Re: iPhone 5S - They can't be serious, can they?
I can KIND of understand why Apple would maybe want to release the 5s early, but they need to watch out. Leaving this impression that the next generation is only 6 months ahead would likely cause more people to wait out their contracts and "hold-off" for the next big thing.
As for reasons that I could see Apple wanting to release a iPhone 5s: As the article says, production problems. This is likely due to the scratching issues on the Aluminum backs - they likely want to switch to another material that wont scratch as easily. I would think that this has slowed production times (due to the care it takes to assemble without scratching the case).
Additionally, with the 20% increase in cost that Samsung is charging for the chipsets, I would assume that Apple would want to integrate their own chipset (like the iPad 4) into the next iPhone to save cost. (
Samsung hikes processor fabrication prices on Apple by 20% | iMore.com) The sooner the better, im sure.
Finally, I wouldnt be surprised to see a slightly larger iPhone 5s with NFC. Whether you like it or not, there are a decent number of people who were not impressed by the iPhone5' s 4" screen and would like to have something wider as well. Now that the aspect is at 16:9, this should be easy, with only a slight sacrifice in pixel density.
All of these items seem "reactive" instead of "proactive"; not very apple-esq. I am hoping they are just making up for a slump and will get back on track soon.