According to anonymous sources, the new iPhone will begin production in the second quarter of 2013, possibly setting it for a summer launch. Apple Inc. plans to begin production of a refreshed iPhone similar in size and shape to its current one in the second quarter of the year, according to people familiar with the device's production, teeing up a possible summer launch for the next version of its flagship device. At the same time, Apple continues to work with its manufacturing partners in Asia on a less expensive iPhone that could be launched as soon as the second half of this year, these people said. Sources have also apparently reiterated that a lower-cost iPhone is coming: as we've heard before, it's supposed to have a 4-inch screen and use a different casing than the traditional iPhone, possibly in multiple colors. The Wall Street Journal earlier reported that the company was working on a less expensive iPhone that could go on sale as soon as this year. Speculation about an iPhone 5S has been predictably regular, and though Apple has so far dodged addressing whether it has a low-cost phone on the way, the device has been reported from multiple sources.
– Apple might have a new version of the iPhone on store shelves this summer, reports the Wall Street Journal. The company plans to start production this quarter, though details are scarce on what, if any, major changes are in store. The iPhone 5 has been out since last September. The Journal's sources also say that Apple is separately pushing ahead with plans for a cheaper version of the iPhone—using a less expensive casing, for one thing—and that could be out in the summer as well. Both stories qualify as rumors, but the Verge notes that the Journal has a solid track record when it comes to Apple scoops.