AppleInsider Staff
Adding to the pile of rumors regarding the so-called "iPhone 5S," a report on Wednesday claims Apple's partner suppliers will begin shipping parts for the iPhone 5 follow-up by the end of May, with assembly of the smartphone to follow soon after.
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.
It was reported earlier in March that Apple would debut an "S series" update to its iPhone lineup alongside a low-cost handset in August. Other estimates peg the release a bit earlier in the June to July period, while one rumor claims Foxconn has already started production of the "5S" on the same assembly lines as the current iPhone 5.
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.
Many of the predictions reported on Wednesday echo those made in January by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who believes the iPhone 5S and low-cost fiberglass hybrid iPhone will launch in the third quarter. He also expects the cheaper model to boast the same 4-inch display found on the iPhone 5.
Christine McKee
Malcolm Owen
William Gallagher
Amber Neely
Andrew O'Hara
61 Comments
Apple hasn't exactly been logical with their naming schemes but 5S seems really odd for marketing. The number and letter combo just look too similar to me.
Apple hasn't exactly been logical with their naming schemes but 5S seems really odd for marketing. The number and letter combo just look too similar to me.
3G -> 3GS -> 4 -> 4S -> 5 -> 5S
How is that odd? Seems right in line with their naming pattern thus far.
And if this is true, I think this is good news. June/July launches always seemed more positive to me than the last two late fall launches. Makes more sense strategically as well, as they'll get the initial high launch sales, and then just around the time that begins to taper off, the Holiday shopping season kicks into gear. Better to have one long sale stretched out across 5 months than one crazy delayed shipping 2-3 month sale, followed by a huge post-holiday slump.
[quote name="Cash907" url="/t/156577/rumor-iphone-5s-components-to-ship-in-may-ahead-of-3q-launch#post_2297681"] 3G -> 3GS -> 4 -> 4S -> 5 -> 5S How is that odd? Seems right in line with their naming pattern thus far. [/quote] 2nd gen — 3G (named for the cellular radio being added; there was no iPhone 2 nor iPhone 3) 6th gen — 5 (named because it came 2 generations after the first 4) The [I]only[/I] constant has been adding an 'S' at the end of a new model using the same body styling which is why these rumours are using that name hence my statement their naming scheme hasn't exactly been logical. It's illogical for you to point out a single constant and then declare that there entire naming scheme has followed the same, consistent patten when it clearly hasn't. But back on point, iPhone S5 looks odd for marketing when the two characters are so similar in their base design.
iPhone - first iPhone
3G - iPhone with 3G
3GS - faster 3G speed
4 - 4th iPhone
4S - for-steve
So, now we have the iPhone 5, which isn't the 5th iPhone, it's not 5G, the name has noting to do with any of the hardware.
Then the iPhone 5S, once again, doesn't fit in line.