New iPhone 5 rumors seem to be cropping up daily, and the latest claims Apple’s next generation combination iPod and smartphone will ship by the end of September. The same rumor also claims Apple is building an 8GB version of the iPhone 4 to replace the iPhone 3GS as the company’s entry level model.
News of the supposed September launch and lower capacity iPhone 4 came courtesy of Asian parts suppliers speaking anonymously, according to Reuters. Along with their September ship date prediction, the unnamed sources also claimed the new iPhone will sport a bigger display, an 8 megapixel camera, and a redesigned antenna system.
Rumors claiming the iPhone 5 will launch September aren’t new, but more recent reports point to an October launch instead. Apple, of course, hasn’t confirmed when the next iPhone model will ship, or even whether or not it has been working on one.
The iPhone 3GS, Apple’s previous iPhone model, has been available along with the iPhone 4 as the company’s entry level phone. When the iPhone 5 ships, Apple is generally expected to stop building the 3GS model and slide the iPhone 4 down the line its the new entry level phone.
The iPhone 4 currently ships in 16GB and 32GB models, while the iPhone 3GS ships only with 8GB of storage. Dropping the iPhone 4’s capacity down to 8GB would save a little in component costs, but more importantly would create a clearer distinction between the company’s entry level and top of the line smartphone offerings.
Without any hard evidence to back up the anonymous claims, this rumor should be taken with a grain of salt, although it does seem reasonable to expect new iPhone models some time this fall.