iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, Android reviews

China is the gift that keeps on giving. Only a week or so after news broke that the country was host to several fake Apple stores, we are now hearing reports that “iPhone 5? knockoffs, along with rubber cases for the next-generation iPhone are surfacing in that country.

Chinese counterfeiters got to work when they saw the recently leaked iPhone design plans, which may or may not have been authentic. It made the counterfeiters no difference, and knockoffs have now begun to surface. These devices being sold (~ $108 USD) as the “iPhone 5? run a JAVA-based OS, and feature MP3 and MP4 playback, and offer Wi-Fi support.

Although it does take cues from the leaked design images, it is not an exact copy. For starters, the home button is similar to previous iPhone models, and not the elongated form it takes in the design images. This device does feature tapered edges similar, but not the same as the design plans.

That leads us to the cases. MICGadget is reporting that cases being manufactured for the real next-generation iPhone are “now everywhere” in China. The cases show that the mute switch will be located on the opposite side of the device, while the device itself will be tapered along the edges.

In another report from 9to5Mac, these cases are compared to current iPhone 4 cases, and it shows that the next-generation iPhone may be slightly longer and wider than the current model. Again, these images show that the mute switch has been moved to the opposite side, and features rounded edges.

So, some crooks are trying to make a quick buck on some non-savvy buyers in China, while case manufacturers are rapidly pumping out molded rubber, ahead of the real, next-generation iPhone’s launch.

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AllThingsD has picked up on a Chinese report from Sohu.com, which claims that China Telecom has come to an agreement with Apple, and will be selling two new iPhone models this fall. The report specifically names October as the release timeframe.

Of course, one of the models being mentioned in the report is the next-generation iPhone, or as some call it- iPhone 5. Then the report makes mention of a “simplified” iPhone 4, which be a cheaper version of the current iPhone 4, and aimed at the much wider, low-end market.

None of this sounds too far-fetched to my mind. We’ve heard the October launch timeframe before. We’ve heard the cheaper iPhone 4, bit before too. We’ve even heard that Apple may be keeping the iPhone 3GS around as a low-rung device as well. We’ve also heard that Apple and China Telecom are in negotiations. It’s all starting to slide into place, to form a bigger picture.

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In a report fleshing out new rumors that the next-generation iPhone will be shipping in October, instead of the previously rumored September timeframe, The Guardian is reporting that the new iPhone is being tested in sealed boxes by Apple’s carrier partners. The report notes that the next-generation iPhone is in the final stages of testing, and that it could be approved in a matter of weeks, giving Apple plenty of time to meet demand for a September launch.

The report also points to the musings of RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramsky, who believes the new iPhone will be introduced in September as previously thought, due to remarks made by Apple executives at their last earnings call, which was held only a few weeks ago. There Apple executives noted that there would be a “future product transition” by the end of this quarter which ends this September. Reading into this remark, Apple got as close to acknowledging the new iPhone as there ever going to get before it’s unveiled on stage.

In other words, expect the new iPhone in September alongside Apple’s usual iPod refresh.

Mockup courtesy of MacRumors.

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Business Insider has picked up a report by Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu, who claims that the forthcoming iPhone update will be larger in scope than was previously thought. Specifically, Wu believes the next-generation iPhone will have a dual-core processor, a larger screen, and a thinner bezel. Other than that, he believes the new iPhone will look fairly similar to the current iPhone 4. Wu also believes that 4G LTE technology will not be making it’s way to the new iPhone, due to power consumption issues.

Wu’s report doesn’t sound unreasonable to me. However, recent discoveries of cases designed for the next-generation iPhone, suggest a different form-factor than what Wu described in his report. First off, these cases appear to be tapered. Secondly, the new iPhones, if these cases turn out to be accurate, will likely be longer and wider than the current iPhone. In other words, take Wu’s report with a grain of salt.

Also worth mentioning at this time, is a report from BGR, which claims that the new iPhone will launch in Canada on October 1st. Traditionally, the iPhone first launches in the US first, and then follows internationally a few weeks afterword. Perhaps we’re looking at a mid-September launch of the iPhone here in the States.

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