Rumours are rife that the new iPhone maybe unveiled on 12 September.
The Apple-focused blog iMore says that the actual release date for the so-called iPhone 5 could follow just nine days later on 21 September, mimicking earlier Apple product launch schedules. It cites insider sources that have “proven accurate in the past.”
The report suggests that the new iPhone could be unveiled alongside an anticipated smaller-screen iPad – known as the iPad Mini – and a new iPod nano. The already-announced iOS6 is likely to be made available around the same time.
The new iPhone is thought to be thinner and have a larger screen; it will mark the first physical redesign of the iconic device since the iPhone 4 was unveiled in June 2010 (last year’s iPhone 4S featured only internal improvements).
Apple sold 26 million iPhones last quarter, down from 35.1 million the previous quarter. CFO Peter Oppenheimer noted on an earnings call that “iPhone sales continue to be impacted by rumour and speculation around new products.” The iconic smartphone accounts for about half of the firm’s sales, generating US$16.2 billion last quarter.
