Apple now training employees on iOS 5, iCloud?
Sources tell 9to5Mac that Apple has already started training its store employees on the upcoming iOS 5 and iCloud, which typically happens a couple of weeks before a new launch.
Apple has reportedly already begun training its retail store employees on both iOS 5 and iCloud, sources have told 9to5Mac.
Such training usually kicks in a couple of weeks before a new product actually launches, which could mean that the latest iOS release and new cloud-based service may debut before the rumored timeframe of mid or late October.
These dates may also indicate the timing of the iPhone 5, according to 9to5Mac, which says that Apple usually unveils a new iOS version "in the days surrounding" a new iPhone. Last year, Apple released iOS 4 on June 21, and then followed that up with the iPhone 4 on June 24.
The tidbit about the new training leads 9to5Mac to stick with its original forecast that the iPhone 5 will be available for pre-order late September and then officially hit the market in early October. European carrier and T-Mobile USA parent Deutsche Telekom reportedly has already started letting customers reserve the new iPhone before it's even been announced.
Related stories:
• iPhone 5 rumor roundup
• Inside the iPhone 5
• iPhone 5 launch date: Battle of the Best Buy leaks
• Deutsche Telekom accepting iPhone 5 reservations
To ready the iPhone 5, Apple suppliers Foxconn and Pegatron have allegedly started manufacturing hardware for the new phone, according to Japanese Apple news site Macotakara. The site is pointing to a launch date for the new iPhone of early October but says it won't reach Asian markets until later next month.
Citing intel from a Chinese source, Macotakara claims that since iOS 5 isn't yet ready, the iPhone 5 handsets are being stocked but not packaged so that they can easily be updated once the new OS is complete. However, both AppleInsider and Boy Genius Report say that Macotakara has a mixed track record at forecasting certain Apple news, so some of its information should probably be taken with a grain of salt.
Finally, one more rumor says that two companies are building the 8-megapixel camera expected to pop up in the iPhone 5. Largan Precision and Genius Electronic, who supplied the 5MP lenses for the iPhone 4's camera, are producing the higher resolution lens for the new iPhone, according to Taiwan Economic News. Other reports have also said that the next iPhone would sport a better quality 8MP camera.