Apple WWDC announced for June 6, but no iPhone 5 until later this year

While Apple fans may be frustrated over stock shortages for the iPad 2, they may have to wait even longer for the next gadget from the California tech giant with new reports suggesting the iPhone 5 won’t be released until the Australian Spring.

The rumour comes alongside an announcement from Apple that its annual WWDC will be held from June 6-9 this year. A press invitation saying “come see the future of iOS and Mac OSX” has all but confirmed the new rumours that new hardware won’t make an appearance.

This lines up with previous reports that Apple would release an iPad 3 later this year, just before the holiday season.

Apple sent the invitations to press organisations last night, inviting them to attend the annual WWDC event.

“At this year’s conference we are going to unveil the future of iOS and Mac OS. If you are an iOS or Mac OS X software developer, this is the event that you do not want to miss,” senior vice president of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller told All Things Digital.

The WWDC is one of the biggest Apple events of the year and is usually the place where the company announces major new technical innovations. The iPhone has debuted at the WWDC the past three years.

It is also the launching pad for the annual updates to the iOS platform, bringing suites of new features to iPod, iPhone and iPad devices.

But insiders are beginning to hear rumblings of a different approach to this year’s schedule.

All Things Digital has reported hearing that WWDC will be a software-only event, as has TechCrunch and The Loop. Any new hardware will be delayed until later in the year.

The fact Apple hasn’t previewed the iOS 5 software yet has left many tech analysts and developers scratching their heads. Apple usually gives developers time to download the SDK and get their apps ready for the release of the next iOS version, which usually lines up with the release of a new iPhone.

These reports indicate the announcements will still take place in that order, but will just be delayed for a few months.

Yesterday, there were new reports that the iOS 5 will be a major revamp and focus on cloud-based apps and services, including the introduction of a new “music locker” service.

Regardless of whether that will actually come to fruition, the fact Apple actually mentioned the iOS software in the announcement text is a clear indication that something big will happen on June 6 in this area.

By pushing back an iPhone 5 release to the Australian Spring, Apple is gearing up for a massive season of releases. Not only will the iPhone 5 be debuted, but it may come alongside the same annual September/October event Apple uses to debut new iPod and music devices.

This may be because the rumours suggest the iOS 5 software will focus on the new “music locker” service, which would fit in well with any new iTunes announcements.

Some analysts have also guessed that Apple could be delaying its usual iPhone launch to make any new hardware 4G-compatible.