At the same time Bloomberg said Apple is testing a third-generation iPad with higher resolution than the iPad 2, something closer to the pixel density on the iPhone 4's 3.5-inch, 960x640 screen. It didn't mention timing, but earlier this month research firm CLSA told the Wall Street Journal that the "iPad 3" might launch just before Christmas.
Apple is also developing a smaller, cheaper version of the iPhone 4 for emerging markets, Bloomberg reported.
Bloomberg's Wednesday report echoes a few enduring rumors about Apple's unannounced mobile devices. In January AppleInsider first reported sources saying the "iPhone 5" will host an A5 processor. Back in February Apple COO Tim Cook had publicly hinted at a cheaper iPhone for emerging markets.
Meanwhile as reported last week, iOS 5 will supposedly support full 1080p video, which would work well with the alleged 8-megapixel feature Sony CEO Howard Stringer hinted at back in April.
On Tuesday, Boy Genius Report's Jonathan Geller gave us our Apple rumor of the day. He said he'd "confirmed" with alleged sources that the next iPhone will be a complete version upgrade rather than a minor update. Geller also reported that the next iPhone will have a "radical" new shape, perhaps something like the teardrop-shaped profile pitched by This Is My Next last April. With less certainty, Geller's sources guessed that Apple would make the announcement in August or at its annual iTunes conference in September.
Meanwhile last Thursday, AppleInsider reported that Apple was withholding the next iPhone and iPod Touch until it finalized a bundled version of iOS 5 and iCloud.
As far as timing of the next iPhone's launch, last week Apple began selling an unlocked, unsubsidized iPhone 4, immediately fueling speculation that Apple was purposely creating a high-cost barrier on the year-old iPhone 4 so people would wait and eventually purchase a subsidized fifth-generation iPhone this fall.
How much can you trust a Bloomberg-originated iPhone rumor? For what it's worth, in June 2010 it was spot-on when it re-iterated earlier rumors about the Verizon iPhone launching in January 2011.
For a roundup of the biggest iPhone 5 rumors from the first half of the year, check out 8 Likely iPhone 5 Rumors, and 2 Wild Ones.
For more from Sara, follow her on Twitter @sarapyin.
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