For Apple fanboys, 10 September is the big day when the Cupertino-tech giant will launch the next version of its iPhone, which has been named as the ‘iPhone 5S’ by media and tech analysts for now.
The date was first reported by techblog AllThingsD’s Ina Fried who quoted sources close to the company. Apple has not however, confirmed the launch date as 10 September. iPhone 5 was launched on 12 September by Apple.
Apple won’t just be launching the ‘iPhone 5S’ but will release iOS 7, the latest build of its popular operating for mobiles and tablets. Apple’s iOS 7 was first shown off during the company’s annual developer conference and is currently available for developers.
With the launch of the next version of the iPhone, the biggest question is whether Apple will finally offer something new to customers? According to the latest numbers from research firm IDC, Apple shipped around 31.2 million iPhones and its market share for Q2 of 2013 was 13.2 percent, 3 percentage points lower than what it was in Q2 of 2012. The report also noted that since there was no product launch from the company for nearly a year, Apple was vulnerable to losing its market share to the competition.
Apple’s iPhone 5 is seen in this file photo. AFP
“But with a new iPhone and revamped iOS coming out later this year, Apple is well-positioned to re-capture market share,” said Ramon Llamas, Research Manager with IDC’s Mobile Phone team.
Apple is also likely to launch a cheaper iPhone, which was been dubbed as the iPhone 5 lite and could come with a plastic casing. The device is expected to be cheaper and could which could give a serious boost to Apple’s shipment numbers if it is launched quickly in developing markets like India and China.
There have been numerous reports all based from supplier sources regarding the cheaper iPhone.
Reuters reported in June that Apple is exploring launching iPhones with bigger screens, as well as cheaper models in a range of colors, over the next year. The report said that Apple is looking at introducing at least two bigger iPhones — one with a 4.7-inch screen and one with a 5.7-inch screen but there’s a good chance that these will only be release in 2014.
A recent report by the China Labour Watch also confirmed that workers at Apple supplier Petagron which is based in China were working on an iPhone with a plastic backcover. The report was gathered between March and July of this year, so there’s a good chance that this phone could be launched along with the high-end iPhone.
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