Apple is hard at work on the development of iOS 5 as OS 10.7 Lion prepares for its summer debut. According to some sources, iOS 5 may be delayed or released in Fall to make way for OS X Lion’s release at WWDC.
Traditionally Apple announces a new version of the iPhone accompanied by a refresh of iOS in June or July. A preview of iOS precedes the World Wide Developer’s Conference in Summer but Apple may opt to announce the next generation mobile os and ship later in the fall. Rumors of the iPhone 5 have been far and few between. We’ve heard a slightly remodeled case sporting a metal back is in the works accompanied by NFC for mobile payments but nothing major about the next generation phone has been leaked.
A fall release of iOS 5 would give Apple adequate time to focus on developing OS X Lion for a summer release. Releasing OS 10.7 at WWDC isn’t out of the question if iOS 5 will be pushed to a fall launch.
Cloud based storage and heavy online integration with OS X Lion is at the top of the rumor chain for iOS 5. A source close to Tech Crunch had this to say about iOS 5:
-The new iOS will be heavily built around the cloud, and we could see several new services launch from Apple that take advantage of this.
-Yes, one of those is very likely a “music locker†service. There is also a fall launch aim for this, during Apple’s annual music-themed event.
-But much of the cloud stuff will first be talked about at WWDC, Apple’s developer event which will take place in June.
-One of the new cloud service elements is likely a location service that focuses on finding friends and family members.
-OS X Lion is still on pace for a summer release — some of the new cloud components are likely to be baked into it as well.
If iOS 5 is delayed or released in Fall, the iPhone 5 may either ship alongside an iPod refresh in September or with a new update to iOS 4.