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

[haruhiko]

Didn't schiller look somewhat unenthusiastic at the keynote, would be funny if this is why.

You also spotted this!

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I was a bit disappointed in the 5. I was really hoping they would work more on the ios like having more features that android has, like widgets. Instead, it's pretty much the same thing as a 4s but taller and slightly lighter, and I guess faster... I was looking forward to getting a 5s but now I guess I'll wait until my phone begins to fall apart on me than to go for a new phone when my contract ends.

1. You're mixing up software features and hardware design.
2. It's 2x faster, that's much faster.
3. 20% lighter is not "slightly" lighter. Anyone that got hold of the iPhone 5 said "Oh! It's really lighter"
4. pretty much the same thing? Any smartphone today is a slate with most area covered by the screen and the front facing camera

 

[DarwinOSX]

Digitimes has never been right about anything but I guess MacRumors need the page views so they post this tripe. Amazing how many of you are so easily suckered.

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Didn't schiller look somewhat unenthusiastic at the keynote, would be funny if this is why.

Oh please....

 

[Ramchi]

This only kills iPhone 5 sales for a foreseeable future and around 1 Qtr you might see Galaxy S 4 which potentially takes away fence sitters. Another quarter of lost opportunity and disappointing (relatively though they rule the mobile industry) data for analyst...

Hope they give a clearer picture by issuing a statement.

 

[kalsta]

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.

Just a thought… As MacRumors has an international audience (including those of us in the southern hemisphere), perhaps seasonal references such as 'fall' and 'summer' would be better avoided?

 

[gadget123]

Considering the ever nimbler competition, maybe Apple is moving to half-year product cycle - both for iPad and iPhone? Tic-toc could still work fine, release one new product, then half a year later updated "S" product. Then a new product again. I wouldn't mind that. A whole year is quite long in tehcnology these days.

But I think sales of iPad 4 and other small updates would be slow. iPhone 4S only sold well due to adding Siri. If not it was just iphone 4 with an 8mp camera which had been in phones since 2008.

I think someone at Apple thinks releasing two products a year will
Double profits however they seem to be wrong. The constant
rumours of new updates weeks after a new launch have slowed sales of the 4S. I read the Galaxy outsold the 4S. If too many early rumours surface and an iPhone does come early i reckon it will slow down sales.

It doesn't make sense to have 6 month iPhones as people are on two year contracts. Customer loyalty shows they generally upgrade anyway. If there 2 year contract means they have a phone about two or three releases old meaning its slow on a new IOS they may switch brands.

Right now we should still be appritiating our new iPhone 5's not discussing a small update.

 

[skunnykart]

It will be really sad if this is true and they bring out the 5S when the Mac Pro line is getting nothing.

Apple is turning its back on those who stood with them during their tough years pre ipod.

 

[AlligatorBloodz]

I slowly converted all of my tech in my house over to Apple a few years ago. Macs, Apple TVs, iPhones, and iPads. Have been pretty loyal and still think they make some of the best products.

But I am starting to get irked by the lack of concern they have for users of older products. The iPad 1 is no longer receiving any updates or getting any attention. Safari crashes on me all the time and iBooks 3.0 is a bit sluggish.

This product came out just 2.5 years ago! I understand that eventually I would have replaced my iPad 1, but sweet jesus I should be able browse the web and read a book without any crashing. I feel like it has just been getting slower and slower with each update.

They have every right to release products when they see fit. However, if they take the attitude that past generations don't matter, then Apple will not be on top for long.

 

[nia820]

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.

I don't doubt apple is working on iPhone 5s. But I doubt it will come out before the summer.

 

[michaeljohn]

What would be awesome is if the S versions were like super versions, or larger. Lets say they put out a 5 or 5.5 inch in the spring called the iPhone 5s, then the iPhone 6 would come out in the fall of 2013 and would be similar to the 5. Keep that schedule. The S versions being the larger versions ever spring.

