Two media outlets are reporting independently that the iPhone 5, or whatever the next iPhone ends up being called, will be released in October, with Apple beginning pre-orders of the device on Sept. 30 and beginning to sell it on Oct.7.
The latest report comes from 9to5Mac, which has said it has independently confirmed the dates for the iPhone 5. These back up reports from TiPB, which reported the dates last week, but which seemed a lot less solid about the timing. According to 9to5Mac, Apple has been considering Oct. 14 as well, but production for the device is going well and that’s allowing Apple to (presently) plan for the earlier Friday as its launch.
Apparently Sept. 30 isn’t a hard-and-fast date, either. Apple is also considering starting pre-orders a day earlier, on Sept. 29. Sources talking to 9to5Mac say Sept. 30 is the more likely date, but things are still potentially in the air, it seems.
Actually, that’s the case with all this information, but Apple seems confident in the next version of its device, so it makes sense that the company would want to get things going sooner rather than later. Reports said earlier this week that Apple had upped its iPhone orders with its suppliers for the second half of the year by several million, including raising the total for the new iPhone order to 26 million. About 6 million of those iPhones would be coming in the third quarter of 2011; the rest are in the fourth quarter.
Unfortunately, neither 9to5Mac nor TiPB have any new insights as to what kind of iPhone we’ll be getting come Oct. 7. Rumors are still circulating that the iPhone could be a full redesign known as the iPhone 5, or a more incremental update that might be called the iPhone 4S. There’s also speculation that a new, cheaper, prepaid iPhone could be made available that wouldn’t require a contract with a cellular provider. All those options are still on the table, it seems.
With the new dates, however, we have a firmer idea of when we might be able to expect the iPhone to hit stores and a much better idea of when other things surrounding it might take place, not the least of which is the release of iOS 5. Apple will likely have other major developments to go with the release of a new handset, as well. We’ll keep an eye out for further information as October draws nearer.
