The Guardian has reported that the iPhone 5 is internally being tested by carriers and we could see it in as little as a few weeks. The testing is going underway with high security with only a few individuals being able to access the new device to reduce the probability of having any leaks.
The next iPhones go for their testing inside locked and sealed boxes so that the carriers can carry out checks on their network compatibility in their labs. It’s very high security, as you could guess; my understanding is that barely anyone inside the carriers gets to open those boxes, and even when they do the hardware is encased in a dummy body which means there’s no clue to what the actual phone will do. This, by the way, is what led to “Antennagate”: there simply hadn’t been enough people outside Apple who had tried the iPhone 4 at length in its real form to discover the problems with its reception.
If this report is true, it means that the iPhone 5 is out there and once it gets approval by the carriers, all Apple has to do is manufacture them and release them to us. This is most likely true since Apple only releases the devices to carriers only weeks before the public release is expected, to reduce on unexpected leaks from the carriers.
What do you think? When will the iPhone be released? Discuss it in the comments below!