SPRINT ORDERS $20 BILLION IN iPHONES

According to information obtained by the Wall Street Journal, Sprint's betting the farm on a 30 million-plus order of next-generation iPhones to put it on an even battle ground with heavyweight rivals AT&T and Verizon. The cost of this loss-absorbing gamble? That would be about $20 billion, with the Hesse-led co. subsidizing the $500 cost of each handset. For the third place operator it's matter of do-or-die, as there really isn't an alternative to the critically-praised, Jony Ive-designed handset that set off this smartphone race. Hesse's purported admission to the company's board that customer churn is directly linked to its iPhone omission only serves to underscore the uncomfortable plight his company faces. It remains to be seen if Sprint can convert its base of 52 million subscribers (mostly pre-paid) into the contracted customers it needs to stay financially afloat.

APPLE TO HOLD MEDIA EVENT ON OCTOBER 4TH; PROBABLY INTRODUCING iPHONE 5

All Things D is reporting today that Apple's next big media event will be held on October 4th, where freshly minted CEO Tim Cook is expected to unveil the iPhone 5. Sources close to the situation say Cook will be the main presenter at the event, with execs Phil Schiller, Scott Forstall and Eddy Cue playing supporting roles. This would mark the first time that Cook has actually led an Apple event, adding an extra wrinkle of significance to an already highly anticipated occasion. The site's sources went on to say that the next-gen iPhone will be available for purchase "within a few weeks" of the announcement, though All Things D acknowledges that the exact date of its unveiling is still subject to change.

iPHONE 5 UP FOR PRE-ORDER SOON

Artist rendering of possible iPhone 5

Apple has yet to announce it’s fifth-generation smartphone, but that apparently won’t stop German carrier Deutsche Telekom from selling it. Bloomberg reported on Monday morning that it has confirmed with Deutsche Telekom that, beginning today, DT subscribers may begin reserving Apple’s next-generation iPhone 5 smartphone. The carrier will hand out coupons to customers who reserve the device, despite the fact that no confirmed details surrounding the next iPhone are available.

In a leaked document Best Buy will begin pre-orders in the next few weeks with delivery the first week on October. Also of note in the leaked document is that Sprint will be the third US carrier to get the iPhone.

RUMOR: AT&T VP SAYS iPHONE 5 LAUNCHING EARLY OCTOBER

According to a high-level AT&T source an AT&T Vice President has confirmed to several employees that the iPhone 5 is slated to launch in early October. Additionally, the VP communicated the following to a group of managers: “Expect things to get really, really busy in the next 35-50 days, so prepare your teams accordingly.” Apple is widely expected to announce the iPhone 5 in a late September event with a release set for early October.

RUMOR: iPHONE 5 UNVEILING ON SEPTEMBER 7TH

Apple plans to hold this year’s “iPod media event” on September 7th, Japanese-language news site Kodawarisan reported on Friday. The company’s September event has historically been dedicated to the iPod line, with Apple having unveiled its latest iPod touch, iPod shuffle and iPod nano models at last year’s event. With a new iPhone model due to be released in September or October, however, it seems very likely that Apple will use its annual September media event to unveil the iPhone 5 rather than just refreshed iPods. The spotlight has moved off of Apple’s iPod lineup over the past few years — Apple even removed its “iPod” branding from the Music app in iOS 5 — so it seems highly unlikely that the company’s line of media players will continue to warrant a dedicated event.

RUMOR: iPHONE 5 LAUNCHING IN OCTOBER, NOT SEPTEMBER

Despite multiple reports suggesting Apple and AT&T are each blocking employee vacations and making preparations for increased foot traffic in September, a new rumor suggests the iPhone won’t actually launch until October. The Wall Street Journal blog AllThingsD cites multiple anonymous sources in claiming Apple’s next-generation iPhone will launch in October, possibly even late in the month. “I don’t know why AT&T’s calling for all hands on deck those weeks, but it’s not for an iPhone launch,” one of the blog’s sources said, responding to questions about why AT&T might have blacked out employee vacations in late September. Other sources the blog spoke with said the handset would launch late in the month.

Early reports suggested Apple’s fifth-generation iPhone would be a modest update featuring the same case design as the iPhone 4, but more recent reports say the device could feature a redesigned exterior that is slimmer, wider and longer than the current-generation iPhone.

RUMOR: POSSIBLE iPHONE 5 PHOTO

An image of what could be Apple’s next-generation iPhone has surfaced online. 9to5 Mac published the photo, which it received from a tipster, and the site does not claim to be able to verify the authenticity of the image. According to the report, the site’s tipster saw a presumed Apple employee using the device in public when he snapped the above picture of the man and the device.

While there’s no telling if the handset seen above is in fact Apple’s iPhone 5, it certainly doesn’t resemble any iOS device we’ve seen to date. There are some discrepancies with earlier leaks, however, that claimed to reveal case designs for the iPhone 5. The volume rocker, for example, is still on the left side of the device pictured above, but earlier case designs showed it on the right.

