iPhone 5 Delayed Until 2012 – Report

With the Apple Worldwide Developer Conference coming up in a few short months, we were all getting ready for a peak at the iPhone 5, but alas if reports are to be believed, we could be waiting a little longer than we had hoped.

In a post on LoopInsight, Jim Dalrymple writes that this year’s WWDC will be a software-only affair. That means no iPhone 5 folks.

Apple’s apparent focus on software in its WWDC announcement backs up what my own sources are saying about the annual conference. That is, expect a software show in 2011, not a hardware event.

Dalrymple is usually fairly accurate and we have no reason to doubt his sources, though we sure hope he’s off this time around.

With Apple’s focus on software this time around, along with the company’s SVP Phil Schiller saying we’re in for some iOS goodness then it’s a certainty we will at least get to see a new version of iOS – hopefully iOS 5. Fingers crossed for some great new features this time around. That means new notifications, Mr Schiller!

If we’re not going to see an iPhone 5 any time soon though, when will we see it? 9to5Mac speculates it could be as late as 2012. Citing the often-accurate Macotakara website, 9to5Mac claims Apple is yet to start final manufacturing runs of its next iPhone, with that not expected to happen until late 2011 at the earliest.

According to Chinese sources, had been rumored to be announced for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011 iPhone 5, it does not begin to manufacture the parts, the launch seems to be lost in fiscal 2012.

This would signal a move away from the usual iPhone release cycle, but could actually make sense. With the Verizon iPhone just a couple of months old and the white iPhone 4 expected next month it could make sense for Apple to push iPhone 5 back. Of course, that doesn’t help all us iPhone 4 owners from last year!

Let’s see what WWDC brings us before we get too carried away….

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