iPhone 5 & iPhone 4S Coming in September?
Two new and distinctly different iPhones may be released this September, according to a new analyst report. Yes two iPhones, both an iPhone 5 and a lower cost iPhone 4S, are now expected to be launched this fall, presumably alongside iOS 5.
If this is true, the two new iPhone models might spec out something like this:
iPhone 4S: lower end model aimed at prepaid and emerging markets
- Priced around $349 or lower (past reports suggest as low as $200)
- Unlocked
- No-contract required
- Pre-paid voice and data plans
- Hardware based on existing iPhone 4
iPhone 5: upper end model with contract subsidy, powerful CPU, and the latest features
- Dual-core A5 CPU borrowed from iPad 2
- Potentially larger 4″ screen
- 8MP camera
The dual-iPhone report comes from Deutsche Bank by way of Fortune & CNN, with a substantial caveat being the analyst “does not cite any sources or claim any inside knowledge for his two-iPhone theory.” Sources or not, Apple’s own COO Tim Cook has publicly stated they are interested in the prepaid market, and many other news agencies have long reported on a cheaper iPhone going into production.
If this is true, it may go a long way to explain the dual set of rumors that have long floated around which have confused just about everyone, one centered around the all-new iPhone 5 which is said to be full of a bunch of new features, and another focused on the iPhone 4S which is said to be a marginal upgrade based on the existing iPhone 4.
This news comes not long after Bloomberg seemed to clarify that an iPhone 5 was scheduled for September. Where there’s smoke there’s fire, a new iPhone (or two) is definitely coming.
Note: the attached picture is an artists rendering of the iPhone 5 based on rumors.