 

[Fishticks]

This isn't really surprising considering Apple is around a YEAR behind even its own targeted release schedule for rolling out new technology, never mind falling behind the rest of competition.

People forget that Apple initially wanted to release iPhone 5 in October of 2011. Yield issues involving the 4" Retina Display among other problems caused Apple to delay the iPhone 5 release and introduce the iPhone 4S instead.

Releasing the iPhone 5S in March/April 2013 gives Apple an opportunity get back on track to its own targeted schedule and release iPhone 6 in October 2013.

iPhone 5S will use the rest of the 4" Retina Display inventory while iPhone 6 will introduce a new 5" screen and adopt the CinemaScope aspect ratio of 2.35:1.

Though the iPhone 6 will share the same 4.87" x 2.3" height and width dimensions of iPhone 5, it will feature a reduction of the bezel thickness on the top and bottom of the phone, allowing for the extension of the screen.

The "Home" bottom will be designed and re-sized to accommodate this change.

The iPad Mini 2 will be launched at the same time with a "Retina Display" of 1536x1152 with 245 PPI, A6 chip and 1GB RAM. Keep in mind that it WON'T have the full-sized iPad's resolution of 2048x1536. That is being saved for iPad Mini 3 to be released in 2014.

Note the "quick" turnaround for releasing iPad Mini 2 in March/April 2013 serves two purposes.

One, it allows Apple to not only catch up, but SURPASS its competitors in display supremacy for the 7" tablet class. Note that the iPad Mini 2's 245 PPI will be the highest offered, taking the crown away from the NOOK HD which has a 1440x900 screen and 243 PPI.

If Apple waited until November 2013 to release the Retina version of the iPad Mini, the product line would have fallen behind its competitors for more than a YEAR, and would have been TWO generations behind the competition when the second generation of Nexus 7 was released in summer 2013.

Secondly, Apple wants to separate the release schedules of the iPad Mini and the full-sized iPad. Keeping the release dates for both products the same will invariably increase the cannibalization of the two product lines.

By separating the launch dates by six months, Apple will be able to increase the tempo of planned obsolescence in the iPad lines without obliquely doing so like when it released iPad 4 just seven months after iPad 3.

While the iPad Mini will never exceed the CPU and processing capabilities of the full-sized iPad, Apple could give it advantages elsewhere, like the stereo speakers found in the Mini that's not available in any model of the full-sized iPad.

It will also allow Apple to respond quicker to new developments in technology, where a six month product refresh allows it to maintain a competitive edge as opposed to an annual update, which leaves its products vulnerable of being made obsolete by its competition for nine months out of that year.

This would be great.
How do you know that.

If you look at Apple products, they've always been behind competition in terms of characteristics and performance. They just look better, with better materials, and they used to provide a somewhat easier user experience which used to making it feel a better one.

iPad was just an "accident", because Apple innovated with it.

Now Apple might very well let iPad fall behind competition, like the rest of their product line. At least speaking in terms of pure performance. It won't prevent it from selling very good.

 

[S3R6i0]

I'm ready when they are.



FIrst it was "Get rid of the glass back it cracks/shatters too easily" Now this ^



Someone's trigger happy

You need everyone to come to an agreement before your able to form an opinion? I never was for the iPhone 5 and it's design.

 

[daneoni]

You need everyone to come to an agreement before your able to form an opinion? I never was for the iPhone 5 and it's design.

Nope.

 

[coffeemadmanUK]

The 1800 band is useless, particularly for indoor use. I'd much rather wait for Vodafone to launch their 4G network.

T-Mobile & Orange are by far the worst networks. Combined as one company, I can't think of a less attractive organisation to give my money to.

Then you won't be able to use your iPhone 5 on 4G. From what I can see, the spectrum doesn't seem useless - most indoor places have wifi now anyway.

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That's true, although Three's 4G launch is slated for September 2013, so it's another long wait.

