In short, iPhone rumors are very, very good for the bottom lines of mainstream and tech news sites. They may not be so good for Apple itself, however. In the quarter leading up to last year's launch of the iPhone 4S, Apple's iPhone sales fell 16 percent from the previous (third) quarter.
On the bright side, fourth quarter iPhone sales were up 21 percent from same quarter a year earlier, so the overall trend was positive.
What caused the short-term drop? Apple execs blamed the endless in the months leading up to the iPhone 4S's launch in October 2011. The company speculated that customers held off on buying an iPhone until the latest model arrived.
This Year's Model
Could history repeat itself this year? Quite likely. The scenario is familiar: Months of heated speculation; rampant rumors about features and specs; insider leaks; grainy photos purportedly of next-gen prototypes; and an expected fall launch date.