Rumor: Apple's 'iPhone 6' to launch on Oct. 14 as part of 'busy month'
Adding to rumors and speculation surrounding Apple's highly anticipated "iPhone 6" debut, a questionable report on Thursday claims the company will be releasing the handset on Oct. 14, one month after an unveiling in September.
According to a person with knowledge of an Apple Store meeting, MacRumors reports Apple is planning to announce the next-generation iPhone 6 at an event scheduled for Sept. 16, to be followed by an initial rollout on Oct. 14.
Both dates fall on a Tuesday, a day Apple traditionally saves for major announcements, not product releases. For example, last year's iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c debuted at a special event on Tuesday, Sept. 10, while the iPad Air was announced a month later on Tuesday, Oct. 22.
The Oct. 14 date is highly suspect given Apple's track record in launching iPhone products on Fridays, but the source claims Apple wants to push release up earlier in the week due to high consumer demand and access to a more than adequate cache of devices thanks to a huge production ramp-up.
Since the first iPhone debuted in 2007, however, every model has hit store shelves on a Friday save for the iPhone 4, which was released on Thursday, June 24, 2010. Further, the supposed month-long wait between the reported iPhone 6 announcement and sale date is questionable, as Apple usually releases iPhone models one week after a reveal. It also goes against the source's claims of plentiful handset supply.
Thursday's report adds to the growing pile of release date rumors first kicked off in May when German cellular carrier Deutsche Telekom began telling customers to prepare for a Friday, Sept. 19 launch date. The rumor was echoed by Chinese Internet company Tencent in June, but days later a separate report claimed Apple would start sales on Thursday, Sept. 25.
In addition to the iPhone 6, today's report claims Apple will have an "incredibly busy" October, possibly suggesting other product launches. The source failed to elaborate on the comment.
Apple is expected to launch two redesigned iPhone models for the 2014 product cycle -- 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch versions -- with many anticipating a slimmed-down profile, advanced components like an "A8" processor and possibly more onboard storage. A supposed iPhone 6 logic board leak last week suggested the inclusion of 802.11ac Wi-Fi and NFC support, though the rumor has gone unsubstantiated.
Most recently, a report on Tuesday threw cold water on much-ballyhooed speculation that the iPhone 6 will feature a sapphire display, saying production difficulties are standing in the way of a large-scale rollout.
According to a person with knowledge of an Apple Store meeting, MacRumors reports Apple is planning to announce the next-generation iPhone 6 at an event scheduled for Sept. 16, to be followed by an initial rollout on Oct. 14.
Both dates fall on a Tuesday, a day Apple traditionally saves for major announcements, not product releases. For example, last year's iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c debuted at a special event on Tuesday, Sept. 10, while the iPad Air was announced a month later on Tuesday, Oct. 22.
The Oct. 14 date is highly suspect given Apple's track record in launching iPhone products on Fridays, but the source claims Apple wants to push release up earlier in the week due to high consumer demand and access to a more than adequate cache of devices thanks to a huge production ramp-up.
Since the first iPhone debuted in 2007, however, every model has hit store shelves on a Friday save for the iPhone 4, which was released on Thursday, June 24, 2010. Further, the supposed month-long wait between the reported iPhone 6 announcement and sale date is questionable, as Apple usually releases iPhone models one week after a reveal. It also goes against the source's claims of plentiful handset supply.
Thursday's report adds to the growing pile of release date rumors first kicked off in May when German cellular carrier Deutsche Telekom began telling customers to prepare for a Friday, Sept. 19 launch date. The rumor was echoed by Chinese Internet company Tencent in June, but days later a separate report claimed Apple would start sales on Thursday, Sept. 25.
In addition to the iPhone 6, today's report claims Apple will have an "incredibly busy" October, possibly suggesting other product launches. The source failed to elaborate on the comment.
Apple is expected to launch two redesigned iPhone models for the 2014 product cycle -- 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch versions -- with many anticipating a slimmed-down profile, advanced components like an "A8" processor and possibly more onboard storage. A supposed iPhone 6 logic board leak last week suggested the inclusion of 802.11ac Wi-Fi and NFC support, though the rumor has gone unsubstantiated.
