iPhone 5 to be unveiled Oct 4 with Cook keynoting

Apple has narrowed down its iPhone 5 introduction event to October 4, insiders detailed Wednesday. The event is understood by AllThingsD to presage the release of the new device within "a few weeks" of the appearance, most likely in the first half of October. Contacts have also had Tim Cook presiding over the event, marking the first event Cook will oversee since Steve Jobs resigned as CEO.

As with other more recent events, including ones where Jobs was still in front, Cook won't be alone. Likely appearances will almost certainly bring iOS head Scott Forstall as well as Senior VP of Worldwide Product Marketing Phil Schiller. The arrival of iCloud may dictate the appearance of newly appointed Senior VP of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue.

A possible cameo by Jobs is pure speculation but could happen if the company wants to pay tribute to his service. Apple rarely paid major attention to its history during the period when Jobs had returned to Apple, at most reserving a brief mention while preferring to center on the future. Cook may also be eager to keep Jobs out to avoid spooking investors, many of whom might believe Apple has trouble letting go of its co-founder if he appears on stage again.

No extra details were given about the iPhone 5 itself in the leak, although a stable perception has emerged. The design is believed to be wider and thinner than its predecessor to accommodate a larger screen. It should also introduce the dual-core A5 to smartphone sizes, potentially outperforming Samsung. An eight-megapixel camera is considered near-certain, as is an upgrade to at least 14.4Mbps 3G on GSM version of the phone.

Sprint is expected to become the third US carrier, while more international carriers will also likely arrive, such as China Telecom and Japan's KDDI.

By Electronista Staff