Is Apple Testing the iPhone 6, iOS 7?

That a new iPhone will arrive this year is no surprise, but Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) may be much farther ahead in the development of the seventh-generation of its smartphone than many imagine. According to The Next Web, the company has already begun testing a new iPhone as well as the next version of the iOS mobile operating system.

Looking for Clues

The website said application developers had found references to a new iPhone identifier, iPhone 6.1, and iOS 7 in their app usage logs. The iPhone 5, which was launched in September last year, uses the identifiers “iPhone 5.1” and “iPhone 5.2.” It runs on iOS 6. The requests originate from an Internet protocol address on Apple’s Cupertino campus.

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“Although OS and device data can be faked, the unique IP footprint leading back to Apple’s Cupertino campus leads us to believe this is not one of those attempts,” the website said.

No other hardware or software feature specifics were offered in the developer logs, but Apple is known to release developer seeds of operating system updates. In May last year, the blog 9to5mac had noticed references to iOS 6 ahead of the software’s launch a month later.

CHEAT SHEET Analysis: Catalysts for a Stock’s Movement

One of the core components of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework focuses on the factors that could affect a company’s stock. News about a new iteration of a highly successful product cannot but provide a positive spark to the company’s stock. And Apple appears to have started the new year on a happy note, with shares rising more than 3 percent in premarket trading on Wednesday. The stock had closed at $532.17 on Monday.

Don’t Miss: Apple’s 4 New Patents to Kick Off 2013.