Japanese Carrier To Start iPhone 5S Pre-Orders On June 20 Ahead Of July Launch

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Japanese telecom provider KDDI’s mobile branch is planning to kick off its iPhone 5S pre-orders on June 20 ahead of a launch in July, according to an internal document that has been making its way around the web. The carrier expects the device to offer a 13-megapixel camera as well as Apple’s latest iOS 7 operating system.

The document was reportedly meant for employees of AU, the mobile division of KDDI, and it was obtained by French blog NowhereElse, a reliable source for other Apple leaks. However, we’re not so sure this one is all that accurate.

It claims iPhone 5S pre-orders will begin on June 20, which means Apple may announce the device at WWDC the week before. Tim Cook made it pretty clear during Apple’s recent earnings call, however, that the Cupertino company didn’t have any plans for new hardware until this fall.

In addition to this, AU expects the iPhone 5S to launch with iOS 7 pre-installed. However, iOS 7 won’t be announced until WWDC, which means it won’t have chance to go through its usual testing process — which normally takes several months — if it launches a week later.

With these things in mind, it seems AU may have gotten the wrong end of the stick. Either that or this document is very old and Apple has since changed its iPhone 5S launch plans.

It’s more likely the iPhone 5S will launch this fall alongside a new low-cost model and new iPads, all of which will be powered by iOS 7 — once it’s ready for public release.

Source: NowhereElse

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