It’s the rumors that keep things interesting, except this time it’s coming from a stranger source than usual.
Per Macotakara, a recruiter for Foxconn’s growing Taiyuan plant may have inadvertently spoiled some of Appe’s 2012 iPhone plans. When interviewing with TV-Tokyo [past 6-minute mark], the staffer said the plant was explicitly hiring 18,000 workers “for the fifth-generation phone.” He expected the phone to come out in June.
As a recruiter and not a direct product overseer, the Foxconn worker’s knowledge of what would be happening isn’t certain. If accurate, he may only know enough for a recruiting drive and may not have the full picture. The phone may only be shipping or starting production in June, which could put a launch weeks or months later.
The interview could still be a sign that Apple won’t wait until fall for its next revision and that the October release of the iPhone 4S was a singular exception rather than starting a new pattern. Based on new iPad components, many now anticipate Apple jumping to LTE support. It might also get an A6 processor that wasn’t ready in time for the new iPad. Conflicting rumors have left debate open as to whether or not there will be a larger screen.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.