So significantly for the head fake. If Apple was attempting to get would-be iPhone 4 buyers to go ahead and take the plunge by developing the illusion that the iPhone 5 could be delayed, it may possibly have worked in at least some instances – but the gig appears to be up. Here are five reasons why the iPhone five looks headed toward a spring – that’s correct, spring, not summer – 2011 release.
And of course by “spring” we mean early June:
- AT&T just raised early upgrade fees. There’s no reason for the original iPhone carrier to make that move proper now unless it expects the iPhone five is coming soon and wanted to sneak the fee hike in under the radar just before the iPhone 5 makes its debut.
- Apple lately admitted the white iPhone is coming this spring. Widespread sense says it wasn’t referring to the bizarre notion of releasing a white iPhone four so close to the end of the iPhone 4 era. Apple was a lot more likely referring to a white iPhone 5, and “spring” just indicates “sometime just before June 22nd.”
- WWDC teases a preview of the future of iOS in early June, but does not make clear which version it is referring to. “The future of iOS 5″ would mean that iOS 5 isn’t coming in June. But “the future of iOS” could mean something – and as we’ve observed, Apple has been fond of dropping hints with the number “5″ left out so as to generate vagueness.
- The Verizon iPhone four is selling well but wasn’t the answer in terms of finding the Verizon customer base to quit settling for the Android phones they don’t want. The catch-22 with the late arriving Verizon iPhone four all along has been that all but the least informed of Verizon customers have known that the iPhone 5 is an alternative all they have to do is wait a bit longer. If Apple was originally leaning toward a later iPhone 5, the non-sparkling results of the Verizon iPhone four could well have pushed the company away from the notion. The clock is ticking for a Verizon iPhone five.
- Appear around at both Verizon and AT&T, and it is clear that 4G isn’t happening any time soon. Verizon has 4G available in about 4 city blocks nationwide, and that’s impressive compared to AT&T’s imaginary 4G network. If Apple had been to wait for the nation’s two largest carriers to get their 4G act together, we may well not see it until 2012. At this rate Apple is far better off merely doing a non-4G iPhone five now and worrying about future 4G networks in the future. And Apple knows that.
And then there’s this from a Beatweek reader:
“I believe Apple will stick to their schedule of releasing iphone 5 in June for one straightforward reason – they are masters at advertising and marketing – and they are nicely conscious of the pains they will have to endure by dampening their momentum. missing or disrupting their quite productive cycle could all but end their win streak or at the quite least price them considerably in lost sales and disoriented, disillusioned customers who will be flooded with high end product from the competition who will show no mercy. There is no way Apple would tinker with this model.” Enough stated.
[Thanks: http://www.beatweek.com]