Apple plans to launch two new iPhone models which will launch during Q3 2013 say supply chain sources in Taiwan. The company is asking its suppliers and manufacturers to prepare production capacity able to put out 20 million units a month, according to a report in DigiTimes.
The two new iPhones, which could be unveiled as early as June, will include an updated iPhone 5 model and a lower cost iPhone model. The lower cost smartphone is said to most closely resemble the iPhone 4S in its hardware spec however display and processor specifications may take a little snip/dip according to sources.
The supply chain sources told DigiTimes that shipments of the new iPhone models are expected to start in late June and build through July and August. It is estimated that the total number of iPhones shipped in H2 2013 will be over 100 million.
Tim Cook talks about “game changers”
While DigiTimes found the above information from its supply chain sources in Taiwan’s computer industry AllThingsD held a conference in California and Tim Cook was in the hot seat as a guest yesterday.
Investors are worried about Apple’s apparent treading water, innovation-wise, under Cook’s leadership. There is pressure on Tim Cook “to debut something fresh to reignite sales growth” reports Bloomberg News. Cook said that Apple has some “incredible plans” and Apple has “several more game changers” in the pipeline.
These game changing products may well be in the field of wearable technology as Cook said that wearable computing is a “profound area” and a wrist worn device would be particularly interesting. While on the wearable tech topic Cook said that Google Glass would probably have trouble being accepted into the mainstream, as they might be too obtrusive, also users “probably want them to reflect their fashion.”
Meanwhile a big change is forecast to come with Apple’s upcoming iOS 7, with the skeuomorphic leather, wood and paper core app appearances being dumped for a flat minimalist look.