iPhone Math

The always reliable Jeremy Horwitz of iLounge has debunked some of the rumors we covered in our first 2013 rumor roundup. Apple is currently developing three iPhones, but that does not mean we will see all three in 2013. U.S. Apple fans will be getting an iPhone 5S this year. It will look like the iPhone 5 and feature a "larger rear flash," according to Horwitz. Apple is also developing a low-cost” plastic-bodied iPhone for China Mobile's 700 million subscribers. It''s unclear if the more affordable iPhone will ever make its way to the U.S..

As for my favorite recent Apple rumor, the iPhone Math is most likely the iPhone+. It's another new model in early prototyping stages which probably won't be released this year, if at all.

"Consider it Apple’s 'just in case / Plan B' hedge against ever-growing Android phone screen sizes," explained Horwitz.

Horwitz did not address the unnamed iPhone with a 12MP camera, which also came from the iPhone Math camp, but it could just be the iPhone 5S.

Unlike like the previous couple of years which were filled with dreams of tear-dropped iPhones, the start of 2013 has been pretty quiet for the normally busy Apple rumor mill. The end of 2012 put an end to some the biggest Apple rumors with the launch of the iPad 4, the iPad mini, and the long awaited iPhone 5. This is also why Wall Street is predicting a slow start to the new year for Apple, and why AAPL is down even after the company recently announced a record $54.5 billion in revenue.

Apple CEO Tim Cook promised iOS fans some "amazing new products" in the company's quarterly earnings press release released yesterday. Here's what the rumor mill thinks they will be.

iPhone 5S:

Some analysts are promising a 2013 summer release for the iPhone 5S. Apple isn't expected to make any changes to the iPhone's form factor like it did with the iPhone 5, but purported photos of leaked iPhone 5S parts show minor changes to the aluminum chassis. It is also rumored that Apple will offer the iPhone in an iPod touch-like array of colors, and introduce a Home button fingerprint sensor system.

It's bad enough that the mainstream media and blogosphere have been predicting Apple's demise due to supply chain rumors and analyst predictions, but now a new report from BrightWire has some Apple fans really concerned. BrightWire claims Chinese and Taiwanese news sources are reporting that Apple plans to release three new iPhone models in 2013, and one of the models will be called the iPhone Math!

Not only is it hard to believe Apple would pick such a ridiculous sounding name for an iPhone, but many believe the original meaning was lost in translation. However, BrightWire is sticking to its story while reminding people it's only a rumor. According to the original report, Apple plans to release both the iPhone 5S and iPhone Math before the end of June. The iPhone 5S will feature a 4-inch display, while the iPhone Math will sport a larger 4.8-inch display. Both cameras will be equipped with 8 megapixel cameras, and the third unnamed phone will feature a 12 megapixel camera.