According to sources at some of the various suppliers for key iPhone components, Apple may be delaying the next iPhone:
Analyst firm Avian Securities said that production of the iPhone 5 won’t begin till September, meaning a holiday launch at the earliest, or even a New Year’s debut.
The note, reported in Business Insider, is based on chats with key component suppliers, which support a consensus view that launch will be either a late 2011 or early 2012 event.
The note adds that a low-spec, low-price iPhone is also on the Apple roadmap, though exactly where on the roadmap is unclear.
This is surely a worrying development for the iPhone elite — not only could such a nano-iPhone divert some components, further pushing back the iPhone 5, but it would mean that “ordinary people” can get their hands on a fondleslab.
My own iPhone 3G is still holding up well (I’m not a particularly abusive owner), but I’ll finally be out of contract with Rogers in August, so the delay in the next iPhone release may increase the chances of me switching to an Android phone instead.
