Apple hints at iPhone 5 on invite to Sept 12 event

The Telegraph

Apple has invited media to an event in San Francisco on September 12. 

Apple has issued invites to a special event in San Francisco next week at which it is expected to unveil the next iPhone.

The black-and-white invite says "It's almost here" and shows a large number 12, casting a shadow in the shape of a 5. The 5 could mean that Apple will call its new iPhone the iPhone 5.

Apple's event will take place at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco at 10am (6pm, UK time) on Wednesday, September 12. The Yerba Buena has been used for Apple launch events before, including for the release of the third-generation iPad in March this year.

Though Apple never reveals details of forthcoming products, rumours from multiple sources have provided a picture of what the new iPhone is likely to include. The new handset is likely to be significantly redesigned, with a thinner, metal, case and a taller, but not wider, screen.

Part of the reason the phone is expected to be thinner is a new screen design that integrates the touch layer of the phone with the display itself. In a move that is likely to exasperate those with a lot of docks, chargers and other accessories, Apple is also thought to be ditching the familiar dock connector from this handset, in favour of a smaller version.

The announcement of the new handset will also mean that the release date will be set for iOS 6, the new version of Apple's mobile operating system, which was first announced at the company's WWDC event in San Francisco in June.

September has traditionally been the time that Apple updates its iPod range ready for Christmas and, though the iPod has declined in significance in recent years, it is possible that next week's event could see an improved iPod touch and an upgrade for the iPod Nano.

One thing that is considered unlikely is the announcement of a smaller version of the iPad. A 7-inch 'mini iPad' is coming this autumn, according to several reports, but most rumours point to a separate launch event for that device, probably some time next month.

Apple's new iPhone will arrive at a time when competition in the smartphone arena has never been more fierce. The company's biggest rival, Samsung, has already set out its major products - the Galaxy S3 mobile phone and the larger Galaxy Note. Nokia and Microsoft are expected to unveil new Windows Phone 8 handsets in New York tomorrow, just hours before a joint announcement in the same city by Motorola and Google.

HTC is also thought to be planning an event to announce new handsets later this month.


This article originally appeared on The Telegraph by Shane Richmond: Apple hints at iPhone 5 on invite to Sept 12 event


My Take:

Interestingly, based on the invite (you can see it in the image above), it looks like this device will in fact be called the "iPhone 5." The shadow of the number twelve is actually not a twelve but a five.