Apple may return to its summer launch cycle with the next handset

Oct 18, 2011 11:41 GMT  ·  By

You might want to think twice before investing in the iPhone 4S if you live in one of those countries that always gets it last because there’s some chatter about the iPhone 5 launching next summer, not fall.

The iPhone 5 is said to have been Steve Jobs’ final project, with a different team working on the iPhone 4S.

Apple had indeed planned a summer 2011 launch for the phone but instead delayed the release because of some software troubles occurring back in February, according to analyst reports.

Now BGR is connecting the dots from two such stories to report that Apple’s iPhone 5 may well be on track for a summer 2012 launch, not fall 2012 as many have speculated.

Apple holds its Worldwide Developers Conference every other summer. The company has traditionally used the event to launch its new iPhones. That tradition ended with this year's WWDC that focused only on software announcements and demonstrations.

WWDC 2012 may finally see Apple return to its summer iPhone refresh cycle.

While the iPhone 4S features an identical design to that of the iPhone 4, the phone’s internals are heavily upgraded, making it a must have for die-hard Apple fans.

The iPhone 5, on the other hand, is not only expected to pack hardware that would rival a netbook (not that they stood a chance anyway), but also a killer design.

Accessory manufacturers who took the plunge and created protective cases for Apple’s fifth-generation handset have painted a clear picture of what Apple has in mind for next year, if the specs they got are indeed accurate.

According to these leaks, the phone will have a teardrop design with a tapered back shell likely made of metal (as opposed to glass in the current iPhone), and a bigger display that goes edge to edge leaving little to no room for a bezel.

The phone would obviously incorporate one of the faster A-series processors, probably a quad-core A6 that is rumored to go into production at Samsung.

All this is still utter speculation for now, but it’s worth covering these things just in case they pan out.