BY BOB HOLT

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

Reports from a facility in China that produces Apple products are indicating that the iPhone 5 is being set for production.

The 9to5Mac site reports that production of the iPhone 4S production began in earnest about late spring 2011, and the device launched in October. Allowing the same lead time would bring an iPhone 5 release in the summer, or perhaps by the Worldwide Developers Conference in June.

Beginning with the initial iPhone release in 2007, Apple began a pattern of launching its iPhones in the summer, which was broken with the release of the iPhone 4S in October 2011. That change has brought on considerable speculation about the date the iPhone 5 would become available.

Reports are saying the iPhone 5 will have a 4-inch display, and will be symmetrical in thickness, as opposed to previous rumors of it being in a teardrop shape. The phones are also expected to be longer and wider. None of the prototypes are said to be in final form.

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But PC World believes that Apple won’t be in any hurry to launch the iPhone 5, especially after recording their enormous earnings report. They say the company risks alienating their fans if they release the new device less than ten months after putting out the iPhone4S. PC World believes the company would only release the phone early to provide support for 4G LTE networks.

Apple will be facing competition from the Google Androids and the upcoming Windows 8 system this year, and may be ready to make changes to its product. According to the Christian Science Monitor, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus has a 4.65-inch screen.