The much-anticipated iPhone 5 will be a dual-mode device that supports CDMA and GSM networks, making it capable of working with both Verizon (News 
- Alert) and AT&T, an anonymous source told Tech Crunch.
Apple (News - Alert) currently provides support for each network, but not on the same device. The iPhone was exclusive to the AT&T’s (News - Alert) GSM network until earlier this year, when Apple launched a CDMA-capable handset with Verizon in February.
The dual-mode phone will do wonders for those traveling abroad, as the CDMA standard is not recognized by a number of nations outside of the U.S. By loading the iPhone (News - Alert) 5 with both chips, Apple will enable users to bounce back and forth between networks without any hassle.
The proof came from an unidentified developer, who showed Tech Crunch’s Robin Wauters how his company’s popular iOS application had been tested by what is “almost certainly” an iPhone 5. The source said that the device held two distinct groups of mobile network codes / mobile country codes and was running on the yet-to-be-released iOS 5 mobile operating system.
Consumers and media alike have been waiting somewhat impatiently for the iPhone 5 to make its official debut. Apple hasn’t introduced an iPhone since last summer, and has seemed to have pushed back the iPhone 5 launch on multiple occasions.
The latest report suggests that the next-generation iPhone will now arrive in October, a full month after most industry insiders expected the handset to hit stores.
Various media outlets have reported that Apple will begin accepting pre-orders for the new iPhone on September 30, followed by an official launch on October 7.
In addition, rumors have begun to swirl that Apple will launch not one phone, but two phones come this fall. Reuters reported late last night that Apple will release a cheaper, pared down and possibly prepaid version of the iPhone 4 within the next few weeks.
Two unnamed industry sources told the media outlet that the budget version of the iPhone 4 will provide only 8 GBs of memory, compared to the 16 or 32 GBs of storage space available with the traditional model.
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Beecher Tuttle is a TMCnet contributor. He has extensive experience writing and editing for print publications and online news websites. He has specialized in a variety of industries, including health care technology, politics and education. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.
Edited by Jennifer Russell
