Citing a "reliable source," Japanese blog Macotakara reported on Monday that Apple's next iPhone is expected to debut in September or October of this year. It was said it appears that Apple plans to maintain this cycle "for years."
That would place the launch of the next iPhone about one year after the iPhone 4S debuted. Apple launched its current flagship iPhone in October of 2011.
The fall launch for the iPhone 4S was uncharacteristic for Apple, which in years past had launched new iPhone models in the months of June or July. But at last year's Worldwide Developers Conference in June, Apple chose not to introduce a new iPhone.
Last year's iPhone event essentially took the place of Apple's annual iPod event, which, in previous years, was held ahead of the holiday shopping season. But with the iPod representing a much smaller part of Apple's business, last year its portable music player lineup went relatively untouched, aside from a new white version of the iPod touch.
The launch of a new iPhone during the holiday shopping season paid off in a big way for Apple, which saw record sales of 37 million iPhones during its December quarter.
Though it would be unusual for Apple to release an entirely new iPhone model less than a year after debuting its last update, there have been various rumors that Apple planned to switch back to a June introduction in 2012. But Monday's report, if accurate, would indicate that Apple is content with a fall iPhone release schedule for 2012 and beyond.
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The biggest advantage of an iPhone fall release appears to be the ample opportunity for Apple to finish up iOS which is typically introduced to developers at the World Wide Developers Conference.
It makes sense to replace the former September iPod/iTunes event with the iPhone introduction.
Big sigh. I know lots of us who bought an iPhone 4 the day it was released in June 2010 were hoping for an iPhone 5 as our AT&T contracts expire. I'll qualify for a 4S upgrade soon, but I think it's worth it to wait for a 5. Ah well. It really does make sense for Apple to release a new iPhone in Fall.
It makes sense to replace the former September iPod/iTunes event with the iPhone introduction.
I think so, too. The iPod market is dwindling fast enough that it shouldn't be the focus of an entire event. Plus, with the iPad (and now iPod Touch) being rleased about 6 months apart with mostly the same components they can space out the component inventory crunch better.
I expect the iPad to have a quad-core Cortex-A9, the Touch to be updated along side it but with the A5 in the current iPhone, then in the Fall the 6th generation iPhone to get a dial-core Cortex-A15 with the iPad to get a quad-core Cortex-A15 about 6 months later.
New iPad, new iPhone, new Mac. Going to be a costly year.
PS: I appreciate Neil Hughes using the "sixth-gen iPhone" in the title and article.
Oh is it really now?