No Apple iPhone 5 in 2011?

Rumors are floating around the web that there will be no iPhone 5 launch in 2011. Yesterday when Apple announced that the WWDC 2011 will be held between Junes 6  to 10, everyone expected an iPhone 5 announcement as Apple had launched the iPhone 4 at the same event last year.

Previously the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 3GS were launched at the WWDC and experts had predicted that Apple will follow the same pattern for the launching the iPhone 5, but it now appears that the WWDC will only unveil iOS 5 and MacOSX Lion.

Apple Insider and other websites report that Apple's various Chinese vendors are yet to receive orders for the iPhone 5 parts, which indicates that there is still no production planned for the device. Since the suppliers need some lead time to manufacture and give the parts to Apple, a launch by holiday season of 2011 looks unlikely. It indicates a late 2011 or early 2012 launch.

The Japanese tsunami has not helped Apple as many critical parts for the iPhone and the iPad are manufactured in Japan. Toshiba, Apple's primary manufacturer of flash drives has already shut down a couple of factories in Japan. A number of battery manufacturers in Japan are also having similar issues related to the production of Lithium-ion batteries.

Previously, it has been reported that the iPhone 5 will sport a larger display and a brand new aluminum back.