At WWDC 2011, Apple announced the most extensive update to its mobile platform as yet. iOS 5 brings over 250 new features to iPhone, iPad and iPod touch the first iOS 5 beta was seeded to developers the very next day. Nearly three months have passed and the seventh iOS 5 beta was seeded just a couple of weeks ago. Now it looks like the final release of iOS 5 is close as reports indicate that Apple will be shipping iOS 5 GM for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch to its assemblers.
Concorde Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a bitter sweet track record in these matters, claims that Apple will be seeding iOS 5 GM for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch to its assemblers in the Far-East. He further added that assemblers have already started producing the fifth generation iPhone and iPod touch and when they receive iOS 5 GM build, they will load it on to these devices and prepare them for shipping. It is expected that Apple will seed iOS 5 GM to assemblers between September 23 to September 30.
Kuo's statements line up perfectly with the rumours we have been hearing about iPhone 5 release. If Apple is going to seed iOS 5 GM in the next couple of weeks to its assemblers there's a huge possibility that iPhone 5 units have been manufactured and are awaiting the arrival of software that will come pre-loaded on them when they are shipped. Considering the shipping time, one can expect iPhone 5 release date to be somewhere in mid-October, whereby October 21th has been cited as a possible date.
Earlier this week Apple released iTunes 10.5 beta 8 but no iOS 5 beta 8 was released. It is possible that Apple will release iOS 5 GM for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch to the public in the coming week. The GM build is quite similar to the final version of the software. As far as the iPod touch 5G is concerned, it has been rumoured that Apple will release a white iPod touch and will also add 3G capability in iPod touch. One must bear in mind that we have yet to hear official details about any of the upcoming products from Apple, however we are quite sure that some really big announcements will be made in the coming week. Fingers crossed!