France Telecom CEO Stéphane Richard says Apple will be releasing the iPhone 5 on October 15, adding even more fuel to the rumors that the next generation of the company’s combination iPod and smartphone will hit store shelves next month.
“If we believe what we have been told, the iPhone 5 will be released on 15 October,” Mr. Richard told a group of reporters, according to TechCrunch. He didn’t say if that date was for the iPhone’s world-wide launch, or if it could roll out in the United States earlier in the month.
iPhone 5 on October 15? Maybe.
Mr. Richard is the same CEO that let slip Apple was planning on using micro SIM cards in the iPhone 4, which does add a little more credibility to his iPhone 5 launch date.
October 15 happens to be a Saturday, and while many of Apple’s recent product launches have been on weekdays, the company has rolled out new gear on weekends as well.
The New York Times helped feed the October launch rumors, too, by claiming an unnamed Apple employee confirmed the iPhone 5 launch is “just weeks away.” The loose-lipped employee didn’t offer up any additional details, however, like the exact launch date.
So far, rumors are claiming the next iPhone model will include a dual-core A5 processor like the iPad 2, an 8 megapixel camera, and possibly a redesigned body.
Apple hasn’t announced yet when the next iPhone model will ship, what features it will have, or even what it will be called.