iPhone 5 Coming In September, Not October Says Analyst On The Ground In Taipei
Posted by CharlesMoore on Tuesday Jun 5, 2012 Under iPhone 5 Opinion, iPhone 5 Predictions, iPhone 5 RumorA report by Appleinsider’s Neil Hughes says Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White is in Taipei this week attending the 2012 Computex Show and meeting with local contacts in the component supply chain, from whom he says he’s hearing that September is shaping up to be an “exciting” month for Apple fans.
Forbes CIO Network’s Eric Savitz also cites a research note White posted to investors yesterday, based on what he’s learned in Taipei, in which he says that Apple is likely to launch the iPhone 5 in September, rather than following suit with the iPhone 4S October release last year. Aside from die-hard WWDC optimists, a punditry consensus has been leaning more toward October, although I’ve been inclined to posit either September or October as most likely.
Incidentally, a new report yesterday from 9To5Mac’s Mark Gurman says Apple will make several major software announcements at the WWDC, including iOS 6, an iCloud version update, and OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, and possibly a raft of Mac announcements and upgrades as well in addition to the widely anticipated redesigned Retina display 15-inch MacBook Pro, including MacBook Air, iMac, and Mac mini or even Mac Pro refreshes, but there’s nary a word from his sources on a new iPhone or iPad mini announcement in the offing for next week.
In favor of a new iPhone October release is the aforementioned iPhone 4S launch precedent, and the tidiness of letting a year elapse between version releases. On the other hand, October will also mark the first anniversary of Steve Jobs’s death, and while reportedly Jobs had a lot of input on the sixth-generation iPhone redesign, it’s become evident that many people would perceive commemorating him with a commercial product launch as tacky or worse.
Consequently, September sounds quite plausible for the iPhone 5 (more likely “New iPhone”, IMHO) release both for that reason, as well as the fact that it’s been a traditional time slot for annual iPod refreshes. With the iPod now a mature product and the preponderance of innovative development focused on the iPhone and iPad, it’s highly conceivable that Apple might choose to rededicate the primo annual September new product release window to a hotter-selling product. The cusp of late summer/early fall combines back-to-school and settling into a new business year seasons, with an early kickoff to the holiday gift-buying ramp-up.
Incidentally, Eric Saviitz also reports that Brian White is skeptical of rumors that the iPhone 5 might have a Liquidmetal amorphous metal alloy back (technology for which Apple purchased exclusive rights to in consumer electronic products back in 2010 as reported by Michael Nace here today), and expects the new handset to have a unibody aluminum case manufactured by major Apple subcontractor Hon Hai.
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June 5th, 2012 at 1:42 pm
yes. I think a early september release is the most likely time frame. But when can this for the iPhone 5 mean ?http://9to5mac.com/2012/06/05/sprint-to-start-offering-prepaid-iphone-on-virgin-mobile-as-soon-as-july-1/
Interesting they call it only iPhone. Not iPhone 4S
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June 5th, 2012 at 1:47 pm
I’m worried about the iPod Touch. It hasn’t even seen a refresh since 2010, they only made it available in white and that sucks.
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June 5th, 2012 at 2:42 pm
If this is true and this is going to be the release time frame. Looks like AT&T and Verizon will make and save a lot money off the grandfathered data people.
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June 5th, 2012 at 3:48 pm
I’ve had my 3GS since August 2009, so what’s another 3 months to wait for a new iPhone?
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June 5th, 2012 at 3:59 pm
@Cristian,
Yes, I just doomed myself, by ordering 2 – 8gb iPod Touch’s for the kids….a new model is sure to be announced shortly.
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June 5th, 2012 at 5:03 pm
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June 5th, 2012 at 6:22 pm
I think I’ll wait cause here’s the thing if a new iPod touch comes out this WWDC I might get it instead of a smartphone. However, if nothing comes out I’ll be going GS3 this June (looks better than One X now to me).
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June 5th, 2012 at 7:30 pm
i need a new smartphone badly… I can wait until september, but then it’d better be worth it.
I think september is most plausible. Hoping for liquid metal, overhaul, maximum 4inch display and a quadcore.
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June 5th, 2012 at 9:53 pm
I am seriously hoping for a summer release because I know for a fact that people who bought the i4 contracts are up this month and there are a lot of people that won’t wait another 5months for i5. And I’m really excited about my First iPhone and I want it to be the five but I’m more sure I can wait another five months my android is crap nd I’m so ready for a change
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June 5th, 2012 at 10:58 pm
@John, I feel your pain as well. I have also had my 3gs since August of 2009 and I am really hoping for it to be June/July but only time will tell.
