Apple will obviously be bringing out a new model of the iPhone this year that many believe will just be a refresh of last year’s handset, and repeat what the company has done historically with the device. Now new claims have emerged that iPhone 5S production is supposedly underway to get ready for a summer launch.

We heard yesterday that the company may release the iPhone 5S sometime during the summer and new rumours are now suggesting that production of the handset is already underway at Foxconn, and is being built on the same production lines as the current iPhone model.

It is being suggested that as the design of the iPhone 5S is almost identical hardly any extra tooling is required to manufacture the smartphone, and the same source is claiming that the Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo has started to reduce orders of Android smartphones in readiness to launch the handset on its network later this year.

Apple has a history with releasing an S model of the iPhone, and this time around the iPhone 5S is thought to include an improved processor and camera, but not much else except improvements to the handsets build quality that will hopefully cure the cosmetic damage some owner’s handsets have been seeing.

Despite the increase in size to the display with the iPhone 5 many Apple fans were left a little disappointed with the device, but the Apple ecosystem arguably remains the best there is depending on what you want from a smartphone.

Were you hoping for something more than an iPhone 5S this year?

Source: .Macotakara via Google Translate.