The anticipation of the iPhone 5 might have already affected global mobile sales and have produced lines at retail stores.
According to a Gartner report, Anshul Gupta has said people have decided to not go for new devices or upgrades in participation of "high-profile device launches."
During the second quarter of 2012, 419 million mobile devices were sold worldwide, representing a 2.3 percent decline compared to last year's second quarter.
The "high-profile device" is most likely an indirect mention of Apple's upcoming iPhone 5, which is expected to have an official release date of Sept. 21, after Apple's keynote announcement which is rumored to take place on Sept. 12. However, iMore suggests pre-orders could occur for the US shortly after the Sept. 12 keynote.
International markets however might have to wait until the first week of October for a release.
GottaBeMobile reported the iPhone 5 "will almost certainly" feature 4G LTE connectivity with AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon. The new iPhone will also feature the faster Apple A5X dual core processor, a smaller 8 or 9-pin dock connector, and a larger 4-inch Retina display potentially with a 16:9 aspect ratio.
International Business Times (IBT) adds handset would run on iOS 6, "which would be completely scalable to a larger 640 x 1136 display." Near Field Communication (NFC), 1GB RAM, an improved Siri, liquidmetal casing, an eight megapixel rear camera, and a two megapixel front-facing camera for video chatting are other rumors from IBT.
According to FBR Capital analyst Craig Berger in Forbes, the iPhone 5 launch may be the biggest event in Apple's history and expects to sell as many as 250 million units during its life. He adds there will be positive numbers as well for AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon, the three largest carriers of the latest iPhone.
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