Apple is said to be preparing three new iPhone handsets for launch during 2013, two of which will appear in June, China Times reports. In addition to a slightly updated iPhone 5S, the Cupertino company is expected to unveil the “iPhone Math,” a larger device with a 4.8-inch display. Both devices are to offer improved internals and an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera.
“iPhone Math” doesn’t sound at all like a name Apple would choose for its iPhone — or any of its products, for that matter. But we must point out that the original report has been translated from Chinese, and may have been misunderstood. Some speculate that the actual name could be “iPhone Plus,” which sounds much more plausible.
This mystery device is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 5S in June. We don’t know much about its hardware, other than it will offer a large 4.8-inch display. And these won’t be the only two iPhones launching this year, according to the report. There is also expected to be a third that will arrive during the holiday season, which will offer a much-improved 12-megapixel rear-facing camera.
While these claims are certainly questionable, the report contains a lot of detailed information on suppliers and production plans. According to BrightWire, which translated the original story, shipments for components, including displays and cameras, will start rising significantly in March, and production for the iPhone 5S and the iPhone Math (I’ll never get used to typing that) will begin in April.
Hon Hai Precision Industry, which owns Foxconn, is expected to undertake 90% of the manufacturing orders, while Largan has received orders for 8 million camera lenses. Microelectrics Technology will start designing 4G network solutions for the devices.
The report also mentions the “iTV,” Apple’s much-anticipated television set, which it claims will launch before the end of this year.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard reports of a larger iPhone — and it certainly won’t be the last. Jeffries analyst Peter Misek reported back in December that Apple is working on a 4.8-inch iPhone, while DigiTimes has also claimed that a larger device is in the works. However, we’re still not entirely convinced.
Apple has only recently launched the iPhone 5 with a larger 4-inch display, and when it did, the Cupertino company made a big thing about keeping its display small enough for us to use with one hand. Not only that, but developers have had to adapt their apps and games for a larger display once already. Launching another device just nine months later, with yet another screen size, and forcing them to do that again just seems unlikely.
Source: China Times
Via: BrightWire
