Apple to Unveil iPhone 5 Oct 4th - The UpStream

Apple to Unveil iPhone 5 Oct 4th

posted Thursday Sep 22, 2011 by Scott Ertz

Apple to Unveil iPhone 5 Oct 4th

I have very good news - the wait is almost over. In just a few days the tech media will finally stop talking about the iPhone 5's impending release! The reason, of course, is because Apple has scheduled a media event for October 4th. Based on reports that Sprint has canceled vacation time for mid-October and the fact that Apple really has nothing else going for it, it must be the release of the iPhone 5.

The phone, however, is not what I am intrigued about (big surprise, right?). We all know that Steve Jobs resigned as CEO not long ago. This unveiling will be the first one with new CEO Tim Cook at the helm. He has to be the presenter. Without him on stage, it will send the message that he is not cut out to fill the shoes of Jobs who, even during illnesses, has been on stage for major events.

How is this going to work for Cook? Hit the break for my take on the situation.

My guess is that he is going to play ringmaster. He doesn't quite have the personality, from what I understand, to really capture the hearts and minds of the people the way Jobs has. He is going to preside over the announcement, but allow a lot of the other senior executives to have a larger part than usual. We are likely to see the head of the iOS division, Scott Forstall, as well as new Senior VP Eddy Cue.

The real question is, will Jobs be on stage? It would be kind of a fun last stand, and could help get the crowd more excited. The flip is that it could undermine Cook's authority and public appearance. For Jobs to show up on stage, it could say to people that I don't quite trust this guy to run things without me. Of course, this is the guy who delayed the white iPhone 4 almost a year because he couldn't find the right color paint, so it might be an accurate statement. Either way, a statement like that to investors could scare away some of the people who truly believe that Jobs is Apple, and that the company doesn't stand a chance without him.

What do you think? Can Cook lead the show on his own or will he have to be propped up by his subordinates? Let us know in the comments section!

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