14 DAY TRIAL // According to Japan’s Nikkei, the next-generation of Apple iPhones is hitting store shelves on September 20 in the land of the rising sun.
The Japanese-language report suggests Apple has already handpicked the initial markets for the launch of its two new iPhones, and Japan is getting the phones on Friday, September 20.
Carrying the devices will be SoftBank and KDDI, two of Japan’s biggest mobile operators.
Don’t mistake the September 20 launch date (which remains unconfirmed) with the September 10 event (also rumored for now) during which Apple is set to showcase the two phones.
The iPhone 5C (for those of you who’ve been living under a rock for the past few months), is said to be Apple’s low-end iPhone featuring a plastic body and specs comparable to those of the iPhone 5.
The 5S is expected to boast a metallic chassis with a fingerprint sensor underneath its Home button, a better camera, a dual-LED flash, and (perhaps) more enhancements. Both phones will ship with iOS 7 pre-installed.
Apple generally deploys its new iPhones only in a few select countries in the first weeks following a refresh.
The company then gradually rolls out the devices to more countries as yield rates improve, while the markets with the most purchase power get saturated.
China is on Apple’s bucket list this year, as the country’s biggest wireless operator (China Mobile) and the Cupertino giant are said to be reaching an agreement, at long last.
China Mobile has over 700 million subscribers on its network and some analysts have projected multi-billion dollar revenues for Apple, should the deal between the two companies materialize.
Apple is likely to price the iPhone 5S at the same price points as it did with previous-generation iPhones, whereas the iPhone 5C is expected to sell for much less.