The blogosphere is abuzz with speculation of a 4.8-inch "iPhone Math" by July and a 12 megapixel camera by year's end.
The Commercial Times of Taiwan claims that Apple plans to release three new iPhone models this year, two of them hitting the market before the end of June. The story was then picked up by the China Times and translated by BrightWire, which translates international news. It has since set the blogosphere abuzz.
The speculation comes one week after the Wall Street Journal reported that Apple was cutting orders for iPhone 5 screen and other components due to a weak demand. The Jan. 14 story, which raised the question about whether the company was losing its edge, sent Apple's stock price down about 32 percent the following day, from $501.75 to $485.92; it closed below $500 per share for the first time since February 2012. The price is back up to about $500.
The latest reports on new products claim that Apple will release a 4-inch iPhone 5S and a 4.8-inch iPhone ("iPhone Math") before the end of June.
Before Christmas an iPhone with a 12 megapixel camera will be unveiled, according to the reports. Multiple sources have been indicating that Apple is also going to release an Apple TV ("iTV") this year.
Although a lot of accurate information has come from Asian supply chain sources in the last few years, "Treat this one lightly for now," Business Insider suggests.
The national business and entertainment news website had this to say about the latest tech buzz:
The report about a 4.8-inch phone is the most interesting. Apple is the only smartphone company not making a big phone. The bigger smartphones are very popular with consumers.
A bigger iPhone risks fragmenting the iOS market. Developers' apps will have to fit 3.5-inch screens, 4-inch screens, 7.8-inch screens, and 9.7-inch screens. Perhaps Apple will also roll out an elegant software solution to this problem.