On the other hand, Apple has undoubtedly finalized its hardware design at this point, so it’s entirely possible that the iPhone 5 is undergoing real-world testing. A test on a train is certainly necessary so Apple can see how the device performs when rapidly switching between cell towers, so that’s another good sign. Would an Apple employee be holding the device out in the open without something concealing the device and the Apple logo on the back? We’re not so sure.

RUMOR: iPHONE 5 DELAYED UNTIL END OF YEAR OR NEXT YEAR DUE TO OVERHEATING PROCESSOR; NEW iPHONE STILL COMING IN FALL

Apple may have delayed the iPhone 5 launch until next year due to an overheating dual-core A5 chip, a new report from Sohu.com [translated] suggests. Rumor has it (and it’s purely a rumor right now) that Apple will instead launch the iPhone 5 later this year or early next when the A6 chip is available — or after it figures out the A5 overheating problems. Sohu.com also said Apple will instead introduce a slightly upgraded “iPhone 4S” device, with the same form factor as the iPhone 4, in September or October. The device is expected to feature an 8-megapixel camera, and it will also sport a faster dual-core processor, two specs that are on a par with earlier reports. With all the recent chatter surrounding a more significant iPhone update due later this year, it’s likely that Sohu.com is working with old intel in this instance.

RUMOR: APPLE RELEASING 2 DIFFERENT iPHONES

9to5Mac reports that an unnamed source who "has been reliable in the past" suggested that Apple is intending on releasing two different iPhones this September — a cheaper, lower-end model and a totally redesigned high-end device.

LEAK: POSSIBLE iPHONE 5 PHOTO

Images of what could be a next generation iPhone headed to China Mobile have been re-published by Sohu.com. Is it the real deal? It might be. For one, it runs an unannounced baseband software (version 06.10.01), which could hint that Apple’s prepping support for China Mobile’s 3G TD-SCDMA network. Also, in June, a China Mobile employee said that the iPhone 5 would be arriving in September, and there have been reports of Apple’s COO Tim Cook sitting in meetings with China Mobile execs, which suggests that there’s definitely some relationship building going on.

PEGATRON GETS ORDER FOR 15 MILLION iPHONE 5s

With September less than two months away, if Apple intends to ship a new iPhone it has to ramp up production in the coming weeks. Apparently, that is exactly what the company is doing and has placed an order with Pegatron Technology for 15 million new iPhones.

Although this new smartphone is being referenced as the iPhone 5, the overall design is meant to be very similar to that of the iPhone 4. From all the rumors we’ve heard over the past few months this suggests the handset may indeed be the iPhone 4S, but carrying the iPhone 5 name. We can therefore expect an A5 processor and possibly a larger edge-to-edge display in a case very much like the existing phone. There’s bound to be an antenna redesign too and the phone will of course ship running iOS 5.

Neither Pegatron or Apple are confirming nor denying this order.

RUMOR: iPHONE 5 MANUFACTURING TO BEGIN MID TO LATE AUGUST

A new report suggests Apple’s manufacturing partners are preparing to begin assembling the next-generation iPhone some time between the middle and end of August. This time frame suggests that a launch might not occur until the second half of September at the earliest. Following a series of meetings in Taiwan, Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty issued the new production timeline in a note to investors on Sunday. “Apple’s next iPhone will begin production in mid to late August and ramp aggressively,” the analyst wrote. Her meetings yielded no information about a new prepaid iPhone that might launch as a complimentary model in September, however.

APPLE SUPPLIERS CUT iPHONE 4 PRODUCTION; iPHONE 5 COMING SOON

Printed circuit board (PCB) suppliers in Taiwan have noticed “disappointing orders” for iPhone and iPad hardware, according to DigiTimes. As a result, the suppliers have cut quotes by 10% on average for the second quarter, noting that there’s no sign of a rebound. The drop in iPhone hardware orders suggests that Apple’s highly anticipated next-generation iPhone is imminent; it’s largely expected that the company will take the wraps off of the device in September. The PCB suppliers that are cutting hardware sales expectations include Compeq Manufacturing, Nan Ya PCB, Tripod Technology and Unimicron Technology.

RUMOR: SPRINT iPHONE CLOSE TO LAUNCH

Unidentified sources tipped 9to5Mac that Sprint customers may be in for a summertime surprise. According to their report, the iPhone 4 is in the late testing phase on Sprint, and could see a launch within months. They claim the device looks like the current model of the iPhone 4, which means it could be the rumored “iPhone 4S,” or stopgap iPhone to get consumers from the iPhone 4 to an eventually redesigned iPhone 5.

The report is based on even more rumors that Apple has ordered Sprint-compatible CDMA cellular towers be installed on their campus. Apple did the same with Verizon towers when testing the Verizon-compatible model of the iPhone 4 for months before eventually releasing it, and the acquisition of the towers was one tip that analysts used to predict an eventual Verizon iPhone.

According to the report, the phone is also being circulated around Sprint’s own R&D team, and there may even be a 4G variant of the device in the works, but the model closest to release is a standard 3G iPhone 4. They also point to open job listings on Apple’s website for cellular engineers in the Kansas City area, which also just happens to be where Sprint’s headquarters are located.

