Ever since the iPhone 5 was delayed, rumors have suggested production for the device will start in either July or September, but both expect it to arrive in time for this holiday season. Now a new rumor is claiming that the device will be announced right in the middle of the two: August 2011.
Apple has been giving some developers access to a device known as the iPhone 4S --- an iPhone 4 with upgraded internals. Of course, that's not the iPhone 5, which has been rumored to have anything from an 8MP camera manufactured by Sony to a larger screen but thinner bezel.
In fact, the iPhone 5 will reportedly have a radical new case design, according to a reliable source cited by BGR. Many expect Apple to announce the next-generation iPhone at its annual September event, which is traditionally focused on iPods. Apple may, however, break tradition and hold an event in the beginning or middle of August to announce the new iPhone, with availability to follow in the last week of August. It's not clear what this means for the iPod event.
The iPhone 5 was largely expected to arrive this month, given the iPhone's history, but was delayed. The first iPhone was released on June 29, 2007. The iPhone 3G was introduced on June 9, 2008. The iPhone 3GS was announced on June 8, 2009 and arrived on June 19, 2009 in the first countries. The iPhone 4 was announced on June 7, 2010 and released on June 24, 2010.