimes that alleges that components for the iPhone 5S aren’t going to start flowing until May:
If this report proves to be true, then obviously June and the WWDC is out as a release event. Most likely, a May production ramp-up means a reprise of a September iPhone launch.
Of course, we’ve been burned by DigiTimes in the past, but Apple Insider appears to be banking on the fact that the publication is on the scene in Asia gives them some level of credibility when it comes to keeping an eye on the flow of components and hardware production.
All of that being said, the thread of the story fragments a bit when a Mac Rumors article re-reports on some new alleged iPhone 5S pinups, revealing a nifty home button (pictured above) that could conceivably include that cool fingerprint sensor we keep hearing about. The article claims that, “The parts appear to have been posted by Japanese vendor Moumantai.”
They don’t just have the home button, either. They also have components for the vibrator and volume features as well, which, unlike most of these tech pinups, actually reveal some significant design advancements. The Mac Rumors article also reminds us that, “Part leaks from the iPhone 5S have so far been difficult to find, although speaker enclosures for both the iPhone 5S and iPhone 6 allegedly surfaced several months ago.”
So, we’ve got a relatively good amount of leaks, albeit unsubstantiated ones. If all of this stuff is really in the wild, how does it square with the notion that components won’t ship until May?
And going back to the Apple Insider article for a moment, it’s also worth noting that Apple Insider gives a pretty conservative list of upgrades for the iPhone 5S; if there’s one thing that the tech media appears to have settled on, it’s that we’ll be getting the refreshed 5S and not the beefed-up iPhone 6 in 2013. But there appears to still be enough fodder in the rumor mill to suggest that some kind of high-profile hardware upgrade could come to the 5S.
Yet, while it appears that we’ve shaken off any dreams of an iPhone 6, the el cheap-o iPhone rumors persist. I came across an article from DNA today that makes the impassioned claim in its headline: “‘Cheaper, plastic-bodied’ Apple iPhone 5 to launch in June-July.” Expectations were dashed, however, when the article reveals in the first paragraph that that commanding claim in the headline is backed by the best guesses of a few financial tech analysts:
But for all of the various other sundry reasons, I still doubt the el cheap-o iPhone.
Finally — iOS 7. To me, it’s the lynchpin of the iPhone 5S release date. Apple has consistently used the iPhone release to herald a new mobile operating system. Chatter is definitely ratcheting up about it — particularly the look and feel of iOS 7. A new report claims that, because Sir Jonathan Ive (in italics because I just said it with a posh British accent) is at the heart of the new iOS 7 design, that it will have a markedly minimalist design, which I think would be in keeping with that of Steve Jobs’ own aesthetics. From The Wall Street Journal:
That’s all well and good, Jony, but where’s iOS 7 beta, baby?
I haven’t said this directly yet, but I very much want the iPhone 5S to be released at the WWDC this year. I want to see the iPhone release return to its original position in the release schedule. To this point, I also have not articulated why, but I think it’s because I always enjoyed the official launch of iOS, followed by the hardware piece that would really showcase it. I still believe that iOS is built mainly with the iPhone in mind, and I like the vibe of the developers’ own conference being the launching point for the whole package.
Maybe I’m also a little bit nostalgic for the days of Steve Jobs giving us one more thing.
I think we have to keep our eyes on iOS 7 as the barometer for the iPhone 5S release date. All of this other stuff is noise; without iOS 7 in the open, we can’t really even begin to triangulate a release date for the next iPhone. Let’s keep looking for evidence!
In a perfect world, we would already be seeing some agreement in the tech media about the iPhone 5S release date. However, as we enter into the spring, the rumor mill is bucking wildly, spinning out a wide range of new release date rumors that fragment any continuity that we hoped to gain from following the breadcrumb trail of production rumors. In spite of a few early reports, we still remain largely in the dark considering the iPhone 5S release date, as well as the viability of an accompanying “el cheap-o” iPhone.
And iOS 7 beta still remains elusive.
