Apple’s hotly anticipated sixth generation iPhone may be available in the very near future according to some buzz permeating throughout the mobile tech blogosphere. It is highly possible that the Cupertino based company might be in a rush to bring their phone to market due to the success and widespread acclaim for the Samsung Galaxy S III, which released in Canada last month.
According to a KnowYourMobile article published earlier today, the announcement date will be Tuesday, August 7 with the aforementioned article anticipating a release date later that month. Other sources remain skeptical on a release date prior to the September/October timeframe that was originally expected. October 4, 2011 was Tim Cook’s choice for introducing the 4S model and a new product release within a year may leave some 4S owners slightly irked.
As a matter of full disclosure, KnowYourMobile has been wrong in the past when anticipating release dates and thus should have their news taken with a grain of salt. This is even more likely when considering Apple’s notorious secrecy surrounding release dates and product specifics.
Rumours and theories surrounding the phone’s specs have been discussed incessantly over the past months. Our best indicators may just be what competitors are offering with their latest software and products as many have closed the gap on Apple’s current offering. Other than the confirmed size upgrade from 3.5” to 4” retina display, it is highly anticipated that Near Field Communication (NFC) capability will be a part of the phone’s package. NFC has a great deal of potential in the retail and mobile wallet industry and is standard in the Samsung S III.
Thanks to supplier part leaks, other possible changes seem to include a new unibody metal construction to replace the current glass rear panel. The device will also be thinner while featuring a revised user experience.
In terms of software, the device will run Apple’s highly anticipated iOS 6. The updated software includes Apple’s new Google Maps replacement with Siri integration. Updates also include a more complete iTunes version featuring iCloud music sharing as well the potential for deeper Facebook and Twitter integration. The move comes at an exciting time for mobile software, with Androids latest Jellybean and Windows 8 platforms being released in July and October respectively. We will know soon enough whether the release date rumours are indeed true. We will keep you posted.