Apple's next-generation iPhone will have a faster processor and will begin shipping in September, according to three people with direct knowledge of the company's supply chain.
The production of the new iPhone will start in July/August and the smartphone will look largely similar to the iPhone 4, one of them said.
The iPhone — introduced in 2007 with the touchscreen, on-demand application template now adopted by its rivals — remains the gold standard in the booming smartphone market.
Reports on the timeline of the new iPhone launch vary, though it is largely expected that Apple will likely refresh its iPhone 4 later this year.
The sources declined to be identified because the plans for the new iPhone were not yet public. An Apple spokeswoman in Hong Kong was not available for comment.
The iPhone is one of Apple's most successful products, with more than 16 million sold in the last quarter of 2010 and the product accounted for more than a third of the company's sales in the quarter.
The current iPhone 4 was launched by Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs in June last year and began shipping the same month in 2010.
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