Is there not also some debate about how efficient the 1800mhz frequency (that used by EE & 3) is indoors?

I don't know when. I heard they had to give EE 6 months first.

I think the indoors thing is being exaggerated a huge amount.

 

[touchipods]

Steve Jobs would have never released products in-between this early. Tim Cook is milking Apple products faster than ever with no new innovation.

Or perhaps this is the Johnny Ive effect?

 

[Steve121178]

Then you won't be able to use your iPhone 5 on 4G. From what I can see, the spectrum doesn't seem useless - most indoor places have wifi now anyway.

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I don't know when. I heard they had to give EE 6 months first.

I think the indoors thing is being exaggerated a huge amount.

I know I won't be able to use the iPhone 5 on Vodafone 4G, I knew this before I ordered it. I'll just have to upgrade to the 4S as it will support all bands. Same applies to O2 users, obviously.

 

[aliensporebomb]

Yeah!

Apple already has the design for the iPhone 6 and probably have prototypes of the iPhone 7,8 and 9.

You can't catch up to tech.

And you ought to see the prototype nanotubular shell of the iPhone11 - you can hardly touch it!

 

[mono1980]

After the quick release of the iPad 4, anything is possible!

 

[ElRojito]

I really doubt it, but the sooner we get the 5s out of the way, the sooner we get the 6


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.

And at that point, you may as well wait for the 6S... Just buy one already!

 

[karter16]

Cavemen problems:

Chisel my messages in stone with another harder stone hammer.

Had my neighbor make me hammer. Neighbor copies my hammer.

Bashing his head in with my original hammer, because he made a bigger hammer one can see better and he said he didn't copy it. Liar!

No more problems.

Discovered metal 3 weeks later, now what am I going to do with my trusted stone chisel and stone hammer?

Metal shaves off too fast .

Discovered harder metal, but can't get enough hard metal, what now?

Who is holding back my hard metal? Must be millions in some grotto
someplace.

Skip a few years:

Machines were invented.

Can chisel with compressed air tool.

Bought compressor from Sears, more powerful compressor comes out a week later on sale $^&$%& Sears, I'll take my other compressor back.

E-mail invented

$^%$% everybody I am throwing out my stones and chisels

Everywhere we look , tremendous problems since cavemen days........

it was worth reading this entire thread just to find this gem

 

[muyaad]

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.....[/QUOTE]

It may not be a prudent thing to do because Samsung release more phones than Apple

 

[twoodcc]

i just don't see it. the iPhone 5 is already the fastest phone i thought?

 

[ixodes]

Now I am gonna skip iPhone 5

Yeah, I parked my on the shelf it was so boring, and dull.

Re-Activated my excellent 4S, now enjoying it more than ever.

It's a smart move on Apple's part to obsolete the iPhone 5.

The 5S has got to be better, it can't be worse.

 

[Gix1k]

Plus - NFC would be a total waste. It's rare to even find a merchant locally who has it and this is in a city of millions of people.

So it's a waste because you live somewhere that doesn't have a lot of support. The problem is going to be Apple won't support Google Wallet, so it'll be hard to use it unless someone else comes out with something. I have Wallet on my S3 with the Paypass locator app and can use it all over my city. It's a BRILLIANT idea. I can add ALL my credit cards to it, bump phone, paid!
Once they figure a way to store a state ID in this thing...will be excellent.

 

[throys]

Apple will need to change thier market strategy and copy samsung with releasing alternatives screen size iphones or they will be left for dogs soon.

iphone 5 with 4'' is fine but some would like a more proprtionate device with it been also wider in demensions.

Galazy note or phablet is a big hit for samsung, Apple need to have a device with similar size and specs to please the whole market, give consumers more choice, Steve Job era has gone and its time to get with the flow.

Send this to APPLE

 

[nburwell]

The 5S could come out next week, and I would still stick with my 5. If anything, I'm sure it will be just a minor update from the 5. I'll set my sights on the 6.