With Friday's invite to a Sept. 28 Amazon event, we're one step closer to seeing the company's long-rumored tablet, but what about the iPhone? Yet another week has passed without a peep from Apple. AT&T announced it will get the Samsung Galaxy S II on October 2, but the iPhone 5? Nothing to see here; move along.
Of course, that still has not stopped the rumor mill. Now we're hearing that Apple will unveil it on October 4, that Samsung might sue as soon as it's released, that Al Gore thinks there's more than one iPhone, that T-Mobile will not have it this year, that touch panel production issues might delay some shipments, and more. It's rarely a slow "news" week where Apple's concerned.
Digitimes reported today that some Wintek-produced iPhone touch panels have a defect that might cause a delay in Wintek's shipping schedule. The glitch was referred to as a "delayed bubble," but Wintek told Digitimes that it still plans to ship on time. At this point, Wintek is handling about 25 percent of touch panel production for the iPhone 5, while TPK Holding is making 65 percent, and Chimei Innolux is handling the rest.
Despite possible delays, Apple apparently isn't slowing down. The Channel Register reported that Apple staff across the pond have been told not to take vacation during the first two weeks in October, fueling reports of an early October iPhone 5 launch.
Various iPhone-related dates have floated around for weeks, of course: September 5, September 7, and October 15, just to name a few. This week, we added October 4 to the mix when All Things D said Apple will hold its iPhone launch event that day in San Francisco. But an event this size typically needs a big venue, and bloggers soon realized that the Moscone Center is booked for an Oracle event that day. For more, see the "10 Places Apple Might Unveil the iPhone 5" slideshow below.
Carrier drama made headlines again this week, and this time it was bad news for T-Mobile. The company's chief marketing officer Cole Brodman said during a recent town hall that the carrier will not get the next-gen Apple smartphone this year. Maybe it will get it next year, or even land the rumored iPhone 4S, but we'll have to wait and see.
One person who apparently already knows Apple's plans is former vice president Al Gore. At the Discovery Invest Leadership Summit in South Africa, Gore mentioned "the new iPhones" coming out next year. Naturally that prompted hysterics; TWO iPhones!? Could it be?!
No matter how many iPhones Apple might release, it appears Samsung is gunning for them all. Apple sued Samsung for "slavishly" copying the iPhone and iPad with its Galaxy line of smartphones and tablets earlier this year, and that has kicked off similar lawsuits in almost two dozen lawsuits in countries around the world. Those suits could get even more expansive soon, as Samsung Korea is reportedly preparing to sue Apple for infringing wireless patents in the iPhone 5, even though it's not out yet.
For more, see last week's rumors as well as What the iPhone 5 Might Look Like and Six Amazing Phone Technologies We Want in iPhone 5.