Apple is also pushing for a summer unveiling of the new handset

Apr 3, 2013 08:20 GMT  ·  By

Apple is reportedly gearing up to release its next iPhone this summer. The company has commissioned its assembly partner(s) to start production in a few months, according to people familiar with the production of the device.

The next-generation iPhone from Apple is entering production this summer, according to people who are familiar with the situation, the Wall Street Journal reports.

According to the newspaper, “Apple Inc. […] plans to begin production of a refreshed iPhone similar in size and shape to its current one in the second quarter of the year, according to people familiar with the device's production, teeing up a possible summer launch for the next version of its flagship device.”

The article adds that Apple is also working on a cheaper version of the handset “that could be launched as soon as the second half of this year.”