AT&T Customer Service Rep Says No iPhone 5 Before Late Summer

A customer service representative from AT&T has told a subscriber that the next-generation iPhone won't be out in early summer. This fits in with a number of earlier reports that indicate that Apple has delayed the release its next smartphone.

The subscriber asked the AT&T rep about when he would qualify for a subsidized upgrade to Apple's next smartphone, and was told:

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.

The employees that companies use to work with the public aren't always given the most accurate information about upcoming products. Sometimes, however, they can be a valuable source of information not otherwise available. Nevertheless, anything they say about un-announced devices should be taken with a gain of salt.

A Familiar Story
Apple has put out a new iPhone model in early to mid summer every year since 2007. This year, however, quite a number of analysts and news agencies have predicted that the launch of the iPhone 5 is going to be later than that. These predictions are all based on conversations with parts makers in Asia who are supposedly providing components for this upcoming smartphone.

The annual Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) has been scheduled for June of this year, and this company says this event will have "a preview of the future of iOS", the operating system that runs the iPhone. As Apple is only promising a preview, some are thinking that the release of iOS 5 also won't be happening until several months after this event. 

Other iPhone 5 Details
Although Apple has yet to say anything official about its next handset, am array of unofficial sources have given the world an advanced look at this device. Many of these agree that the iPhone 5 is going to have a larger screen, but without this change increasing the overall size of the device. There have even been a few images supposedly showing this new configuration.

Most sources agree that this model is going to be based on the Apple A5 1 GHz dual-core processor, as the company has allegedly begun giving some developers iPhone 4 models running this chip to allow them to test their apps. Another feature allegedly included is an 8-megapixel camera, an upgrade from the current 5MP one. NFC (Near Field Communications) will also likely be included, and there has been some speculation that this device will be able to connect to 4G LTE networks.

Source