9to5Mac posted some thoughts on what they think happened with the more ambitious iPhone 5 update that some were expecting to be announced at Apple’s Lets Talk iPhone event earlier this month.

The iPhone 4S as you see it was originally planned to be released at WWDC with iOS 5, like every iPhone before it [...] But something happened around February of this year that threw everything off. Apple was still integrating the Siri team and code into iOS and it was going much slower than planned. At the same time, Apple’s iPhone 5 (teardrop) plans were moving along on or ahead of schedule and the first prototypes were testing well. With mid-October being the earliest possible date of a Siri-fied iOS being ready – with “Apple-levels” of polish –Apple had to look at its options.

This could explain the iPhone 5 case leak-a-palooza we saw just before the iPhone 4S announcement.

TiPb’s own sources are split on this, with some saying Apple had planned iPhone 5 as the new iPhone, and iPhone 4S as souped up iPhone 4 for the mid-range market. Others insist iPhone 4S was the plan all along, and no redesign was ever in the cards for this year (or at least, wasn’t considered for long).

9to5Mac‘s sources expect the redesigned iPhone to be announced in summer of 2012. TiPb’s still hearing fall 2012, but this far out Apple can and will keep plans as flexible as possible.

Hit the link below for a full breakdown.

Source: 9to5Mac

Randomly accurate rumor site Digitimes reports that, according to supply chain makers, Apple may have trouble meeting initial demand for the iPhone 5 thanks to a defect discovered in the production process for the touch panels made by Wintek.

A defect has presented in some iPhone 5 touch panels produced by Wintek which may affect the ability to meet initial shipment targets for the launch which is expected in October, according to iPhone supply chain makers.

The defect involves a “delayed bubble” effect which is harder to avoid during touch panel production, especially when the problem isn’t found during the laminating process. If the problem isn’t found before assembly, Wintek will have to scrap the panel altogether, essentially losing money and output during the production process.

Wintek currently accounts for some 20-25% of the overall production of touch panels Apple uses in the iPhone 5 with Chimei Innolux and TPK Holding pushing out the rest, so the problem shouldn’t have a huge impact on volume out of the gate.

Apple running into production issues isn’t completely unheard of, either, and Wintek also says to expect a quick remedy due to the fact that the lamination process in the iPhone 5 touch panels is the same as the iPhone 4.

[Digitimes]

Earlier this morning we told you about rumors of the iPad 2 being “delayed” until June, but Jim Dalrymple from The Loop claims the rumors are completely false. He states that in addition to the iPad 2 being on track he also doesn’t believe the other rumor making the rounds today — that iPhone 5 would be delayed until September either:

The Internet is buzzing this morning with separate rumors that Apple’s iPad 2 and iPhone 5 will be delayed. The fact is, neither rumor is true. From what I’ve heard this morning both products are on schedule and will ship when they are supposed to. Only Apple knows exactly when that will be, but the products are not delayed.

The Loop usually has fairly accurate sources so we’re going to side with him on this one. With how on-track Apple usually is with their release schedules, especially when it comes to their yearly iPhone updates, these rumors don’t seem to hold much weight.

What do you think, will we still see iPad 2 this spring and iPhone 5 this summer?

[The Loop]

News Corp.’s iPad-only newspaper, The Daily, has reportedly been delayed. The Daily is digital, iPad-only newspaper from Rupert Murdoch, which downloads a new edition every morning, like a regular newspaper. Recent rumours had said that ‘The Daily’ would be revealed on January 19th at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art with both Murdoch and Steve Jobs in attendance, however, new sources state that both Apple and News Corp. have made the decision to delay the launch by “weeks, not months”.

The problem is said to lie within Apple’s new subscription service, which uses iTunes to bill subscribers on a weekly or monthly basis, and sync the new edition everyday. A PR representative from News Corp. has confirmed the delay, however Apple has refused to comment.

Is anyone excited for “The Daily” newspaper? Anyone have any apps that they would like to see this NEW subscription service in?

[All Things Digital]

There are a couple stories floating around the web tonight involving iOS 4.2 and it’s release date, with the usually reliable iPhoneHellas saying simply that it will arrive next Tuesday, November 16, and MacStories adding that it’s actually been pushed back to the 16th due to iPad Wi-Fi bugs and a new GM candidate will precede it.

For their part Apple has only ever said “November” when it comes to the iOS 4.2 release schedule.

Could next Tuesday be the day? If so, was it always scheduled to be the day or is it really a delay?

[iPhoneHellas, MacRumors, MacStories, thanks to everyone who sent these in!]

Apple has announced that the now seemingly mythical device known as the white iPhone 4 will not grace us with its presence until next spring. Apple spokesperson Trudy Muller:

We’re sorry to disappoint customers waiting for the white iPhone yet again, but we’ve decided to delay its release until this Spring.

This just after we told you how Apple teased us all with promises of reserving a white iPhone 4 at your local retail store. Clearly this is not the first time the white iPhone 4 has been delayed, nor do we know if it will be the last.

Those of you still waiting for a white iPhone 4, will you keep waiting, get a black iPhone 4 instead, or just give up and see if a white iPhone 5 ever decides to grace us with its presence?

[ Reuters via All Things Digital ]

by Brian Tufo

Apple has just issued a statement on the white iPhone and it’s not good news for those still holding out for the now almost mythical device:

White models of Apple’s new iPhone 4 have continued to be more challenging to manufacture than we originally expected, and as a result they will not be available until later this year. The availability of the more popular iPhone 4 black models is not affected.

Anyone still going to wait? Sound off in comments…

[Apple PR, thanks Jake for the tip!]

