Apple Preparing 'Thinner and Lighter' iPhone for Third Quarter Launch

[MacRumors]

The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple is indeed preparing a new iPhone for a launch during the third quarter of this year, with an initial production target of 25 million units through the end of the year.

"Apple's sales estimates of the new iPhone is quite aggressive. It told us to prepare to help the company meet its goal of 25 million units by the end of the year," said another person at one of Apple's suppliers. "The initial production volume will be a few million units... we were told to ship the components to assembler Hon Hai in August."

Countering claims that the next-generation iPhone will be nearly identical in appearance to the iPhone 4, the Journal's sources indicate that the new device will be "thinner and lighter" and that Apple's manufacturing partner Foxconn/Hon Hai is having difficulties with yield rate on the new device due to it being "complicated and difficult to assemble."

Two of the people, however, cautioned that shipments of the new iPhone could be delayed if Hon Hai can't improve its yield rate as the new iPhone is "complicated and difficult to assemble."

Reports over the past few months have been pointing to a September release for the next-generation iPhone, which has been said to carry Apple's A5 processor found in the iPad 2, an 8-megapixel rear camera, and a baseband chip from Qualcomm to support both GSM and CDMA networks.

Article Link: Apple Preparing 'Thinner and Lighter' iPhone for Third Quarter Launch

 

[wordoflife]

I wonder how much thinner Apple will be able to make these things.

 

[talkingfuture]

Wow 25 million is an amazing number, although I think they might just sell them all anyway!

 

[decimortis]

Journal's sources indicate that the new device will be "thinner and lighter" and that Apple's manufacturing partner Foxconn/Hon Hai is having difficulties with yield rate on the new device due to it being "complicated and difficult to assemble."

It's hard to get all that Magical™ in there ya know.

D.

 

[Patrick J]

It's going to start being a pain to hold if it gets any thinner. I hate how thin the iPod touch is. It looks cool, but not that functional.

 

[bushido]

I wonder how much thinner Apple will be able to make these things.

the iPhone 4 is fat compared to the latest smartphones

 

[Thunderhawks]

I wonder how much thinner Apple will be able to make these things.

They are thinking of all the women asking:

Does this make me look fat?

 

[HelveticaNeue]

Gimme, gimme, gimme!

Hopefully they will make enough to include Canada with the US, UK and other countries in the first release this time. The wait last year almost killed me.

 

[hismikeness]

It's going to start being a pain to hold if it gets any thinner. I hate how thin the iPod touch is. It looks cool, but not that functional.

Add a case to it, or even a bumper, and it adds a little bulk overall. If it was bulky to begin with...

 

[Coastercub]

Surely they can't make it much thinner, I'd rather it was the same thickness and fill the extra space with a little more battery !

 

[Macsavvytech]

First thought WOW! I refreshed this page and their were not comments before me...
Second thought i wish i hadn't decided to cost cut on my phone and get a "Australian" HTC, with "Australian" meaning that they are the out of date ones released months ago in the states.

 

[EddyP]

It's going to start being a pain to hold if it gets any thinner. I hate how thin the iPod touch is. It looks cool, but not that functional.

Yeah. I just dug out my touch because the screen on my 3GS cracked more. It is quite thin. And it's the old version of the touch.

I'm not too concerned about how thin it is. I'll probably go with a case (me likey grove's bamboo cases).

Interesting this indicated more of a "redesign" then the other article indicates. Who the heck knows.

Either way it will be better then my 3GS.

 

[BallardCharles]

We all know that Apple will continue to make the iPhone thinner and lighter, but where is the LTE?

 

[bushido]

Gimme, gimme, gimme!

Hopefully they will make enough to include Canada with the US, UK and other countries in the first release this time. The wait last year almost killed me.

they released it in those countries at the same time last year? i got mine in germany the day it was released in the US

 

[bocaboy]

Will the "4" be available at a reduced price

I wonder if Apple will consider offering the iPhone 4 at a reduced price, as they did the 3Gs? I think the 4 is a great phone, and would jump at the chance to buy another one for my wife, but at a reduced price.

 

[Northgrove]

OK, I hope that "more complicated, hard for us to assemble" doesn't mean that the return rate due to faulty phones will be higher. That certainly doesn't feel like a far fetched problem stemming from these news, and a bit worrying.

Ever since the phone reception issues with the iPhone 4 design, Apple's ferocious hunt for the ultimate design has become a bit worrisome to me. They need to reinforce their reputation for quality, not add new fuel to the QA worries.

Well... Only future will tell. I hope they'll be a hit, and that they will continue surviving the occasional drops to the ground without breaking at the very first incident. Yes, cases exist, but they should not be necessary for daily use if you can live with some scratches. I have dropped my 3GS twice while case-less in the past two years with no issues. Let's hope it stays that way.

 

[Centient]

Could be that this new phone is actually the cheaper, off-contract phone we've been hearing about? The one that is supposed to compete with the less expensive Androids out there.

 

[Juan007]

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Can't wait, hope I can preorder an unlocked one. Don't know how they can make it any thinner, they must have spent tens of millions on engineering the thing.

 

[satkin2]

Hardly a suprise that if its a new design that Apple will make it thinner and lighter.

The bit that interests me is that if it will be a redesign. I think the iPhone 4 is a thing of beauty and it would really take something special to be asthetically as good. Any features in a smaller phone would by logic probably fit into the iPhone 4 too.

 

[FoxHoundADAM]

I wonder if Apple will consider offering the iPhone 4 at a reduced price, as they did the 3Gs? I think the 4 is a great phone, and would jump at the chance to buy another one for my wife.

I'm sure they will but don't expect more than $100 off the current price knowing Apple.

 

[ugahairydawgs]

Could be that this new phone is actually the cheaper, off-contract phone we've been hearing about? The one that is supposed to compete with the less expensive Androids out there.

Pretty that is going to be the role of the 8GB 3GS.

 

[The Californian]

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As long as people see it and know I have the latest and greatest without confusing it for last years iteration I'll be happy

 

[profets]

they released it in those countries at the same time last year? i got mine in germany the day it was released in the US

They delayed them to a "July" launch and ended up being on July 30th. Previous years we had the 3G and 3GS launch at same time as the US, but not for the 4.

 

[wvmb]

We all know that Apple will continue to make the iPhone thinner and lighter, but where is the LTE?

Apple has to realize that if they do not include LTE, this will give the android sets a big marketing advantage. Perhaps it will be a real advantage for only a relatively few people, but marketing is powerful..... Because of this, I'm thinking that if they do not include it, it will be for a very good reason.

 

[reckless2k2]

We all know that Apple will continue to make the iPhone thinner and lighter, but where is the LTE?

I have a bigger concern of them back-tracking on size due to LTE. If they go smaller/thinner with iPhone 5, I could see it getting fatter once LTE is implemented. I don't think they will go backwards on size so it's tough to say whether this rumor is true unless "thinner" means tampered edges or something like that.