Apple iPhone 5 Rumors: 15 Brilliant Concept Designs We're Still Hoping For [PICTURES]
We're about a month away from the alleged reveal of the iPhone 5 which will reportedly take place at an Apple media event planned for Wednesday, Sept. 12. But what if every rumor up until now has been fake? What if all of these reports were planted by Apple to throw us off the scent? For more than a year, designers across the Internet have dreamed up their own ideas and concept designs for what they thought Apple should do with the iPhone 5. Who knows? Maybe Apple will actually listen to one of them.Federico Ciccarese returns with another iPhone design, but he calls this one "iPhone Air." The device is extremely thin and features an edge-to-edge design, making it extremely similar to its cousin, the MacBook Air. Courtesy

After a splendid success and extensive coverage of the new iPad, Apple fans are reportedly looking forward to the grand launch event of the next-generation iPhone.

The tech giant is likely to maintain secrecy about its upcoming products. The rumoured features and release date about the iPhone 5 have gone viral on the internet. Probably, riding on its predecessor iPhone 4S's stunning performance, the next iPhone promises to set the stage on fire. The iPhone 4S marked the biggest device launch in the company's history. "The iPhone 5 launch is likely to be one of the most important smartphone product cycles we've seen to date," said Bill Shope, Goldman Sachs analyst.

According to Kotaku, the South Korea's Maeil newspaper published an article about the iPhone 5 release. "We got the order. The release will be around October," said the human resources wing of Foxconn's Taiyuan factory. Additionally, it is reported that the correspondent of the Maeil business newspaper spoke to the human resources head about the hiring process for the production of the next-generation iPhone. "Yes, it is true we are hiring workers in large numbers," said the human resources department.

Check out the top reasons why Apple could prefer an October launch to June:

12-month launch cycle

Apple has maintained a 12-month launch cycle for the first four iPhone versions. The first four versions have been launched in June, except the iPhone 4S which was launched on 14 October. Hence, tech fans had to wait for 15 months to get their hands on the iPhone 4S. This time, the company could launch its next-generation iPhone in October, which makes sense to have the successor of iPhone 4S exactly after 12 months.

iPhone 4S will be nine months old in June

If Apple chooses June to launch the iPhone 5, it could affect the sales of the smartphone which has been a best-seller. Just three days after its launch, four million iPhone 4S pieces were sold.

There will be a gap of nine months between the debut of the next iPhone and the launch of its predecessor which could upset customers who have paid a hefty sum for it. Other than June, Apple could consider October to launch its iPhone.

Qualcomm chip shortage

Qualcomm, the major chip maker, is facing supply issues in meeting the demand for smartphone chips which will continue throughout the rest of the year, according to Reuters. "At this stage we cannot secure enough supply to meet the increasing demand we are experiencing," Chief Executive Paul Jacobs told analysts during a conference call.

Hence, it could be unlikely to produce chips in high volumes for the upcoming iPhone. Gene Munster, Senior Research analyst of Piper Jaffray expects the iPhone to be released in Ocotber and will not only come with a revolutionary newly-designed body but also support LTE and use the Qualcomm 28nm baseband modem.

LTE Coverage

The next-generation iPhone will likely come with LTE feature which will offer support for Verizon and AT&T networks. Both the carriers are currently in the process of launching LTE in different areas. Hence, the process of transforming 3G networks to LTE could be time consuming. October could be opportune for the iPhone 5 release.

12 October Release?

According to Red Rome, the iPhone 5 is likely to be announced during the first week of October. The next-generation iPhone could make its debut on 12 October.

The iPhone 5 is expected to come with liquid metal which could replace glass and making the outer surface of the device smooth like liquid. The features could include 4G LTE connectivity, A5X chip, 3D technology, wireless charging and a smaller dock connector.

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