Update:Apple iPhone 5 screen will be 4 inches and will sport a metal back
A shock omission from the 2011 iDevice lineup that saw the iPad 2 land ahead of a newly refreshed iPod Touch and the hugely successful iPhone 4S, the long mooted Apple iPhone 5 release is widely expected to take place later this year.
Long the thing of speculation, having appeared in a number of claimed leaks under a selection of variable guises, Apple iPhone 5 rumours have kicked into overdrive in recent months with reported iPhone 5 specs, features and even the odd leaked picture doing the rounds online.
Apple iPhone 5 Release Date
Almost a year late for its long expected June 2011 unveiling, the Apple iPhone 5 release date has been the thing of mystery for many months with the mythical handset now expected to follow the new launch cycle kicked off by the iPhone 4S and be unveiled in October to capitalise on the lucrative pre-Christmas shopping rush.
Amid the sea of Apple iTV and iPad 3 rumours engulfing the tech world in early 2012, the old-faithful iPhone 5 was probably feeling a little bit unloved. Well, the next generation Apple smartphone is now back on our radar with new indications of when it may land.
Respected Japanese Apple blog Macotakara has said that it has received word from "Asian sources" that Apple will launch the device in September or October 2012 which would fit with last year’s arrival of the iPhone 4S.
"According to Asian reliable source, next iPhone will be released in September or October, and this cycle seems to be kept for years," read a translated portion of the report.
If the article proves to be accurate, it would mean the company is returning to the 12-month launch cycles we saw for the first four versions of the beloved device.
Last year's October iPhone 4S launch was the only time Apple has verged from the summer cycle, making users wait 15 months instead of the usual 12 for a new handset.
While the iPhone 4S was more of an evolutionary upgrade, with a faster processor an improved camera and the addition of the Siri voice control app, the iPhone 5 is likely to bring a more revolutionary approach, perhaps with the addition of a 4G LTE internet and a larger screen size.