Apple to Begin Trial Production of iPhone 5S for Earlier Than Expected Launch?

Monday November 12, 2012 1:41 am PST by Arnold Kim

DigiTimes relays a report coming from a Chinese-language Commercial Times report. In it, the Commercial Times claims that Apple will begin trial production of the iPhone 5S as early as December.

Facing low yield rates in the production of iPhone 5, Apple has accelerated the certification processes for related parts and components for the iPhone 5S, the paper revealed.

The paper then claims the iPhone 5S could enter volume production in the 1st quarter of 2013. If that were truly the case, the iPhone 5S could be be set to launch earlier than most have expected.

Apple originally launched the iPhone in the summer of 2007 and then stayed on an annual mid-year release cycle. This schedule held true until the launch of the iPhone 4S which launched in October 2011. Apple then continued this fall-release schedule with the iPhone 5 in 2012. As a result, many have expected the iPhone 5's successor to launch in the fall of 2013.

The Commercial Times has had a spotty record, however, so its hard to gauge how much faith to put into this single report. If the iPhone 5S launch will indeed be accelerated, we are certain to hear more in the coming months.

Top Rated Comments

MRU

109 months ago

In other news iPhone 6 set for two weeks after the iPhone 5s. A random guy in China told me so.....

Score: 57 Votes (Like | Disagree)

andyx3x

109 months ago

Yeah right.

Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)

arn

109 months ago

If an iPhone5S launches in January there will be a lot of pretty hacked off people.

I don't think you can read a January launch into this, even if u are interpret it at face value.

arn

Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Moshe1010

109 months ago

iPad 3 --> iPad 4 story again.

Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)

colmaclean

109 months ago

I'm getting pretty fed up with having to go to a store every two weeks to keep my tech at the bleeding edge.

Apple needs to take it to the next level and allow us to download hardware updates through iTunes.

Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)

komodrone

109 months ago

INB4: But i just got the 5.

Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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