The next iPhone is expected this fall. Above we see a purported iPhone 5 chassis assembled from individually leaked parts. Photo: iLab.cc
Referencing “sources who have proven accurate in the past,” Rene Ritchie of the website iMore reports the next-generation iPhone and iPad mini will be announced on September 12, with both products available for purchase on September 21. The fall release puts the phone and perpetually rumored tablet on the market in time for the holiday shopping season.
While iMore may not have much name recognition in the blogosphere, it has a strong track record in successfully reporting Apple product launch dates. On February 13 of this year, Ritchie accurately reported that the new iPad (which he described as iPad 3) would be announced on March 7. The author had similar success predicting pre-order dates for the iPhone 4S.
It’s all but certain that Apple will announce a new iPhone soon — the iPhone 4S is ripe for an update, and iPhone 5 rumor reports are hitting critical mass. In fact, just this Sunday, a website in Japan reported it had assembled the new phone’s chassis from random leaked parts. However, an imminent small form factor iPad — rumors peg the display at 7.85 inches — is much less certain. The smaller iPad would go toe-to-toe against the Kindle Fire and the Nexus 7, entering a sizing category with proven consumer interest. While Apple dominates the tablet market, it has yet to release a device that challenges the smaller tablet field.
If the iMore report is true, Apple would be releasing the next-generation iPhone a little less than a year after releasing the iPhone 4S, which hit the streets on October 14, 2011. Apple traditionally employed a yearly refresh cycle for the iPhone until last year’s 16-month wait for the iPhone 4S.
The updated iPhone is expected to sport a smaller dock connector, larger four-inch touch screen, and a redesigned case.
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