Apple’s next-gen ‘iPhone 5S‘ has been the subject of a heap of recent rumors and speculation – but there haven’t been many specific claims about exactly when it will launch, or when components and finished devices might begin shipping. A new report from DigiTimes, however, claims that components for the device will begin shipping in May, ahead of a Q3 2013 public launch.
Components for the next-generation iPhone will start shipping at the end of May with the new smartphone to have a chance of showing up in the third quarter, according to sources from the upstream supply chain.
The new iPhone will not receive a major upgrade and may just be a slightly enhanced version of iPhone 5 (iPhone 5S), the sources said citing their latest specification data. Meanwhile, there are also rumors stating that Apple also plans to release an iPhone model using plastic chassis to push its global smartphone market share, the sources added.
The report cites sources within Apple’s supply chain, and also notes, as expected, that the “iPhone 5S’ will not be a major redesign, but will instead be an incremental sort of upgrade, much as the iPhone 4S was to the iPhone 4. It will, however, receive a significantly “higher end processor, as well as higher-megapixel camera modules.”
While DigiTimes’ track record is anything but spotless, the report does echo previous reliable rumors suggesting a mid-to-late summer launch for Apple’s next-gen headset. Among the more notable claims is one from the highly accurate Rene Ritchie of iMore, who claimed that the device would be launched in August, and one from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that DigiTimes is probably right in this case.
