iPhone 5 Release Date

The rumor mill has had the iPhone 5 release date pegged for June or July 2011.  However, "The Loop" is now reporting that the iPhone 5 release date may not happen on Apple's traditional early summer product cycle release this year:

My sources said today that rumors of an iPhone 5 release at the end of June were completely false. -- The Loop

At this point, nothing should surprise us when it comes to Apple.  Yes, their iPhone product cycle release has become a bit predictable and Apple likes to be anything but predictable when it comes to bringing product to the market.  At a certain point, you also have to wonder if it's even feasible for Apple to remain competitive in the smartphone market if they're only going to update the iPhone once a year.

Android smartphones, for good reason and in a relatively short period of time, have become very popular with the consumer and are increasingly becoming extremely competitive when compared to the iPhone. In fact, at this point, some tech gurus would argue that Android smartphones are already surpassing the iPhone if you're willing to look past the polish and Android OS fragmentation.  "There's an App for that ..." could now be referring to the Android Market, too!

Adding further fuel to the fire, since there are countless smartphone manufacturers developing cell phone handsets powered by Google's Android, the competition is clearly resulting in the tech envelop being pushed to the limit.  There's no doubt that the Android vs iPhone debate can now be taken seriously and Apple has to be feeling this pressure.  They certainly didn't make it to the top of the hill by ignoring the obvious!

So, if you're holding off on purchasing a new Verizon iPhone 4 or a new AT&T iPhone 4, you may need to rethink your decision in case the rumor mill's got it right and there won't be an iPhone 5 release date to look forward to this summer!

Stay tuned as more iPhone 5 rumors will most certainly be hitting the tech wire in the days and weeks to come.