Remember that slimmer, lighter teardrop-shaped iPhone design that everyone was talking about for so long? According to CNET, it is indeed the iPhone 5, and will be released in Summer of 2012.
It’s only been a short while since the iPhone 4S launch, and it’s pretty amazing (but not surprising) that the rumors are already flowing. The report cites two sources for its claims.
The first source is a research note from analyst Ashok Kumar at Rodman & Renshaw which claims that Steve Jobs was deeply and intimately involved with the next iPhone from start to finish. The note also rattles off the usual redesign rumors, including a slimmer design and a larger screen.
Second, CNET claims to have their own source:
Another source, who I spoke with this week and who claims to have knowledge of the redesign, said the iPhone 5 is a ‘complete redesign. This is a very large project that Steve dedicated all of his time to. He was not that involved in the 4S because his time was limited.’
Most are already expecting that the next iPhone will be a case redesign. With the release of the iPhone 4S, Apple seems to have established a pattern for their releases. A new design (iPhone 3G, 4), and then one with internal improvements (3GS, 4S).
Some have speculated that the redesigned “iPhone 5” that some were expecting Apple to launch this month was actually an early prototype from Foxconn leaked to case manufacturers (hence all the iPhone 5 cases) showing Apple’s next major version of the iPhone.