Rumors claim Apple’s iPhone 5 and iPad 3 Suppliers Gearing up for October Launch

A new report by DigiTimes is claiming that the companies that manufacture and supply components to be used in the production of Apple’s next-generation iPhone and iPad devices are preparing for an October launch of both of these devices. The report cites sources throughout Apple’s supply chain and claims that Apple will be launching a single new iPhone model, which is expected as there was no new iPhone hardware previewed at the 2011 Worldwide Developers Conference, alongside the iPad 3.

While the iPhone rumors are hardly new, the iPad 3 news is somewhat surprising and contradicts what many had previously reported about the next iPad, including a report made this week by a FBR Capital Markets analyst stating that prototype iPad 3 models wouldn’t even appear until 2012. Apple launched the iPad 2 just a few months ago, packing quite a few improvements but lacking an upgraded display which dismayed journalists and users alike. The DigiTimes report claims that the new iPad 3 will remedy the display issue, with a source quoted that “Apple is considering designing an even thinner and lighter tablet PC with its panel resolution increasing to 250dpi.”

Analysts expect that Apple will ship somewhere between six and seven million units of the next iPhone handset – call it the iPhone 5 – in the third quarter alone. Combined with the still strong-selling iPhone 4, iPhone shipments for the quarter could reach up to 25 million. While there are few analyst reports that include an iPad 3 release in their predictions, with a new iPad launching before the holidays Apple could see 2011 sales top 40 million for their wildly-selling tablet device.

The DigiTimes report went a step further to name some of the companies that will be supplying parts for Apple’s devices, including display manufacturers Wintek and TPK, battery suppliers Dynapack and Simplo, chassis supplier Catcher and camera supplier Largan Precision. As expected, the devices will be put together by Foxconn at their plants in China.

Improvements for the next iPhone are expected to be somewhat minor, with most rumors pointing to a processor upgrade to the iPad 2’s “A5” chip, an upgrade to the rear camera, and possibly a slightly larger screen. It’s also expected that Apple will separate the rear camera from the flash, to reduce “red eye” artifacts in photos.

None of these rumors have been confirmed or denied by Apple, who has been keeping a tight lid on its device development.