All signs point to the iPhone 5 reaching shelves within proverbial minutes, and its 2011 release date means Apple has managed to avoid the disastrous scenario in which an iPhone 4S would have been its interloping flagship model heading into the holiday season. Instead, if there is an iPhone 4S in the works, it’ll be the sideshow bargain model as the iPhone 5 takes center stage. After making would-be iPhone 5 buyers wait a year and a quarter for the iPhone 4 era to be over, sticking them with another warmed-over iPhone 4 with mere spec boosts as their only “upgrade” option would have seen current iPhone 4 users staying home and owners of the aging iPhone 3GS wondering what they waited for. Instead the buzz is now that there will in fact be an eight gigabyte budget-oriented iPhone 4 revamp coming to market (presumably priced somewhere from $99 to free), and while it might indeed be called iPhone 4S in order to distinguish it from the 2010 model, it won’t get in the way of a presumably massively overhauled iPhone 5 release date. Two Beatweek readers weigh in on the matter, one on the relief of dodging the iPhone 4S-only scenario, and the other on the negative consequences of Apple dragging its feet.

“I severely fear rumors of Apple making the disastrous decision to deploy an iPhone 4S or whatever they would name the slightly hardware-only upgraded model of the current iPhone 4,” says Bay Area CA. I know the rumors are also pointing to a compete overhaul by means of “leaked case” designs but given Apple tight lipped policy it could go either way at this point. And while I think Mr. Jobs is a (brilliant) genius I do feel his immovable stance on his decisions could cause him to think the 4s would be suffice. But at the end of the day, other rumors of Apple ordering up to 15 million devices for launch day undoubtedly points to a radical redesign as they would not expect unviversally impossible (for other companies) sales forecasts unless they knew this new overhaul would tempt current iPhone 4 owners and probably even make resistance to upgrade futile to upgrade their roughly year old (or slightly older) iPhones.” Meanwhile, Beatweek reader bppump911 points out that damage is already being done thanks to the still unexplained iPhone 5 release date delay…

Ok, Apple, it’s time to get some product out the door,” he opines, “and I’m not referring to ‘giving away’ the old iPhone 3GS – I’m referring to the iPhone 5.
Apple is on a serious roll right now, just behind (and sometimes ahead) of Exxon/Mobil as the most valuable company in the world.  At this point, if every Apple manufacturing plant burnt to the ground, the Apple brand and technology have sufficient value for Apple to lose little market capitalization.  Apple has become a cultural icon, as well as a business…


”But let’s not become complacent.  As Apple is aware, history is filled with examples of giant companies that rested on their laurels, only to be surpassed by their (smaller) competitors.  If you had told someone in 1960 that GM was going to become a bankrupt company, you would have been considered (at the most polite end of the spectrum) “eccentric.”  The lesson is both clear and harsh – innovate or die.
Now I am in no way suggesting that Apple is near death, or even suffering from a bad cold.  But I am reminding Apple that with every day that passes without the iPhone 5, the Apple brand takes a small hit.  The last thing that Apple (or any similar company) wants or needs is the perception that problems exist in bringing new items to market. So, Apple, enough.  Bring the iPhone 5 to market ASAP.  Time is not on your side.”