Apple's iOS 5 has just completed its global rollout and now it looks like the next versions of its mobile operating system are already making an appearance. The Next Web revealed that it has received word from iOS App Store developers that they have seen references to future iPhone hardware and software in their app usage logs.
According to the report, the unnamed developers have seen references for Apple's upcoming iOS 7 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch operating system running on hardware relating to a new 'iPhone6,1′ identifier. Apple is expected to release the new version sometime in the middle of this year. The sources revealed that the IP addresses of the devices have originated from inside Apple's Cupertino, California campus, suggesting that the members of Apple's software development and app teams are already conducting compatibility tests of some of its popular applications on the App Store. Though the developer logs do not share the specifications on the hardware or software features, sources said Apple began working on the new version of iOS 7 toward the end of 2012 and will soon finalize the features to be included in the first public release of the software.
According to a 9to5mac report, the iPhone 6,1 hardware is the next step to the company's current iPhone 5,1 and iPhone 5,2 iPhone 5 models. A change to the first number of the hardware's numbering sequence indicated that Apple is planning to bring some major internal changes for the device. The tech giant has already been rumored to be working on a mid-2013 iPhone update widely referred to as the "iPhone 5S." However, at this point in time, it's not clear if the now-revealed references to iPhone 6,1 hardware point to a release in the middle part of the year.
