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MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,194
30,135



iphone5.jpg
DigiTimes relays a report coming from a Chinese-language Commercial Times report. In it, the Commercial Times claims that Apple will begin trial production of the iPhone 5S as early as December.
Facing low yield rates in the production of iPhone 5, Apple has accelerated the certification processes for related parts and components for the iPhone 5S, the paper revealed.
The paper then claims the iPhone 5S could enter volume production in the 1st quarter of 2013. If that were truly the case, the iPhone 5S could be be set to launch earlier than most have expected.

Apple originally launched the iPhone in the summer of 2007 and then stayed on an annual mid-year release cycle. This schedule held true until the launch of the iPhone 4S which launched in October 2011. Apple then continued this fall-release schedule with the iPhone 5 in 2012. As a result, many have expected the iPhone 5's successor to launch in the fall of 2013.

The Commercial Times has had a spotty record, however, so its hard to gauge how much faith to put into this single report. If the iPhone 5S launch will indeed be accelerated, we are certain to hear more in the coming months.

Article Link: Apple to Begin Trial Production of iPhone 5S for Earlier Than Expected Launch?
 

macchrissli

macrumors newbie
Jan 31, 2008
22
0
maybe they wanna switch iphone and ipad release frames.
since they now jumped to Q3 with the ipad they might wanna introduce iphones in Q1 from now on... who knows
 

arn

macrumors god
Staff member
Apr 9, 2001
16,362
5,794
If an iPhone5S launches in January there will be a lot of pretty hacked off people.

I don't think you can read a January launch into this, even if u are interpret it at face value.

arn
 

kot

macrumors regular
Sep 10, 2011
161
0
They aren't even able to satisfy the demand for the 5 alone. Now they expect to manufacture even more of iPhones for the upcoming launch of the next generation iPhone?
 

Macman45

macrumors G5
Jul 29, 2011
13,197
135
Somewhere Back In The Long Ago
When and if it's released, unless it's a leap like the ipad 4 proved to be ( and it might well be) then I'm not going to bite. If they use the faster CPU and graphics engine then I can't see them calling it the 5S....It would have to be the 6.

I'll stick with my 5 if it's minor stuff.
 

Advil

macrumors 6502a
Oct 4, 2008
860
231
I really doubt it, but the sooner we get the 5s out of the way, the sooner we get the 6 :p


I know this is a dead horse, but I'm bummed we never saw the teardrop design that was rumored when the 4s came out.
 

ds2000

macrumors 6502a
May 24, 2012
567
332
Not sure, but it could well happen, the iPad 4 rocked out pretty quickly but then that made more sense with the A6 chipset.

As a 4s user with no intention of going to the 5 it may prove interesting to me, then again my head is turning towards the samsung products slightly.....
 

andyx3x

macrumors 65816
Mar 1, 2011
1,349
137
This report is a bunch of BS, but if it were true, it would backfire big time on Apple. The media and public backlash might do Apple in.
 

Northgrove

macrumors 65816
Aug 3, 2010
1,149
437
They aren't even able to satisfy the demand for the 5 alone. Now they expect to manufacture even more of iPhones for the upcoming launch of the next generation iPhone?
Something in the product could have changed to avoid that problem, so that Apple is eager to get it out ASAP.

It sounds a bit strange though. With this little time between releases, I wonder what convincing hardware improvements Apple could provide. I think there's a risk in that their brand is tarnished if they release too often and make too minor improvements. Apple has traditionally been the company standing for releases with a bang.
 

S3R6i0

macrumors regular
Dec 17, 2011
126
61
Hopefully they get rid of that stupid back casing. It scratches too easy. I liked the glass better.
 

tillathenun

macrumors member
Jun 29, 2007
57
62
Kent, UK
4g/lte?

If this is true, I imagine it'd be more a case of just expanding LTE coverage to all the networks not included in the first round.

The other way of looking at it would be that they're actually scared by Samsung's apparent dominance and they're playing catch-up?
 

MrAwax

macrumors newbie
May 6, 2009
12
0
Ok. We could hold for pretty sure that Apple updates it industrial design every other release.
The iPhone 4 was heavily critized for its antenna design and yet the iPhone 4S was still exactly the same (with an updated antenna that was already present in the CDMA iPhone 4).

So we could say rather confidently that the 5S will have the same body.

What does Foxconn tells us about the iPhone 5 and the difficulties it is having ? That the body is VERY difficult to assembly within the tight constraints of Apple and they have no particular issue with the logic board or the screen.

So, how could updating the INSIDE of the phone change ANYTHING on how the body is assembled and finished ?
 

TMar

macrumors 68000
Jul 20, 2008
1,679
1
Ky
Where's the iphone mini rumors at again since the ipad mini came out?
 

arctic

macrumors 6502a
Jun 18, 2008
632
1
In other news, the iPad Mini 2 is set to release for Black Friday taking advantage of the holiday shoppers.

The only people surprised or angry by these kinds of news are the newbies. :p
 

lk400

macrumors 65816
Aug 26, 2012
1,043
620
This is pretty obviously just a random speculation which saw the accelerated launch of the new new ipad (which at least had other legitimate reasons to bring it to current specs, e.g. lightning), and is taking a stab in the dark applying that logic where it makes no sense, to try to generate hits/headlines. I'll eat my iphone 5 if this happens.
 
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