Rumor: AT&T employee blackout dates point to iPhone 5 release at end of Sept.
AT&T employees have allegedly been prohibited from taking vacation during the last two weeks of September, a move that may signal the timing of the next iPhone release, according to an unconfirmed report.
An tipster claiming to be an AT&T employee told Gizmodo on Friday that Apple's launch of the next iPhone is expected to occur at the end of September. However, the publication has listed the report as "unconfirmed," joking that readers should take the rumor with a "pint" of salt because it concerns Apple.
"I'm an att employee and my boss just announced that vacation requests for the end of september will be denied due to an "event blackout". Historically the only time they've done this was for an iphone release. So we're looking at the last two weeks of september," the tipster wrote in an email.
Those dates do align with recent reports that have narrowed down September as Apple's supposed timeframe for the next-generation handset. A separate alleged source within AT&T claimed earlier this week the wireless operator has warned employees to expect increased foot traffic in September ahead of a launch during the middle of the month.
Another report earlier this week also put forth the second week of September as the launch window for the iPhone 5, adding that the initial shipment is expected to total four million units. Bloomberg reported in June that the iPhone 5 is due out in September, though it did not specifically state when in the month the device would arrive.
During a quarterly earnings call last week, Apple itself indicated that it will undergo a "future product transition" during the September quarter, prompting speculation that the mystery product is in fact the iPhone 5.
Apple's next smartphone is expected to receive the A5 processor that made its debut in the iPad 2, a dual-mode baseband chip from Qualcomm that would support both GSM and CDMA networks, and an 8-megapixel camera.
An tipster claiming to be an AT&T employee told Gizmodo on Friday that Apple's launch of the next iPhone is expected to occur at the end of September. However, the publication has listed the report as "unconfirmed," joking that readers should take the rumor with a "pint" of salt because it concerns Apple.
"I'm an att employee and my boss just announced that vacation requests for the end of september will be denied due to an "event blackout". Historically the only time they've done this was for an iphone release. So we're looking at the last two weeks of september," the tipster wrote in an email.
Those dates do align with recent reports that have narrowed down September as Apple's supposed timeframe for the next-generation handset. A separate alleged source within AT&T claimed earlier this week the wireless operator has warned employees to expect increased foot traffic in September ahead of a launch during the middle of the month.
Another report earlier this week also put forth the second week of September as the launch window for the iPhone 5, adding that the initial shipment is expected to total four million units. Bloomberg reported in June that the iPhone 5 is due out in September, though it did not specifically state when in the month the device would arrive.
During a quarterly earnings call last week, Apple itself indicated that it will undergo a "future product transition" during the September quarter, prompting speculation that the mystery product is in fact the iPhone 5.
Apple's next smartphone is expected to receive the A5 processor that made its debut in the iPad 2, a dual-mode baseband chip from Qualcomm that would support both GSM and CDMA networks, and an 8-megapixel camera.
Comments
My 3GS contract is up... I'm ready.
Why would we... trust anything Gizmodo says?
^----- THIS +1. Seems everything they've been saying lately has been way off the mark and / or a bash against apple.
With that being said, there seem to be other rumors pointing to September, we'll see.
Just bring it....
My 3GS contract is up... I'm ready.
So is mine. I am really ready for the new iPhone to come out!
Then we'll see iCloud and iOS 5 the following week or one after with the new iPhone in the US, and then internationally a week or two after that (like the iPad 2 rollout).
Which will mean mid-September in the US, late-September everywhere else.
As for iPads/iPod touches/other iPods... I have no idea whether they'd roll out same time, or in October. (and of course the likelihood of a new iPad is low).
These reports are very conflicting. I think Apple will have their music event the first week of September as usual and tell us everything they're releasing.
No, I think they'll have it the Tuesday after the BTS special ends like they normally do.
Then we'll see iCloud and iOS 5 the following week or one after
Fall doesn't end until December 21, you know.
As for iPads/iPod touches/other iPods... I have no idea whether they'd roll out same time, or in October. (and of course the likelihood of a new iPad is low).
iPod family in September. Every year. So they'll be at whatever the September event is.
Apple's next smartphone is expected to receive the A5 processor that made its debut in the iPad 2, a dual-mode baseband chip from Qualcomm that would support both GSM and CDMA networks, and an 8-megapixel camera.
[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]
The last GSM iPhone was the original iPhone from 2007. Ever since then, up until the Verizon CDMA iPhone, they have been W-CDMA/UMTS iPhones with GSM capability (dual band chip) with the UMTS the default and GSM there for fallback to areas that don't have 3G coverage.
So lets's not talk about GSM iPhones. Lets talk about UMTS and a dual UMTS/CDMA-EVDO chip allowing for a single sku to cover both systems.
UMTS uses the same or a compatible control/command layer as GSM, but the signaling part is totally different. So UMTS is the way that most GSM providers used to upgrade their networks to 3G. And why most carriers using UMTS have a GSM network to fall back on.
However, not all UMTS networks out there are upgrades from a GSM network. Both SoftBank and NTT DoCoMo in Japan, for example, run UMTS for 3G but never ran GSM. Providers in Korea and elsewhere are in the same boat. And they have the so-called "GSM" iPhone even though they don't run now, and have never run, GSM networks.
iOS 5 is scheduled to release then, and it makes perfect sense to me that Apple will do a multi-point release/announcement, like they just did with Lion + MBA + Mac Mini + 27" CD… rolling out the Thunderbolt and i5/i7 families, and generating huge buzz…
I expect we'll see the iOS 5 release alongside an iPhone 5 + iPhone 4S and/or "iPhone lite" (lower-cost prepaid service phone?)… the new iPhone lineup will surely be dependent on the iOS 5 release schedule, much as the recent Mac upgrades timed with Lion's release…
I see strategic patterns evolving here… akin to the Apple-release Tuesdays.
Verizon too I assume? Or will it be staggered once again. Does att still have first bids I guess is my question.
Well, given that it's going to be one model of phone for both carriers, I'd say that Verizon will PROBABLY get it at the same time.
Well, given that it's going to be one model of phone for both carriers, I'd say that Verizon will PROBABLY get it at the same time.
And of course, there are always the rumors about T-Mobile and Sprint getting the phone this time around. Being on Sprint, I definitely hope so as I'm in the market for a phone.
Wow, the iPhone is already up to version 5. Is that about the time Steve gets bored and wants to move on to the Next Big Thing?
LOL. These things don't exactly follow a regular schedule.
LOL. These things don't exactly follow a regular schedule.
Except the 'one model a year for the past four years' schedule. Same as the iPods and iPad.