So the rumors are true. I heard recently that the iPhone 5 would not be making its debut at Apple’s WWDC like all of its predecessors. Reuters spoke with three nameless sources from within the tight-knit infrastructure of Apple, who confirmed these details. The iPhone 5 will begin production in July/August and will then begin shipping sometime in September.
An unprecedented fall release? I am somewhat taken aback. A year in the life of an Apple customer is pretty simple and consistent. There are two events that iOS users looks forward to each year: Apple’s WWDC and Apple’s Music Event. These two events consistently hold releases for Apple devices and OS updates. So why is Apple choosing to do it this way when every other iPhone release has been during the WWDC in June?
The WSJ just released some numbers regarding iOS saturation compared to Android within the US. It would appear that despite Android being the most popular smartphone platform, the whole story is still untold. If you combine other devices that are running iOS and Android respectively, Apple comes out in the lead by a margin of 59 percent. Since Apple knows this about themselves and their product, perhaps this is a bit of a power-play to let everyone know that they do things by their own watch?
The other thing that we must consider is the supply of the hardware. It wasn’t until recently that the esteemed white iPhone 4 was finally announced. Apple have also been hit with iPad 2 supply shortages, and possibly some initial production issues. The fact is, they are also selling so many devices so fast that they simply may not have the supply ready for the demand.
It doesn’t hold to reason that they don’t have the technology ready. However perhaps this product is simply not ‘Apple-perfect’ yet and won’t be released until it is.
