AT&T has apparently backed up the rumors that Apple won’t be releasing an updated iPhone model during the typical late June/early July window this year. The news comes courtesy of an AT&T customer service representative claiming Apple shared the information with the cell service provider.
More fuel for the late iPhone 5 rumors
According to MacRumors, an AT&T customer contacted the company to ask about upgrade eligibility and was informed that Apple wouldn’t be releasing a new iPhone model on the same release cycle this year. The representative stated
Apple has informed us that they do not plan to release the iPhone in the June to July timeframe, though there will be a newer version in the future. Unfortunately, we have not been given a release time for the new phone. We will release this information on our website when it is available to us.
Basing a product launch window on a customer service representative’s statement seems a bit flimsy, too, although the comment does mirror the current batch of rumors. Apple, however, doesn’t usually share product launch timeframes with companies outside of its public announcements, which makes it unlikely that a customer service employee would be privy to Apple’s product launch plans.
Assuming the information is correct, it seems Apple won’t be releasing the iPhone 5 in a few weeks. With the the white iPhone 4 just recently hitting store shelves, along with the Verizon iPhone 4 launch in February, a July iPhone launch already seemed somewhat unlikely.