iPhone 5S trial production starting soon for early launch?

A report from a Chinese-language Commercial Times suggests that Apple will soon begin trial production of the iPhone 5S. The report, which was relayed by DigiTimes, claims that after low yield-rates in the production of the iPhone 5, Apple has accelerated the certification processes for related parts and components for the iPhone 5S.

The paper goes on to claim that the iPhone 5S could enter volume production in the first quarter of 2013, and if this turns out to be true, the iPhone 5S may appear much sooner than many expect. Since its launch in 2007, the iPhone saw a yearly release cycle of June or July. This cycle was broken with the launch of the iPhone 4S in 2011, which wasn’t released until October. The iPhone 5 had the same release window, leading to most assuming that the yearly release date had simply moved. With rumours of an earlier production schedule, it’s possible that the 5S could return to the shipping window of the iPhone 3G, 3GS and 4 before it.

It’s worth mentioning that the Commercial Times doesn’t have the best record when it comes to reporting iPhone rumours, so it’s difficult to be confident about these latest reports. If it is true, however, we should expect to hear a lot more about the iPhone 5S in the next few months.