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Verizon Vacation Blackout Could Be iPhone 5 Release Date

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Verizon needs all hands on deck at the end of September. What could that possibly be about?

We've heard plenty of rumors regarding the iPhone 5 announcement date, but far fewer as far the actual release date is concerned. Today brings us a new one, though, as it seems Verizon is discouraging employees from taking vacation days during the last week of September.

TechCrunch cites an inside source at Verizon who says the carrier has put an all-staff vacation blackout in place from Friday, September 21 to Sunday, September 30. September 21 is roughly a week after the rumored September 12 announcement, which seems to gel with iPhone announce and release schedules of years gone by.

Apple, of course, has yet to send out invitations to any such event, but it's widely believed the company will announce the new iPhone (also referred to as 'iPhone 5') in September. The company last year ditched its June refresh cycle and delayed the iPhone 4S until October. The iPhone 4S was announced October 7 and hit stores a week later, on October 14.

As far as specs go, the iPhone 5 is rumored to boast a larger 4-inch display (compared to the 3.5-inch display in the old and current models), as well as 4G LTE connectivity.

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20 Comments Comment from the forums
  • subaru41
    I remember over 2 years ago when HTC came out with EVO 4G phone with a 4.3 inch screen. It was awesome running 4G and a having a large display.

    Now over 2 years later, Apple has finally caught up and will be releasing its first 4G phone and larger display of 4 inches. WOW they are really ahead of the competition (sarcasm).

    Watch for the lines of the Apple commies to start camping in line for the one phone, one choice a year that Apple releases.
    Reply
  • face-plants
    Good grief, if only the news networks would cover important issues half as thoroughly as Tom's covers every minuscule new detail about the iPhone 5. I'd love it if Apple's eventual announcement of the new iPhone is totally different than what all the leaks point to. Although that now seems unlikely.
    Reply
  • eklipz330
    i don't understand why people need to be so hostile towards apple news. they act as if they raped their mothers and killed the rest of their family. deal with it.
    Reply
  • subaru41
    eklipz330i don't understand why people need to be so hostile towards apple news. they act as if they raped their mothers and killed the rest of their family. deal with it.
    People are only hostile because of all the Apple bull crap and trying to stop sales of Android devices.

    http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57496833-37/apple-samsungs-galaxy-nexus-a-copycat-of-iphone/

    You never see hostility between Android and Windows, only stupid Apple commies that think they are better than everyone else and have to try and stop competitiveness when they are losing and way behind in the game.
    Reply
  • subaru41People are only hostile because of all the Apple bull crap and trying to stop sales of Android devices.http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3- of-iphone/You never see hostility between Android and Windows, only stupid Apple commies that think they are better than everyone else and have to try and stop competitiveness when they are losing and way behind in the game.
    Are you referring to all of the Apple patent trolling? That is why I cant stand Apple. I wish Apple would try to beat the competition in the market place and not in the courtroom. This whole patent rectangles and curves is ridiculous.
    Reply
  • leongrado
    Probably a good 80% of people who buy smart phones don't have any idea or care about hardware capabilities. It also happens that these 80% don't do more than use word and excel files and surf the web so they don't need high performance hardware. In fact, Apple probably excels at most of these basic tasks because it's simple to use and has less viruses floating around (I'm aware that this is simply because fewer people write viruses for Macs). Apple just happens to be trendy and they've got their fancy looking Apple stores in malls. If people want to buy Apple, let them. Whatever makes the consumer happy.
    Reply
  • joebob2000
    There must be more to the iPhone 5 story. Like the others pointed out, a 4 inch screen and 4G data is really a snoozer. They couldnt get away with calling this the iPhone 5, the apple stock price would tumble and California would go bankrupt. The sizzle must be something like uber-NFC (for payments AND microloans AND tipping bellhops AND donating to homeless guys) or maybe a feature that actually has phone calls for you based on your settings and what you want to tell someone (like "call my mom and explain that i wont be able to make it for mothers day this year). Something BIG. If they just have a new screen and a camera with one more lens, people are literally going to puke.
    Reply
  • nebun
    subaru41I remember over 2 years ago when HTC came out with EVO 4G phone with a 4.3 inch screen. It was awesome running 4G and a having a large display.Now over 2 years later, Apple has finally caught up and will be releasing its first 4G phone and larger display of 4 inches. WOW they are really ahead of the competition (sarcasm). Watch for the lines of the Apple commies to start camping in line for the one phone, one choice a year that Apple releases.dude anything over 4 inches is big and very hard to use with one hand....i have the Rezhound and the screen is way to large for comfortable use....good on apple that is not jumping and the large and cumbersome bandwagon...can't wait for the new iphone....the lack of 4g is what kept me from purchasing one....now, i don't have that excuse anymore
    Reply
  • teh_chem
    joebob2000There must be more to the iPhone 5 story. Like the others pointed out, a 4 inch screen and 4G data is really a snoozer. They couldnt get away with calling this the iPhone 5, the apple stock price would tumble and California would go bankrupt. The sizzle must be something like uber-NFC (for payments AND microloans AND tipping bellhops AND donating to homeless guys) or maybe a feature that actually has phone calls for you based on your settings and what you want to tell someone (like "call my mom and explain that i wont be able to make it for mothers day this year). Something BIG. If they just have a new screen and a camera with one more lens, people are literally going to puke.NFC was rumored as one of the additions to the next iphone.

    But even with that, it's sill nothing impressive over the 4S. And I believe that the only reason Apple decided to go with the larger screen and the different dock connector was because they got a lot of flack from critics of the 4S, noting that it looks no different than the 4. LOL @ the Samsung (I think it was Samsung) commercial poking fun at people waiting in (what looked like) an Apple store line during the 4S release, and one person goes, "dude, if it looks the same, how will everyone else know I have the new one...?"

    Apple's been the most decent with aesthetics in order to differentiate themselves from the rest. But everyone else has caught up to what is ergonomically-realistic. There's not really anywhere else to go hardware-wise. You've gotta develop the services.
    Reply
  • punahou1
    subaru41People are only hostile because of all the Apple bull crap and trying to stop sales of Android devices.http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3- of-iphone/You never see hostility between Android and Windows, only stupid Apple commies that think they are better than everyone else and have to try and stop competitiveness when they are losing and way behind in the game.
    Plus they were publicly reamed for having 12 year olds manufacture their phones in China. Yes other companies were guilty as well but Apple got the bad press.
    Reply