RUMOR: iPHONE 4S TO HAVE CURVED GLASS SCREEN

DigiTimes has been canvassing its manufacturing industry sources again, and today it's managed to extract some intel regarding Apple's typically secretive supply chain. Steve Jobs' team are said to have purchased between 200 and 300 glass-cutting machines, specifically in order to use them to slice up curved glass display covers for the iPhone 4S. This move has apparently been in an effort to accelerate production, with glass makers reportedly showing a reluctance to buy the machinery themselves due to its prohibitive cost.

Lest you think this sense of urgency might accelerate the iPhone 4S from its earlier-rumored September launch, DigiTimes also reports that yields of curved glass are not yet good enough to start using said fancy machines. So the iPhone may be headed for the same curvacious look as we've already seen on Dell's Venue and HTC's Sensation, but as it is Apple's wont, it looks like that will be done with a tailor-made, custom solution. At least those Cupertino designers have a couple of generations of curved iPod nano screens under their belt, giving them a good idea of how to handle the atypical glass frontage.

RUMOR: iPHONE 5 TO BE NAMED iPHONE 4S; COMPATIBLE WITH SPRINT AND T-MOBILE

In a note to investors on Friday, Jefferies & Company analyst Peter Misek claimed knowledge of Apple’s fifth-generation iPhone. While most are now in agreement that Apple will not unveil its new iPhone until September this year at the earliest, thereby breaking its annual summer release cycle for the first time, the feature set coming in Apple’s next iPhone remains a topic of debate.

Misek’s channel checks found that the next iPhone will be called the “iPhone 4S,” and it will feature minor cosmetic updates, Apple’s A5 processor, better cameras and HSPA+ support. More interestingly, perhaps, Misek claims that the next-gen iPhone will be picked up by both Sprint and T-Mobile. Of course we already knew Apple was testing an iPhone compatible with T-Mobile’s network, but Misek’s note is the first confident claim that the device will launch on T-Mobile since our exclusive report.

Regarding 4G LTE compatibility, Misek says the Qualcomm LTE chip Apple would use in a 4G model is not available in the quantities Apple would need for the huge production volumes that are expected. This claim jibes with earlier reports that Apple’s iPhone is not likely to support LTE until next year at the earliest.

RUMOR: AT&T REP STATES iPHONE 5 NOT COMING IN SUMMER

Apple may not comment on rumor, speculation, or future plans, but it does inform its partners of what to expect in the near future. And it seems AT&T has now been told there will be no June or July iPhone 5 launch.

An AT&T customer noticed that his eligibility for a smartphone upgrade had moved back 5 months without any notice from AT&T as to why. As any customer would do, he phoned AT&T to find out why it had happened. Surprisingly, the customer rep he spoke to at AT&T had what seems to be some definite information regarding the launch, or lack thereof, of the iPhone 5.

The reason given to the customer was that Apple “has informed” AT&T that there will be no new iPhone launch in June or July. There is also no confirmed date for the arrival of the iPhone 5, so the eligibility date has been pushed back to account for this.

RUMOR: iPHONE 5 DESIGN & SPECS REVEALED

See that up there? That could be your next iPhone. It's a mock-up of what is said to be the iPhone 5, according to anonymous sources quoted by Joshua Topolsky.

A continuation of the concepts laid out in our post-CES look at what's next for Apple, the design here is said to be thin, metal-backed, tapered, and sporting a 3.7-inch display with the same 960 x 640 resolution in the iPhone 4's retina display, resulting in a slight drop from that phone's vaunted 326ppi density. The home button is quite obviously enlarged, possibly adding some thumbable gestures into the mix.

Internals are said to include a "swipable" area, possibly meaning NFC, along with a Qualcomm Gobi chipset with support for CDMA and GSM, so this could be the one phone to rule all the carriers. Or, it might wind up only ever having domain over a single .PSD file. To us, well, it looks a little too thin to be packing all that and a bag of antennas as suggested and, with all the weight at the top, we can see this things flying out of hands left and right. But, we're certainly willing to be surprised.

The source did update his statement to say the bevel may be exaggerated and the back may not be metal.

RUMOR: NEXT GENERATION iPHONE COMING IN SEPTEMBER

According to a trio of sources speaking to Reuters, the next-generation iPhone should be shipping in September -- as we've heard before -- with production starting in July. One source said that the iPhone will feature a faster processor, naturally, and look largely similar to the iPhone 4. If true then prepare to see it unveiled at Apple's fall event, usually held in early September.

RUMOR: APPLE WILL NOT LAUNCH iPHONE 5 THIS JUNE

The Loop, which is known for reporting accurate information regarding Apple products, cites an anonymous source in claiming that Apple will indeed switch things up this year and skip its now-customary June iPhone launch. “My sources said today that rumors of an iPhone 5 release at the end of June were completely false,” the blog states. Don’t fret, Apple fans — you’ve still got iOS 5 to look forward to this summer. The iPhone 5 will reportedly launch in September, and will feature more internal storage, an 8-megapixel camera and an NFC chip for mobile payments. It may also sport a metal case similar to the custom case back seen on the iPhone 4 pictured above.