9to5Mac has been keeping a close eye on official Apple iPad accessories [Apple Online Store link] and while the iPad dock and iPod Dock to VGA adapter remain on April 3 schedule, the iPad Case is now listed as shipping in mid April while the iPad Keyboard Dock and iPad 10W USB Power Adapter have fallen to May. What’s more:

Perhaps even worse then those accessory delays is the iPad Camera Kit’s current situation. The kit which allows you to connect an SD card or digital cameras to your iPad is not even on Apple’s online store.

Did Apple underestimate demand for some of the iPad accessories? Did you manage to order one before the delays?

Analyst doom and gloom predicted Apple would delay the iPad’s “late March” shipping date and restrict initial sales to the US and while that now seems to be the case, John Gruber over at Daring Fireball says software and not hardware was the reason:

My sources suggest [...] It was the software, not the hardware, that took a week or two longer to finish than they’d hoped. Nothing extraordinary or unusual, just the usual hard-to-predict timing of turning software that’s almost ready to ship into software that’s ready to ship. In the grand history of major OS release date slips, one week is pretty tame.

One week for the US, one month internationally… Can that be solely attributed to software?

UPDATE 2: Apple confirms the late March ship-stimate to Wired [via @arsinfiniteloop].

UPDATE 1: Seth Weintraub at 9to5Mac puts up a thoughtful reminder about the nature of analyst notes:

If [analysts] do produce something publicly, that means one of two things: (1) Their clients have had the information for weeks and have had time to invest accordingly. (2)They are trying to artificially change the price of Apple’s stock because they have previously told their clients to invest based on the good/bad news that they are about to relay.

ORIGINAL: Digital Daily is reporting that, according to Canaccord Adams analyst Peter Misek, Apple might be facing manufacturing problems that will lead to constrained supplies of the iPad, or even a delay in its launch:

“We have … heard that the upcoming iPad launch may be somewhat limited as a manufacturing bottleneck has impacted production of Apple’s newest device. An unspecified production problem at the iPad’s manufacturer, Hon Hai Precision, will likely limit the launch region to the US and the number of units available to roughly 300K in the month of March, far lower than the company’s initial estimate of 1,000K units. The delay in production ramp will likely impact Apple’s April unit estimate of 800K as well. It is also possible that, given the limited number of units available in March, the launch will be delayed for a month.”

Chief Operating Officer, Tim Cook runs Apple’s supply chain with more precision than an aluminum unibody chassis, however, so would a problem this large really be allowed to happen? DIgital Daily claims it’s a “big if” as to whether or not Misek is correct. Best case he isn’t. Worst case, despite Apple’s still current claim of the iPad shipping in late March, we may only see it in April.

Does this affect your odds of buying one either way?

Apple has yet to announce an iTablet, which is good because the supposed universe dent’er is supposedly suffering a supposed “delay” — getting pushed back from early to late 2010 so that Apple can supposedly add a supposedly expensive, LG-crafted OLED (organic light emitting diode) screen to the mythical mix.

At 9.7 inches, it would cost $500 for the panel, and bump the entire kit up to a $1500 or $1700 price point. So much for the imaginary device filling a slot between the sub-$500 iPod touch/iPhone and the $1000 MacBook, right?

A cheaper 10.6 inch device is also rumored to be in the imaginary pipeline for that, somewhere over $800. Both could get “cheaper” (front facing consumer price-wise) if they run 3G and are subsidized by a telco, like the iPhone is by AT&T.

There were OLED rumors for the iPhone 3GS earlier this year (with iTablet chatter attached), which of course didn’t pan out (though they did for the Zune HD). Would Apple go big on OLED for an iTablet before they go small, and presumably more affordable, with the iPhone? Especially if it delays something that’s had no public mention and certainly no release date attached to it? (Insert Microsoft Pink references here).

Either way, you want OLED?

[DigiTimes via Gizmodo]

Yesterday we heard a rumor that Apple may be experiencing problems with the iPod’s new camera feature, and those problems could cause a delay.

Today, Hardmac [via MacRumors] threw in some rumored details about the rumored problems:

The issue would be linked to the new camera module. We did not get any further details, but the problem has been spotted in the first dozen of thousands units produced. Those units have been put aside.

Again, even if true, this would likely only cause a delay in the release of the third generation iPod touch, not its announcement at tomorrow’s “It’s only rock and roll, but we like it” special music event. This has happened in the past when products weren’t quite ready or had last minute spec changes necessitating a delay.

Still, we’ll only know for sure when Apple hits the stage.

Could the long-rumored cameras being added to the iPod touch, iPod nano, and even iPod classic have hit a snag, leading to a delay that might affect Apple’s “It’s only rock and roll but we like it” special music event planned for Wednesday?

AppleInsider, citing a “person with a strong track record in predicting Apple’s upcoming product launches” (PWASTRIPAUPL), is rumoring just that:

the iPod maker experienced technical problems with the cameras months ago. The person said that it was uncertain whether the new hardware, which has been widely expected to debut at Wednesday’s “Only rock and roll” media-centric event, would make the cut for early September.

Since the iPod touch is so similar to the iPhone, unless Apple is trying to cram the cam into too thin an enclosure, we have a hard time seeing the problem in that SKU. Whether or not the rumor is accurate, whether or not it effects all the of the iPods or just iPod nano and iPod classic, and whether or not Apple delays announcing the new iPods or simply announces them as “shipping in the future” are all, of course, unknown.

With so much of the music events — and holiday shopping season — relying on the iPod lineup, however, it’s hard to imagine them letting things slip much, if at all.

What say you?

“The iPhone Wi-Fi offer that was scheduled to launch today has been canceled. Nothing has been announced by the company to our customers and will not impact existing customers. Additional communication will be provided if the status of the project changes.”

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