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iPhone 5S production rumored to have already begun

Production of the iPhone 5S is beginning, at least in part, according to a Japan-based report.

Brooke Crothers Former CNET contributor
Brooke Crothers writes about mobile computer systems, including laptops, tablets, smartphones: how they define the computing experience and the hardware that makes them tick. He has served as an editor at large at CNET News and a contributing reporter to The New York Times' Bits and Technology sections. His interest in things small began when living in Tokyo in a very small apartment for a very long time.
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iPhone 5S production is under way. So says a Japan-based report.
iPhone 5S production is under way. So says a Japan-based report. Apple

iPhone 5S production has already kicked off, a Japanese-language Apple blog reported today.

Foxconn has begun "partial production" of the iPhone 5S, a "reliable source" has told Macotakara. Both MacRumors and AppleInsider cited the report earlier today.

The 5S is being built on the same production line as the iPhone 5, according to Macotakara.

The Japanese blog goes on to claim that NTT Docomo is cutting back on orders for Android devices to make way for introduction of the iPhone. NTT Docomo does not currently carry the iPhone.

Rumors have been swirling in the last 24 hours as to when the iPhone 5S will become available. One analyst claims August, while another anticipates a June-July scenario.

Whichever it is, it would make sense for limited production to begin in March.

The 5S may use a new A7 Apple chip, a better camera based on a LED technology referred to as "Smart Flash, a fingerprint chip, and versions will support China's time-division duplexing (TDD) standard, according to recent speculation.