An artist’s rendition of iPhone 5 by Guilherme Schasiepen
iPhone Italia learns “from a very reliable source” that Switzerland’s carrier Swisscom will offer a next-generation iPhone beginning October 5, following a September 5 launch in the United States. The handset, we learn via a not-so-accurate Google translation, will arrive to international markets in October. This information apparently comes from a senior Swisscom executive who is apparently in the know because Apple has already contacted carriers around the world to make necessary arrangements.
Swisscom, Apple’s partner, currently offers iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS. Apple also has distribution agreements in Switzerland with carriers Sunrise and Orange. Unlike the other two carriers, Swisscom does not offer authorized carrier unlock even though Apple itself sells unlocked iPhones in the country via its online Apple Store. Lowell McAdam, a new CEO for Verizon Wireless, suggested in a conference call with analysts today that the next iPhone should come out this Fall:
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…If Verizon’s CEO doesn’t know when the next iPhone is coming out, how on Earth would a senior executive for Swisscom have this information? On the other hand, even if McAdam knew the launch date, it’d be still up to Apple to announce it. A number of conflicting reports have arisen in the past few weeks, ranging from multiple iPhones in Fall to a major iPhone overhaul early next year and beyond. The rumor-mill has long been calling for a September launch, based on leads from Apple’s suppliers and manufacturing partners in Asia. Given Phone Italia’s hit-and-miss record you’re advised to take their report with a healthy does of skepticism.
