Apple iPhone 5S Release Date Tipped To Be In June Or August As iPad 5, iPad Mini 2 May Debut In April [Report]

The tech world is on fire as rumors relating to the upcoming products from both Apple and Samsung are coming fast and furious.

At a time when tech enthusiasts around the globe are eagerly waiting for the Samsung Galaxy S4 March 14 release event to see what “The Next Galaxy” has to offer, a new report over at iMore has claimed that Apple is planning to release its next generation iPhone model, aka the “iPhone 5S,” in August. The report also has predicted that the Cupertino tech giant may also unveil the iPad 5 and the iPad mini 2 as early as in April.

The iMore report has revealed, citing sources familiar with Apple’s plans, that although the basic design of iPhone 5S will be similar to that of the existing iPhone 5, the new model will be powered by a more advanced processor and will feature an improved camera.

Complimenting the iPhone 5 as “a feat of engineering,” Rene Ritchie of iMore says that Apple is expected to “raise the bar in terms of iPhone optics” once again with the iPhone 5S, which will likely have “a much better camera in essentially the same casing.”

However, Ritchie does indicate that there will be no huge surprises in terms of the next iPhone release, “given the past history of S-class iPhones.”

When it comes to the release of the next generation iPads – the iPad 5 and the iPad mini 2 – sources have revealed that the devices will likely arrive this April. Ritchie, however, says that whereas the Spring release of the iPad 5 still “makes sense” for him, “Retina for the iPad mini, however, still doesn't sound imminent.”

“Apple is not going to release iPads that costs more or don't get as good battery life as the current models. So, if the next iPad mini does end up getting slated for April, it could be a spec bump, or have something other than Retina as a differentiator,” says Ritchie.

KGI Securities’ Ming-Chi Kuo Slightly Differs, Predicts June Release

While the iMore report bets on an August release of the Apple iPhone 5S, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said in a new research report Monday that the next iteration of the iPhone and low-cost version of the smartphone will be released in June alongside iOS 7.

Take a look an excerpt from Kuo’s note (courtesy of MacRumors):

“We expect Apple will introduce its new iPhones and iOS 7 in June, and start shipping the new iPhones (5S and low-cost model) in the FDD version in July. Both dates are earlier than last year’s roadmap. We attribute this to: (1) an effort to avoid repeating the fatal mistake of last year of the delayed iPhone 5 launch, which gave competitors room to grab market share; and (2) the new iPhones this year are mainly designed on the basis of the current iPhone 5, which suggests development time could be reduced.”

Kuo says that both iPhone 5S and the low-cost version of the device will have LTE technology. However, other specifications will help differentiate between the two. He has claimed that the iPhone 5S will be powered by the faster A7 application processor and will feature “Smart Flash” technology, “ensuring photo quality using white or yellow flash according to lighting conditions.”

Kuo also includes a new technology to his list of expected iPhone 5S features. He said that the new Apple smartphone “will have a fingerprint chip under the Home button, improving security and usability.”

When it comes to the low-cost version of the iPhone, Kuo has predicted that it will come with a hybrid casing of fiberglass and plastic that will make it lighter and slimmer than general plastic casing. It will also be helpful in making multi-colored cases.

“However, we still think it will be heavier than iPhone 5S, which will have an aluminum casing. Thus, even form factor will be an area of differentiation,” says Kuo.

China Mobile’s TDD Standard To Come Into Play

According to Kuo, both the versions of the flagship device will be made available for purchase in July, while the versions supporting the time-division duplexing (TDD) standard used by China Mobile will arrive in September.

If it turns out to be true, the new iPhone versions will support China Mobile's TDD networks for the very first time, which cover TD-SCDMA (Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access) and TD-DLTE (Time-Division Duplex Long-Term Evolution), Apple Insider has reported.

Being the world's largest carrier by subscribers, China Mobile’s TDD iPhone variants are expected to account for 28 percent of iPhone shipments for the second half of 2013, regardless of a delayed launch in comparison to the global LTE versions of the device.

The analyst expects that the shipments of the iPhone 5S and the low-cost iPhone will touch nearly 40 million units and over 53 million units respectively for the second half of 2013.

While the iPhone 5S will ship over 14 million and 21.5 million units over the third and fourth quarters of this year, the low-cost version of the phone will ship over million and 34 million units during the same period of time.

In terms of the overall iPhone shipments, Kuo expects it to rise as much as 83 percent from the first half of 2013 to touch the 110 million mark.

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