UPDATE: Check out the latest leaked photos of the gold iPhone 5S here.
The iPhone 5S release date is September 10. At least, that’s the day tech junkies and Apple loyalists have marked their calendars despite the fact that Apple has yet to verify it. And while seemingly everyone is gearing up for a release sometime this autumn, new insight into the flagship handset’s specs along with leaked photos confirm that if nothing else, Apple is not done surprising the world with its new iPhone 5S.
With speculations circulating and rumors running rampant, it can often be hard to distinguish fact from fiction when it comes to the next-generation iPhone. Conflicting reports aside, Apple is notorious for keeping a lid tightly sealed on all of the juicy details of whatever they’re working on over in Cupertino. To curtail some of the noise, here’s everything you need to know about specs, shipments, price, colors, and versions.
Release Date
Likely the most important iPhone 5S aspect people are paying attention to, the release date is tentatively scheduled for September 10. Unlike Samsung who is announcing its Galaxy Note III smartphone a day prior to the IFA electronics expo in Berlin, Apple won’t have some kind of showcase to use a backdrop for its latest devices. Rather Apple will host a press event reminiscent of the kind of display Steve Jobs used to emcee, in which CEO Tim Cook will take the stage alongside other execs and introduce a collection of gadgets.
As of now, fans and users should expect the iPhone 5S, low-cost iPhone 5C, iPad with Retina display and iPad mini, and iOS 7 to debut. People need to keep in mind, though, that this the Sept 10 release date and the subsequent gadgets warming up in the on deck circle are merely widely accepted rumors with no validation coming on the end of Apple. Still, rumors like these have a penchant to become reality so stay tuned for confirmation from Apple.
On Track
A report by fan blog Apple Insider notes that Apple is gearing up to ship 5.2 million iPhone 5S devices and 8.4 million iPhone 5C devices, both on track for September 10. This new suggestion contradicts prior reports of separate releases and launches due to poor yields, but it looks as though Apple has nothing to worry about and is sitting pretty, at least according to the source.
The article cites KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who predicts “the ‘iPhone 5C’ is not expected to become the best selling iPhone. Kuo expects Apple to be able to increase ‘iPhone 5S’ shipments by 438 percent in the holiday 2013 quarter, reaching 28 million units in the three-month span.” So essentially, Apple should be able to meet the initial consumer demands for the iPhone 5S as well as budget-friendly iPhone 5C and provide for what is expected to be a huge sales jump once the handsets go live.
Replacements?
It’s been tossed around that Apple’s iPhone 5C could replace either the current-generation iPhone 5 or possible past version of the iPhone 4 and 4S. A report back in July by similar fan site Mac rumors forecasted the former while Apple Insider recently lamented the latter. But why?
The same way a sports team has to cut any redundancies on their roster to make room for a newcomer, Apple doesn’t have space in its current lineup for both a medium-range smartphone and past versions. It actually makes some sense when you think about it. The iPhone 5C is thought to render all past versions nearly obsolete since it’s assumed to run a scaled-back iOS 7 while boasting a plastic shell. Pulling a move like this is nothing new for Apple as its loyal user-base will remember last year when the electronics giant made a similar move in discontinuing its third-generation iPad in favor of the fourth-generation after only 221 days on the retail shelves.
Specs
Seemingly, every day some new idea of what’s under the hood of the iPhone 5S makes the rounds. Recently, though, it’s come to light that Apple is planning some big things for the 5S. And the fact that what we’re learning is only scratching the surface of what’ll be unveiled this fall makes these developments even more exciting.
At the end of last week leaked photos of a gold iPhone surfaced, alluding to the fact that Apple is planning on expanding its palette of the usual black and white. Even better is that along with the images came reports of the phone carrying up to 128GB of internal storage along with a new 64-bit A7 processing chip. This is certainly a step up from the A6 which produces less wireless bandwidth. As for what else we know, both iPhones will carry a 4-inch IGZO display, a 12MP rear-facing camera, dual-LED flash with /2.0 lens, and a convex home button used to house an authentication fingerprint sensor. But a new article today thinks the home button will remain concave so be weary. Keep an eye out for 16Gb and 32GB variants and, of course, iOS 7 and all of the features it has to offer.
Price
Just as important as availability is price, which is also probably the most disputed facet of either iPhone. The price range currently in talks amongst the internet for the iPhone 5C is $349 worth 16GB of internal storage, $449 for 32GB of storage, and $559 for 64GB. To put it in perspective, a 16GB iPhone 5 carried by either AT&T, Sprint, or Verizon goes for just $199 with a two year contract from Apple’s website.
Keep in mind, though, that the iPhone 5C price points above are without a contract subsidy, so the device is likely to be priced on major cell carriers at around $99. Look for the iPhone 5S to cost somewhere in the neighborhood of the current iPhone, though likely to be slightly more expensive.
Bottom Line
Apple has pretty much said nothing about every single detail mentioned above, though everything was gathered from inside sources and leaked details. Anything of Apple’s that’s revealed prior to its launches is usually only the tip of the iceberg so be sure to stay tuned to BostInno for the latest details. Surely Apple has plenty left up its sleeve to satisfy those who thinks that what they’ve heard is what they’ll get so just remember that we won’t know anything with the utmost certainty until the press event is actually underway.