The sometimes reliable DigiTimes citied upstream supply chain sources as saying the May timeline could yield a next-generation Apple handset by the third quarter, largely in line with analyst expectations and the company’s usual annual refresh cycle . . . Sources also cited their “latest specification data” and reiterated existing rumors that the handset’s design will remain largely unchanged from the iPhone 5. As for internal component upgrades, enhancements are said to include a higher megapixel camera and a faster processor.
Of course, we’ve been burned by DigiTimes in the past, but Apple Insider appears to be banking on the fact that the publication is on the scene in Asia gives them some level of credibility when it comes to keeping an eye on the flow of components and hardware production.
All of that being said, the thread of the story fragments a bit when a Mac Rumors article re-reports on some new alleged iPhone 5S pinups, revealing a nifty home button (pictured above) that could conceivably include that cool fingerprint sensor we keep hearing about. The article claims that, “The parts appear to have been posted by Japanese vendor Moumantai.”
They don’t just have the home button, either. They also have components for the vibrator and volume features as well, which, unlike most of these tech pinups, actually reveal some significant design advancements. The Mac Rumors article also reminds us that, “Part leaks from the iPhone 5S have so far been difficult to find, although speaker enclosures for both the iPhone 5S and iPhone 6 allegedly surfaced several months ago.”
And going back to the Apple Insider article for a moment, it’s also worth noting that Apple Insider gives a pretty conservative list of upgrades for the iPhone 5S; if there’s one thing that the tech media appears to have settled on, it’s that we’ll be getting the refreshed 5S and not the beefed-up iPhone 6 in 2013. But there appears to still be enough fodder in the rumor mill to suggest that some kind of high-profile hardware upgrade could come to the 5S.
Yet, while it appears that we’ve shaken off any dreams of an iPhone 6, the el cheap-o iPhone rumors persist. I came across an article from DNA today that makes the impassioned claim in its headline: “‘Cheaper, plastic-bodied’ Apple iPhone 5 to launch in June-July.” Expectations were dashed, however, when the article reveals in the first paragraph that that commanding claim in the headline is backed by the best guesses of a few financial tech analysts:
A cheaper, plastic bodied iPhone costing roughly half the price of the standard Apple smartphone is set to be launched this summer, according to analysts.Apple did enough crazy stuff with its product line in 2012 to make anything possible for this year, really. You’ll recall that I couldn’t imagine last year how they were going to fit the iPhone 5, iPad mini, and iPad 4 all into the final months of the year — and they still did it. Thus, it isn’t inconceivable from a release schedule standpoint to imagine the el cheap-o iPhone in June or July with an iPhone 5S release in September.
Jefferies & Company analyst Peter Misek said that production of that cheaper iPhone is likely to start in June.
Separately, Amit Daryanani or RBC Capital Markets told investors that Apple plans to launch the cheaper phone as well as the iPhone 5S in June-July this year, the Telegraph reports.
But for all of the various other sundry reasons, I still doubt the el cheap-o iPhone.
“Some suggested that in Apple’s next mobile operating system, Ive is pushing a more “flat design” that is starker and simpler, according to developers who have spoken to Apple employees but didn’t have further details. Overall, they expect any changes to be pretty conservative. For the past few years, Apple has unveiled versions of its mobile operating system in the summer.”
That’s all well and good, Jony, but where’s iOS 7 beta, baby?I haven’t said this directly yet, but I very much want the iPhone 5S to be released at the WWDC this year. I want to see the iPhone release return to its original position in the release schedule. To this point, I also have not articulated why, but I think it’s because I always enjoyed the official launch of iOS, followed by the hardware piece that would really showcase it. I still believe that iOS is built mainly with the iPhone in mind, and I like the vibe of the developers’ own conference being the launching point for the whole package.
Maybe I’m also a little bit nostalgic for the days of Steve Jobs giving us one more thing.
I think we have to keep our eyes on iOS 7 as the barometer for the iPhone 5S release date. All of this other stuff is noise; without iOS 7 in the open, we can’t really even begin to triangulate a release date for the next iPhone. Let’s keep looking for evidence!
Read more at http://iphone5newsblog.com/2013/03/23/iphone-5s-release-date-rumors-fragment-ios-7-beta-still-a-no-show/#7ZmKw8GCh7d6DYf2.99
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