New iPhone 5 rumors hint at summer launch

Published January 26, 2012 2:08pm

New rumors have sprouted indicating the iPhone 5, the upcoming version of Apple's popular smartphone, may be due to launch this summer.

Enthusiast site 9to5mac.com cited information from an employee of manufacturer Foxconn that the next iPhone is ready for production.

"We received word from a reliable source at Foxconn in China that the iPhone 5, as it is currently being called, is now gearing for production," it said.

The source is the same that indicated late last summer that the iPhone 5 was not happening against the prevailing tide of information, and that Apple was building the iPhone 4S model instead, it noted.

It also quoted its source as saying various sample devices are also floating around, and that these samples vary slightly from one another.

Thus it is "impossible" to tell which one will be the final, 9to5mac.com quoted its source as saying.

But it said some things the samples have in common include:

a 4+ inch display (made by LG on at least one of them).
No teardrop-shaped devices, as rumored in the lead up to the iPhone 4S. Samples so far have been symmetrical in thickness (also longer/wider).

Neither of the sample devices have the iPhone 4/4S form factor.

Also, 9to5mac.com said it heard the non-teardrop and 4-inch display information previously in a report from iLounge.

"But what is important to note here is that iPhone 4S production did not gear up until late spring of last year. If we follow patterns and give a five month-ish lead time, it would appear that Apple is back on its new iPhone launch for summer/WWDC pattern that it maintained until last year," it said. — TJD, GMA News

Tags: apple, appleiphone