Rumor: 'iPad 5,' iPhone 5S and plastic iPhone en route [U]
Friday, January 25, 2013 @ 1:44pm
[Update: report's credibility questioned] Apple is at work on a fifth-generation iPad, but it's only expected to arrive in October, says iLounge. Some rumors have had Apple launching the tablet in March, which would keep it sync with past launch schedules, but also signal an extremely quick turnaround from the fourth-gen model. iLounge claims it was given the chance to look at a physical model of the new iPad, which is believed to be "noticeably thinner" than the fourth-gen, and resemble a "stretched iPad mini."
"This iPad 5 design is so much smaller that a full internal redesign — complete with a smaller, less power-hungry sequel to the A6X — can be safely assumed," the site says. "It wouldn't be a surprise to see the new iPad remain roughly on par with the fourth-generation model in processing capabilities, with the improved screen, dramatically lower size, and reduced weight becoming the key selling points." The screen comment is a reference to speculation that Apple will need new display technology to achieve such a thin design, such as Sharp's IGZO.
The site's claim that it has had access to a physical model is dubious at best, having not shown any actual pictures of the model nor said anything about it that wasn't previously speculated by others. The writer also seems to be unaware if the screen has actually been improved, which hints that he was perhaps just given access to a shell created from a 3D printer based on rumors of the next full-size iPad looking like a larger version of the iPad mini. Authentic "iPad 5" shells, if they exist, would not be available outside Apple headquarters and supply contractors in China.
Further, there is little likelihood that a legitimate model of the iPad that represents a finished design would be available more than nine months from its speculated release date. If the original report were accurate, Apple would be furiously investigating how such a serious security breach occurred, and have previously shown it is not shy about litigating to find the source of leaks.
iLounge further claims that Apple is at work on two or more iPhones. The first is the so-called "iPhone 5S," which will allegedly include a larger rear flash among its features. The second is the increasingly-rumored low-cost iPhone, which is thought to have a plastic body.
A third has sometimes been nicknamed the "iPhone Math," but an iLounge source suggests that this might be a mistranslation of "iPhone Plus (+)." The Plus is described as a 4.7-inch device that may not even make it market, but exists as a "plan B" should Apple feel the need to compete with increasingly large Android phones, many of which have screens close to the 5-inch mark.
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