Apple plans to release a revamped version of its iPhone 5, the iPhone 5S, as well as a new iPad, and iTV "the middle of next year," according to a report from the China Times.
Black Friday Deals Leak: Tablets, Laptops, HDTVs and More from Office Depot, Staples, Amazon
Citing unidentified industry sources, China Times reported that Apple is currently readying the devices, and will begin the trial production process for the "iPhone 5S" in December.
Digitimes claims that Apple's supply problems with the iPhone 5 have lead the company to accelerate "the certification process for related components for the iPhone 5S."
The report cites Chinese-language paper Commercial Times, who says that initial production volumes will be between 50,000 and 100,000 units of the seventh-generation iPhone.
"While the speculated iPhone 5S is expected to enter volume production in the first quarter of 2013, Apple is also likely to release a new version of iPad a quarter later than the iPhone 5S, since the display resolution of its latest version of iPad has come out lower than expected," reads the report.
It's likely Digitimes is referring to Apple's newly launched iPad mini, which is expected to be updated with a Retina display in 2013.
Based on Digitimes claims of Q1 volume production, Computerworld posits that Apple could launch its next iPhone in June or July of 2013.
The site makes the point that while it might seem too soon for Apple to already be revamping its new iPhone, Apple could be ramping up its release schedule in order to keep up with the competition. "The company already demonstrated that it is willing to update its devices more frequently than once a year with the introduction of the iPad 4 just seven months after its predecessor," said Slash Gear.
"There is one other possibility," says ComputerWorld. "Apple may be on course to introduce a new breed of iPhone, not intended to compete with the classic model, but to widen the market with the release of a different kind of device."
The next iPhone could see significant changes, including the introduction of NFC, new processors and an iOS redesign following the recent executive shake-up at Apple.
"Apple has used the "S" at the end of a number of recent iPhone updates. The iPhone 3GS, like the iPhone 4S, came with the same design as their predecessors, but delivered internal components that increased speed and performance. It's possible Apple might be following the same strategy with the iPhone 5," notes CNET.
China Times didn't elaborate as to what "iTV" might be, but we've heard rumblings before with the name being used. In some cases, the iTV name is used to identify a possible television Apple is working on. In other cases, the iTV points to an updated Apple TV set-top box. According to some reports, that device could act as a DVR and accommodate cable programming.
It's unclear how accurate Digitimes' sources will prove. As Slash Gear notes, the site is responsible for news that's "incorrect as often as it is accurate." But if the report is correct Apple may in fact be changing up its refresh cycle for their iPhone hardware.
This update schedule would follow Apple's release of the 4th generation iPad, released less than a year after the iPad 3rd generation device.
"With the new iPad 4th generation device and the iPad mini breaking tradition both at once, it's not impossible for Apple to be bringing on an iPhone 5S much quicker than any other iPhone's been refreshed," says Slash Gear.
Various sites, including Slash Gear, caution putting too much weight in the China Times' report. They say the obviousness of the truth in this situation makes the release of the iPhone 5S utterly dubious. With competition only continuing to mount in the tablet and smartphone markets though, it's not totally impossible Apple is trying to change the game. It wouldn't be the first time.