iPhone 5 and iPad 3 for October launch?

Recently there have been reports that the iPhone 5 and the iPad 3 are to be launched in October. Apparently Apple's suppliers are gearing up for the new gadgets and you can read the details at Cnet, Digitimes and Apple Insider. Are they likely? Yes and no.

The speed of development of mobile phones is just as fast as it ever was and new models are being released all the time. They are getting better and better too. It has been over a year since the iPhone 4 was launched and while it still compares well against the competition it is unlikely to look so good as we progress into 2012. A new iPhone, even if it has only a few minor updates, is required before the end of this year. A lot of iPhone 4 owners are now ready for a new model and would willingly upgrade if they had the chance. A faster processor and higher resolution cameras are possible upgrades and there's the well-known aerial problem that plagues the iPhone 4. It hasn't damaged sales much, but a redesign to avoid the death grip issue would help.

So what about the iPad 3? I can't see that there would be any benefit in launching this for Apple. Sales of the iPad 2 are excellent and there is no need for a new version to boost flagging sales. They just aren't flagging. iPad 1 owners have an upgrade path and they can buy the iPad 2, which is significantly better. They don't need an iPad 3 to tempt them to upgrade. iPad 2 owners haven't had their device very long and may not have even paid off their credit card bill yet, so they would not want to upgrade to an iPad 3 so soon. An October launch of an iPad 3 would not do much for Apple's sales.

What might be good idea though is an iPad Mini - a 7in screen version. Steve Jobs once rubbished the idea and said it was too small, but I think a smaller and more portable iPad would be very popular. The iPad is great, but it isn't really that much more portable than a light laptop and I bet a lot of iPads have rarely left the home. Will we see an October launch of a 7in iPad Mini? Who knows, but it is certainly unlikely to be an iPad 3. I predict that we'll see an update to the iPad in spring 2012, a year after the current model was launched.