iPhone 5 Announcement to Mark Cook's Spot at Apple

iPhone fans: Mark your calendars…in ink. The next iteration of the iPhone is expected to roll out next week, according to media reports.

Apple is currently expected to hold its next big media event Oct. 4, citing “sources close to the situation,” All Things D reported.  Conflicting reports have placed the iPhone 5 announcement as early as late September to as late as mid-October. Of course, it’s still possible Apple could change plans again, but sources told All Things D that the new device will be available within a “few weeks” of the Oct. 4 media event.

The press conference will also mark newly appointed Apple CEO Tim Cook’s first major announcement since taking over for Steve Jobs one month ago. Jobs’ Aug. 24 resignation has conjured up a multitude of opinions from industry experts, particularly regarding how successful Cook will be in the new role and what this news will mean for Apple.

“[The event] will be newly installed CEO Tim Cook’s first big product introduction, and the place where the public will get a first lengthy impression of him that may well set the tone for Cook’s new role,” All Things D reported.

Although sources speculate it will be Cook to roll out the new product, it’s not definite. However, if another Apple executive takes the lead, it could undermine Cook’s role as Apple’s chief executive.

“To pass the presentation on to anyone else — even one of Apple’s key executives, such as Phil Schiller, who has handled the Macworld and Worldwide Developers Conference keynotes in 2009 — would undercut Cook’s new role and reinforce public perception that its legendary outgoing CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs is Apple, and that it will be a different company without him,” the report said.

Analysts and observers also claim Apple will introduce a low-end smartphone to grab a wider market share from rival handset makers offering Google's Android mobile operating system. Some speculation suggests Cook might unveil a “phone” which leaves out voice capabilities but includes 3G data capabilities to replace its high-end iPod Touch, which presently has no phone capabilities but offers the other functionality of an iPhone, such as a touch screen and app downloads.

In his previous role as COO, Cook was tasked with managing all of the company’s worldwide sales and operations, including end-to-end management of Apple’s supply chain, sales activities, and service and support in all markets and countries, TechZone360 reported. In addition, he was charged with heading Apple’s Macintosh division and played a key role in the continued development of strategic reseller and supplier relationships, ensuring flexibility in response to an increasingly demanding marketplace, according to company officials.