Rumor: iPhone 5 Will Launch at End of June

A report from the Korean site ETNews.co.kr claims that Apple will release the iPhone 5 on the 4th week of June. This rumor directly opposes the previous claim from TechCrunch that Apple would push back the iPhone 5 announcement to later this fall.

ETNews bases this report on inside knowledge that Korean wireless providers SK Telecom and KT will be the first to carry Apple’s next iPhone. Will we see an iPhone 5 hardware announcement at WWDC this summer after all?

“iPhone 5,’ the next model of iPhone 4, will be released on the coming 4th week of June. In the midst of the iPhone 5 postponement rumors, Apple has confirmed that iPhone 5 will be released as planned and it will be released simultaneously in Korea through SK Telecom and KT.”

MacRumors clarifies this rumor,

“The sourcing of the article is a little suspect, as it appears to be attributing the information to Apple, itself. It also contradicts the “fall” timeframe that has been previously proposed for the next iPhone release. Mobile carriers, however, have been a source of some early release information, as new phones launches must be coordinated.

Finally worth noting is that the story was also posted to etnews.co.uk on April 1st, though there is no indication that it was meant as an April Fools joke. We’ve contacted the author but have not yet received a reply.”

Hopefully this report isn’t just an April Fool’s joke. We’ll keep you updated as this story develops.

Do you think Apple will release the iPhone 5 this summer? Or will we see a different schedule of releases from Apple this year?