Tuesday, February 22, 2011, 12:25 pm

Claims of delays for Apple's iPad 2, iPhone 5 labeled false

By AppleInsider Staff

While two separate reports from financial analysts on Tuesday claimed Apple was forced to delay the launch of its next-generation iPad and iPhone models, both have since been declared inaccurate in separate reports.

Reuters on Tuesday specifically denied a claim that the next model of Apple iPad would be delayed until June. In addition, Jim Dalrymple of The Loop also said the iPad 2 would not be delayed, and disputed a separate report that development of the iPhone 5 had also hit a snag.

The reports are in response to two separate notes from analysts that made the rounds on Tuesday. The first, from analysts Vincent Chen and Alison Chen with Taiwan-based research firm Yuanta Securities Co., claimed that design changes to the second-generation iPad 2 caused a delay to the unannounced product, giving it a later-than-expected launch in June.

In addition, analyst Craig Berger with FBR Capital Markets issued a separate report claiming that the iPhone 5 may not launch until September, later than the typical June arrival. Berger said that more time would allow Apple to "enhance its next-generation instant communications on the phone."

"From what I've heard this morning, both products are on schedule and will ship when they are supposed to," Dalrymple wrote in response. "Only Apple knows exactly when that will be, but the products are not delayed."

While Apple typically has an annual refresh cycle for the iPhone in June, only one version of the iPad has been released since it debuted in the U.S. last April. The second-generation iPad is expected to debut by April with enhanced hardware, including a camera for FaceTime video chat.

Of course, both the so-called "iPad 2" and "iPhone 5" only exist in rumors in the public so far, as neither product has been confirmed or even mentioned by Apple. The same goes for rumored launch dates and product introductions, as Apple has not made any formal announcements or scheduled any media events.