iPhone 5 Release Date Is Upon Us?

Invitations are here just in time to tease us for the new iPhone 5 release date.  Yes, save the date, Wednesday, September 12, 2012, will mark Apple's special event where all indications point to the unveiling of their next generation iPhone, the new iPhone 5.

According to Jim Dalrymple over at The Loop, the invitation he received "says the event will take place at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts at 10:00 am."

If you haven't had a chance to see what appears to be Apple's next generation iPhone, check out the video below!

iPhone 5 Release Date Delayed?

Yes, as you can imagine, the iPhone 5 rumors are beginning to fly fast and furious and the most recent reports are indicating that there may be some hiccups with the new iPhone 5 release date.

According to 9to5 Mac, it appears that the iPhone 4S (dubbed to be a lower-end iPhone, nearly identical in form to the existing iPhone 4) is moving along nicely through production and should launch in early October (widely expected to be October 7, 2011) and there will be plenty of supply for consumers to get their hands on one.

However, there's a different tune with the new iPhone 5 release date and it appears that this higher-end, newly designed, iPhone 5 is facing potential production delays.

It appears that the tear-drop shaped iPhone 5 with larger screen and thinner, rounder body is seeing continued design and production delays, at least on one assembly line (Apple has multiple production sources – Pegatron, Foxconn, etc). We therefore think that iPhone 5 will be delayed slightly at the very least and may see shortages all the way into 2012. - Source 9to5 Mac

With that said, and as usual, stay tuned as more of this story will certainly unfold since we're getting awfully close to the new iPhone release date - whatever it turns out to be!

Sprint iPhone 5 Release Date

Reports have now surfaced that Sprint will be a part of the iPhone 5 release date.  Yes, it does appear that Sprint will be launching the new iPhone 5:

"Sprint Nextel Corp. will begin selling the iPhone 5 in mid-October, people familiar with the matter said, closing a huge hole in the No. 3 U.S. carrier’s lineup and giving Apple Inc. another channel for selling its popular phone. The timing, however, indicates Apple’s new iPhone will hit the market later than expected and too late to contribute to sales in the company’s fiscal fourth quarter, which ends in September. Most observers had expected the device to arrive next month. Top U.S. carrier Verizon Wireless and No. 2 AT&T Inc. will begin selling the phone in mid-October as well, two of the people said. Sprint had more than 52 million subscribers at the end of the second quarter, compared with 106 million for Verizon and nearly 99 million for AT&T." - Source: Wall Street Journal

For some time now, rumors have been circulating that Apple would be releasing new iPhones across all major carriers.  It only makes sense that Apple would choose this path in consideration of the inroads Google has made with their Android operating system on the smartphone market share.

Competition is the name of the game and you can bet Apple will do whatever they can to remain competitve.  In the past, they've been able to remain competitive since the iPhone was a far superior device.  Now, there are many top Android smartphones, across all of the major carriers, that are offering similar smartphone experiences.

No doubt, Sprint customers will be happy with this announcement as were many Verizon customers who anxiously awaited the new iPhone arrival on their network!

iPhone 5 Video Rumors - What to Expect?

Check out this iPhone 5 video. As the iPhone 5 rumors and leaks continue to fly, this iPhone 5 video has some nice renditions of what the iPhone 5 release date may bring.

Courtesy of Nowhereelse.fr, this iPhone 5 video also attaches percentages to the likelihood of seeing some of the most popular next generation iPhone rumors coming to fruition.

I'm hoping the next generation iPhone has a bigger screen, I'm not going to argue with it being thinner, and I wouldn't miss the home button. Of course, improved iPhone battery life would be a bonus, too!

iPhone 5 Release Date News - Verizon Moving iPhone 4 Accessories

The latest iPhone 5 release date news, rumors, and speculation comes from a tipster who alerted Phone Arena (a tech blog) that Verizon wireless is beginning to discount iPhone 4 accessories.  If the tipster's leak is found to be credible, then that would indicate that Verizon wireless is looking to move inventory of iPhone 4 accessories (ahead of the next generation iPhone release date) to make room for the next generation iPhone accessories.

Latest Rumors Pointing Towards an iPhone 5 Release Date?

This latest iPhone rumor would also indicate that we may be looking at an iPhone 5 release date instead of the potential iPhone 4S release date we've been hearing a buzz about lately.

If you're not up to speed with the latest iPhone rumors, recent speculation has been hinting that Apple has been having issues with an overheating A5 chip (supposed next generation iPhone processor).