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June 6th, 2012 at 12:07 am
Another reason why.I’m banking on a summer release us because I’m sure Apple doesn’t wanna let there customer down. everyone was expecting the i5 in June 2011 just to wait an extra five.months to get a refresh of the i4. So with thatApple should want to do what it takes to keep its existing customers nd also reil in new ones with a BRAND NEW iPhone 5 that almost everyone has been waiting for, for the past year.
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June 6th, 2012 at 12:49 am
I still stand by my belief that if Apple waits until the fall it will be a terrible business decision. They stand to lose millions of customers who are going out of contract to a very nice Samsung Gallaxy S 3 and potentially the Lumia 900 when it is released to other carriers (if Microsoft will actually support their own os). Let’s face it, people buying today are already unhappy that the iPhone is two year old technology. Apple simply has not kept up with advancements in mobile phone technology. Does Tim Cook really expect people will wait another four or five months for what at worst could be just another refresh and at best (looking at the Samsung GS3) will be playing catch up to the best Andriod phones? Apple needs to release something at least equal to the advancement that the top Android phones have made, and they need to do it now.
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June 6th, 2012 at 3:02 am
I think Apple will not mention anything about the iP5 in the WWDC and it will be a big mistake.
In all honesty, I’ve been following this blog for over a year now (& using Apple products for the same time), but this whole cloak and dagger secrecy thing is getting boring and I don’t know if I’m alone in thinking this….will there be a new phone/wont there?
All the speculation, guessing, second guessing and then the ‘reveal’ like the iP4S last year was a complete let down for the Apple fans (admittedly, sales were fantastic), but I personally feel Apple is starting to lose some of their shine and getting to be boring – what’s the problem in telling us when a new product is expected, fine keep the spec secret, but they should at least give us an idea of timelines??
I’m not holding my breath for a breathtaking new iphone – I think it will be a letdown, again!
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June 6th, 2012 at 3:43 am
I don’t think September is a good release time. But it would be a nice way of saying “Apple’s just fine, Mr. Jobs” as the media is covering record sales of the new iPhone on the one year anniversary of his death. Just a thought.
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June 6th, 2012 at 9:19 am
I agree with Moo that Apple should release expected product dates much earlier. I understand that it can cut into sales of current product but they have enough hot products out there, the secrecy seems silly. The build up of expectation is cool to some degree, but so is knowing something about what’s coming and when.
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June 6th, 2012 at 9:56 am
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June 6th, 2012 at 4:24 pm
Yeah honestly the months go by so fast I really don’t mind whether it comes out in the summer or fall.
It feels like just yesterday I was in high school… but that was a very long time ago… so, I’m sure the iPhone 8…9…11…they’ll all be here pretty damn quick with how fast the years go by
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June 6th, 2012 at 8:34 pm
Hmmm, I’m not due for an upgrade until next January anyways but, even if some of us are okay with a September or October, that doesn’t mean that big influx of customers who have expiring contracts from the iPhone 4 back in the summer of 2010 will be okay with it. And, if Apple wants to lose those people than so be it. If they want to give up a bit of market share then so be it. I still believe Apple can gain the market share back and I do believe that there will always be new customers as well to displace those who jump ship. The only thing I would be a bit ticked off about is having to wait another WHOLE summer as well as an additional month and a half to upgrade to software just so it can launch with a pristine new iPhone. Don’t get me wrong, I love the iPhone but having to wait for iOS 5 the whole summer was really lame. I understand that developers needed time with it, that’s a good excuse other wise our favorite third party applications wouldn’t work well. But I’m hoping for a new iPhone launch, or at least software that releases during the summer, not 3 and a half months later. I fell in love with iOS 5 so much that I resorted to signing into a friend’s developers account and rig my iPhone 4 with iOS 5 betas to hold me over. That was a fun experience but not recommended for those who aren’t developers and want their phones bricked from time and time again. So, with about 3 days to go, I’m seriously hoping for the best. It should be a pretty awesome WWDC regardless!
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June 13th, 2012 at 7:58 am
@Charles Moore…..I had to come back to read this article again. you were spot on with the predictions here and i hope you’re right about the September release date and the redesign.
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