The latest Apple iPhone 5 rumors
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Given the pattern of Apple's iPhone launches, we're expecting the new iPhone 5 release date to be mid to late 2012.
At Apple's WWDC 2012 event in early June we learnt a lot more about iOS 6, but there was no hardware (well, apart from new Macs). Check out the launch news as well as iOS 6: everything you need to know.
We reported in February that the new iPhone would be launched in October, falling into line with the same release schedule from last year - something backed up by the Verizon CFO.
According to analyst Shaw Wu, the Cupertino firm has reduced the number of iPhone orders by 20%-25% for this quarter ahead of the release.
It seems that Foxconn will again be manufacturing the handset. It'll put the Samsung Galaxy S3 "to shame" according to the CEO of Foxconn, Terry Gou - though he didn't say how.
However, a "Taiwan-based supply chain source" told DigiTimes in early May that Chinese firm Pegatron Technology has the iPhone 5 order ahead of a scheduled September launch.
According to the report Pegatron has also received orders for a 10-inch iPad, which is due to launch at the end of this year - which sounds equally spurious.
This does fit in with a mooted August 7 launch date for the iPhone 5, as is currently being quoted by Know Your Mobile through an 'industry source', but we'll wait to see if that actually comes to pass - and it now seems impossible given that actual manufacturing has yet to begin.
And that seems to be 'backed up' by a report from App4phone.fr that the release date of the iPhone 5 will be September 21... although let's be honest, a Chinese accessory maker with no name to the source being quoted by a previously unknown site when it comes to Apple launches isn't the most reliable of sources.
Update: The latest rumour in the huge mill of new iPhone 5 release dates comes from another unknown source (*sigh*) - which claims we'll see Apple take to the stage on September 12 to show off the next handset, alongside the iPad Mini.
Update:Further suggestions that September 12 will be the iPhone 5 launch date have been made, this time via sources for Reuters and AllThingsD
iPhone 5 name
We reckon iPhone 5 is still the favourite for the name of the new iPhone, but it could follow the new iPad and end up being called, simply, the new iPhone. We really hope not. One thing is for sure, Apple has already filed a complaint over the ownership of the iPhone5.com URL.
Update: Apparently Apple is testing two versions of the next iPhone, which are known as "iPhone5,1" and "iPhone5,2" - so could handset number six for Apple actually be called number five?