The report, co-authored by Lorraine Luk and Yukari Iwatani Kane (co-authorship is often used in orchestrated leaks to defray responsibility, should the company's plans change from what has been reported), says that Apple has placed orders for important components ahead of a launch in late September. People familiar with the matter told the WSJ that the new iPhone should be fairly similar to the iPhone 4, only with a smaller, thinner design and an 8 megapixel camera. This confirms what we've heard from other sources, like France Telecom CEO Stephane Richard back in May.
The WSJ also claims that the new iPhone will have Qualcomm wireless chips, which is again something we've heard before. Qualcomm chips are currently used for Verizon iPhones, but the GSM model iPhone 4 uses an Infineon chip instead.
The company's fifth iPhone model was supposed to arrive in the summer, as per the usual upgrade cycle, the report asserts, but it wasn't yet ready for mass production. That's due partially to assembly issues that manufacturer Hon Hai had with the new design, according to "two people familiar with the situation." These new claims echo what the WSJ reported yesterday about Apple's manufacturing plans for its next-generation handset.
Beyond the iPhone arriving in the fall, buyers can expect bigger changes in store for 2012′s iPhone release, the WSJ says. A "major iPhone revamp" is planned for next year, the report says, including new methods for charging, which Electricpig suggests might mean inductive charging. Also in keeping with what we've heard before (even from Apple itself), the WSJ reports that Apple is working on a cheaper phone, one that boasts an edge-to-edge display. No word on when such a device might be expected.
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