Consequently, an iPhone 5 release date (bringing with it a newly redesigned iPhone) has been put off and would be replaced by an iPhone 4S release date (a minor update to the existing iPhone 4).

However, if Verizon wireless is truly discounting iPhone 4 accessories, then you'd have to believe they're making room for new iPhone accessories that would accomadate a new iPhone design.  Otherwise, similar to the iPhone 3 to iPhone 3GS upgrade, the existing iPhone 4 accessories would fit the rumored iPhone 4S and, as a result, Verizon's existing iPhone 4 accessories wouldn't need to be blown out to make room for the next gen iPhone accessories.

Next Generation iPhone Release Date Timing

Whatever surprises are in store for us when the next generation iPhone launches, most iPhone rumors are still pointing towards an early September next generation iPhone release date in the U.S. while a next generation iPhone release date would occur a month later Internationally.

Stay tuned for more iPhone rumors as they will be surely making the rounds, sooner rather than later, as the next gen iPhone release date nears.  This far along in the process, it's nearly impossible to keep the iPhone leaks from coming.

If an iPhone release date is looming, Apple has already alterted their vendors to important deadlines and vendors are most certainly actively involved (and have been actively involved) in getting the next generation iPhone and next gen iPhone accessories to market.

More iPhone 5 Rumors Point Towards a Delayed Launch Date

Yes, more iPhone 5 rumors are hitting the blogosphere and there's no doubt many more iPhone rumors will be on the way in consideration of the growing speculation that the iPhone 5 release date will be delayed well past what's become Apple's typical June / July iPhone release date.

The latest iPhone 5 rumor, courtesy of MacRumors, only adds fuel to the speculation that the iPhone 5 release date will be delayed until later this year.

"One MacRumors reader has, however, received word from an AT&T customer care representative that Apple has officially informed the carrier that there will be no new iPhone released in the usual June-July timeframe.

The disclosure came after the reader noticed that his eligibility date for a subsidized upgrade had been pushed back by over five months and contacted AT&T to inquire about the reason for the change. As part of a response outlining AT&T's criteria for determining upgrade eligibility dates, the agent reportedly offered the following statement as fact:

'Apple has informed us that they do not plan to release the iPhone in the June to July timeframe, though there will be a newer version in the future. Unfortunately, we have not been given a release time for the new phone. We will release this information on our website when it is available to us.'"

Even though most of the credible iPhone 5 rumors being leaked point towards a Fall iPhone release date, it's very possible that the new iPhone 5 release date could be delayed into the 2011 Holiday Season.  Either way, it's becoming increasingly doubtful that a new iPhone 5 launch date will take place in the early summer.  If you're on AT&T and are patiently waiting for the new iPhone 5, it looks like you will have to wait some more.  And, adding to the rumor mill, if the new iPhone 5 rumors are correct, and it doesn't launch until later this year, you may be better off waiting a few months longer for the rumored iPhone 6 release date and the new redesign that's supposed to come with it!

Yes, our hands are going to be full dealing with the new iPhone 5 or 6 rumors.  To get caught up to speed on some of the most recent iPhone 5 / 6 speculation, check out our iPhone posts (links included immediately below) and our thoughts on why Apple, outside of potential IOS 5 software or hardware supply delays, might be purposely looking towards pushing out the new iPhone 5 launch date.

• iPhone 5 Release Date
• iPhone 5 Release Date Update
• iPhone 6 Release Date Rumors

iPhone 5 Release Date Update

The iPhone 5 release date rumors have been all over the place with reports coming from nearly every corner of the blogosphere in regards to when the new iPhone 5 will be released.

Reuters is now chiming in with a report that the iPhone 5 release date will be sometime this summer.

"Apple's next-generation iPhone will have a faster processor and will begin shipping in September, three people with direct knowledge of the company's supply chain said."

Their report is also suggesting that the new iPhone 5 will go into production in July or August and it will, by and large, look similar to the form factor of an iPhone 4.

As we've come to expect from recent Apple iPhone launches, the iPhone 5 rumor mill is in overdrive and should continue to be as Spring fades into Summer!

As the iPhone 5 rumors currently sit, it looks like the standard June / July iPhone launch will be delayed (which would correspond to earlier claims from the Loop that the new iPhone 5 release date would be delayed) and the iPhone 5 will simply be a refresh of the iPhone 4.

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.