iPhone 5, 4S Rumors Compete Ahead of Apple Announcement
Apple will be announcing new iPhones on Tuesday, October 4. However, how new is "new"? At first, it was presumed that the announcement would involve a brand-new iPhone 5. However, it's now reported that the next version will be the iPhone 4S, a revamped iPhone 4 in 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB models.
MacRumors shared photos supporting the iPhone 5 theory, with AT&T stores getting new handset cases which are labeled "iPhone 5". MacRumors cautions us not to read too much into inventory-item names, since placeholders are common.
"iPhone 5" could just be a presumption, matching a new (or newish) handset to the already-confirmed iOS5. What everyone's calling the iPhone 5 could just be the iPhone 4S, which would have internal changes while keeping the iPhone 4 form factor.
Meanwhile, the existing iPhone 4 would still be available, but only with a reduced storage capacity and marketed as the cheap or budget iPhone option.
This iPhone announcement breakdown shows the possibilities, including a newly-designed iPhone 5 with a teardrop profile. We're not convinced, since holding that thing sideways would be awkward and unbalanced.
iOS5: WIll it Run on an iPhone 4S, or an iPhone 5?
Also, as 9to5Mac points out, there's no actual evidence for an iPhone 5 redesign.
Even many retailers don't know which iPhones will be announced: this is why working with Apple is such a pain in the ass. You're always playing "guess the loss leader".
Speaking of loss leaders, another rumor is that Sprint is making a huge bet with the iPhone in a deal with apple that won't see the mobile provider turn a buck from the deal until 2014. This one seems unlikely to us.
One other rumor that caught our ear was that Apple will be phasing out the iPod Classic and the iPod Shuffle, keeping only the Nano and the Touch.