Most recently, a report on Tuesday threw cold water on much-ballyhooed speculation that the iPhone 6 will feature a sapphire display, saying production difficulties are standing in the way of a large-scale rollout.
Comments
Sorry folks but this is all starting to sound same old, same old. When it's here, then we'll have something to crow about I'm sure, but all this speculation is just counter productive. Oct is too far away to get that excited and we've all got lives to live.
Although it will be nice to see, and I am looking forward to it, it does look like the "best pipeline in 25 years" and new product categories "across 2014" was either categorically false, or they are having difficulty in production.
Double down on the BS suggestion, why on earth would AAPL jeopardize their 4th fiscal quarter results by moving the release date into 1Q '15. Just this rumor has caused the stock to recoil over $2 since it's 52 week high earlier this week. I know they have increased their stock by back plans and maybe this rumor was created to allow them to repurchase at a more favorable rate before the stock flys through the $100 record set back in Sept 2012. It all boils down to shareholder perception.
In wondering if the iWatch/iPod/fitBand might be assembled in the USA. They really kept the lid onMac Pro rumors. Maybe the start of a new (and robotic) emphasis on US production. Also recall the US plant(s) making sapphire.
Busy October: iPhone, Yeosemite, iPayments, ???
In wondering if the iWatch/iPod/fitBand might be assembled in the USA. They really kept the lid onMac Pro rumors. Maybe the start of a new (and robotic) emphasis on US production. Also recall the US plant(s) making sapphire.
Interesting. It could be possible, certainly would be easier to keep a lid on leaks in the USA vs China.
171 - iPhone
32 - iPhone 3G
12 - iPhone 3GS
17 - iPhone 4
10 - iPhone 4S
9 - iPhone 5
11 - iPhone 5S
Obviously that doesn't prove anything, it could easily change any time, but I still doubt they'd jump back up to about 30 days between announcement and launch.
Because I'm a nerd, here's the number of days from Apple announcing each iPhone to its release date (in the US, at least):
171 - iPhone
32 - iPhone 3G
12 - iPhone 3GS
17 - iPhone 4
10 - iPhone 4S
9 - iPhone 5
11 - iPhone 5S
Obviously that doesn't prove anything, it could easily change any time, but I still doubt they'd jump back up to about 30 days between announcement and launch.
Good work! I'm glad we've got 'nerds' like you around
How naff!, Apple now release nothing all year until 12 weeks before the end of the year. Is this how it will be from now on, FA all year until the final three months., all we've had is a futile spec bump for Macbook and entry iMac, hardly worth creaming my shorts about.
I'm a fanboy bigtime and am looking forward to the 6 but wait until after Christmas passes and things calm down then casually stroll into my store for my upgrade. I'm not an impatient teenager anymore competing with "the Jones'" for having the next best thing.
It sure is amusing to watch though.
None of this makes sense until you think, okay, maybe both the 4.7" and 5.5" get announced together in Sept, but only the 4.7" becomes available a week later, with the 5.5" to begin shipping in October. If Apple feels that the 4.7" will be the mainstream model with the much higher demand (a safe bet), then production capacity will be focused on that model initially. And you don't wait to announce the larger model until you're within a week of shipping it, because then a lot of people who might have bought it would settle for the 4.7" (thinking that's the only new model being announced this year). If a few weeks later you announce a 5.5" model, you've pissed off a lot of customers. So both models, if there are indeed two separate new models, will be introduced at the same time, but it makes sense that both will not be available at the same time. Thus the second date mentioned in this article. And a Tuesday release for the second model makes sense as there will already be huge weekend traffic flooding Apple stores beginning with the availability of the first new model and continuing every weekend through the end of the year. Make sense?
Makes perfect sense. Of course, the rumor would have to be true . Good explanation. IF there is a 5.5"- hopefully there is- I agree that they'll announce them together. Still waiting on leaks though...