Verizon Weighs In [Again] On iPhone 5 Release Date
Posted by Michael Nace on Friday Jul 20, 2012 Under iPhone 5 NewsThe second Verizon CEO in as many years has made a prediction about the iPhone 5 release date, taking a guess that it’ll be released “sometime in the fourth quarter.” Are you impressed?
If one thing’s for sure, it’s that Verizon CEOs of late have a knack for injecting themselves into the iPhone 5 discussion, even if they have very little of substance to say. You’ll recall that last year, then-Verizon CEO Lowell McAdams made news when in one breath he referred to the 2011 iPhone as “iPhone 5″ and then tried to argue that he “had no idea” of when it would be released. This year, Verizon’s new chief has taken the opposite approach to making headlines: he’s predicting an iPhone release date range that the majority of the tech media has anticipated since last year: Q4 2012.
CNET reports:
“Apple’s next iteration of the iPhone could drop in the fourth quarter. That’s according to Verizon CFO Fran Shammo, who hinted at the possible timing during the company’s quarterly conference call today with a vague reference to a major phone the carrier expects to launch in the fourth quarter. . . A fourth-quarter launch suggests Apple may move in October, similar to its launch of the iPhone 4S last year.”
No duh.
Ever since the coming and going of the 2012 WWDC with no surprise iPhone 5 release, the safe bet has clearly been the fourth quarter of 2012, considering that October would mark the one-year anniversary of the iPhone 4S’s announcement, Apple’s first foray into a fall iPhone launch, and the fact that an October announcement and November release takes place within Apple’s fiscal first quarter, giving them strong earnings right out of the gate. The only alternate theory for a Q4 release has been a few smatterings of August iPhone 5 announcements — however, considering the dearth of production chatter for the new iPhone, that possibility seems all but impossible at this point.
So, what are we being told here that we don’t already know?
Nothing, most likely. Considering that Mr. Shammo’s comments came while addressing Verizon shareholders, his thinly-veiled hint at the iPhone 5 was most likely an effort to assuage them, and perhaps encourage a bit of buying in order to further capitalize Verizon ahead of the new iPhone’s launch.
Perhaps a more interesting mobile network-related thread in the iPhone 5 rumor mill is whether or not T-Mobile will finally add the iPhone to its inventory this year. However, the reason that we’ve heard little about that prospect is that all indications are that T-Mobile won’t gain the iPhone until 2013, when we begin using the “iPhone 6” moniker to talk about a future iPhone iteration.
From Motoring Crunch:
“T-Mobile USA Inc,, the 4th largest network in the US, may use its parent company’s (Deutsche Telekom AG) sales agreement with Apple to bring to iPhone to the US in 2013, according to Sanford C Bernstein’s Craig Moffett. Deutsche Telekom and Apple are “increasingly likely” to reach agreement for T-Mobile to sell iPhones in the US in 2013. New York-based analyst Moffatt claims in a recent research note.”
So there you have it. It would appear that, unlike 2011, when speculation of Sprint getting the iPhone contributed consistently to iPhone speculation, we appear to have much less to focus on this year as far as the mobile networks are concerned.
By Michael Nace
Michael Nace is the Publisher of the iPhone 5 News Blog and iPhone 6 News Blog. He has published articles about the iPhone since 2010.
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July 20th, 2012 at 10:31 am
Frankly I am stunned….Verizon at the fore front again.
If there is any merit to what they say then it proves the point the cell phone know when the big new phone are coming out.
My thoughts would in October some time 1 Quarter for Apple.
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July 20th, 2012 at 12:11 pm
Nothing to see here, just keep moving on…
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July 20th, 2012 at 12:44 pm
Seeing that the article says apple Q1 starts in November, what if we have it all wrong? What if Its not by apples standards their talking about and the iPhone is to be released in the aug.-oct period?
Food for thought. Since Apple keeps everything top secret maybe the people dropping clues are not talking about apples Q4 but maybe the rest of the tech worlds?
idk . I’ve only been following the iphone 5 rumors since February so I could have it all wrong
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July 20th, 2012 at 12:48 pm
m, Q! for Apple actually starts at the end of September, I believe.
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July 20th, 2012 at 2:01 pm
“You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometime you might just find, ……you get what you need”. Steve Jobs to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards in 1969.
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July 20th, 2012 at 2:16 pm
So does that mean an August announcement September release? Seems likely then. because back in June I was told by a family member that talked to someone at the Apple store they told her a sept 5 release
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July 20th, 2012 at 2:22 pm
I don’t remember where I read it may have been on this blog but it was also suggested that Sept 7 played a key date as well.
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July 20th, 2012 at 2:23 pm
On computerworld.com there talkin about how Verizon wireless CEO Said a Q4 fall release so I am really confused . http://m.blogs.computerworld.com/smartphones/20723/verizon-hints-fall-iphone-5-debut-cites-rumor?
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July 20th, 2012 at 5:12 pm
@m – Q4 would start (basing it on calendar year and not fiscal year) 10/1. Fall starts with the equinox on September 22 and runs thru the winter solstice on December 21st, so a fall and Q4 release can be one in the same.
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July 20th, 2012 at 5:27 pm
He didn’t say Apple’s fourth quarter or Verizon’s fourth quarter. Just the fourth quarter. I assume the fourth quarter of 2012.
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July 20th, 2012 at 11:51 pm
This discourse about nothing makes me laugh. Hahahahahaha. Here’s to Old Tom…
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July 21st, 2012 at 1:46 am
I am disappointed with the announcement been moved to October like last year
But I would like them to announce it on the first anniversary off Steve jobs .
As the rumored have always said that Ip5 was the product which Steve jobs
Was working on during the last few months off his life .
It would be an honor to the great legend if they do so and would definitely
Bump up the sales too .
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July 21st, 2012 at 7:33 am
i’m waiting until 5th of oct max, if it isn’t announced at that date, i’ll buy another phone
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July 21st, 2012 at 10:21 am
@Willem, the problem with that line of thinking is that the next one is “really close now!” It’s totally understandable, but I just wish that my 3GS wasn’t “good enough.” In retrospect, I should have gotten the 4S, and then I’d be on the iphone5Sphoneblog…
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July 21st, 2012 at 11:55 am
everybody here talks about still having the iphone 3GS… You know what, i still use the iphone 3G because the iphone 4S was/is a joke phone that isnt’ worth the money. So you can imagen that i’m getting impatient now… I need a new one and i have to stop myself from buying the GSIII
Well, it’s true that the new phone will be close when i decide to buy another one, but i can’t wait for ever. Atleast i know when or what i’m getting at other companies. The magic that apple wants to create when they introduce a new product, doesn’t work for me. I don’t get all excited because apple released a new product, i look at the facts. The only reason why i’d pay 150€ more for a phone with the same specs as its closest competitor is the quality of the materials and the design. I couldnt care less about the apple icon, itunes, ect ect.
Sorry for all the apple fanboys but i never blindly buy anything from another company just because i liked their other products.
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July 21st, 2012 at 9:11 pm
@Willem, that’s totally fair and reasonable.
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July 26th, 2012 at 6:15 pm
Bravo, what a brilliant guess. He sounds so smart ; ) lmao
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April 12th, 2013 at 3:17 am
What’s up, every time i used to check blog posts here early in the daylight, because i enjoy to find out more and more.
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