Analyst Mark Moskowitz of JP Morgan is putting his two-cents into all the rumors regarding the iPhone 5. He is fairly confident Apple will announce two new models. The big brother will be the iPhone 5 and the little brother will be something along the lines of an iPhone 4 Plus.
While he expects the iPhone 5 to be a completely redesigned model, the iPhone 4 Plus would just include some minor improvements over the iPhone 4. Perhaps an improved camera and antenna system could be some of the minor enhancements in the Plus. As for the iPhone 5’s drastic changes, Moskowitz expects a thinner and lighter form factor along with support for both GSM and CDMA built-in to the antenna system, essentially making it a world phone. On the downside, he does not foresee 4G speeds any time soon in any phones Apple makes. At the same time, this is a saving grace for those of us who cherish the iPhone 4’s tremendous battery life.
The name of “iPhone 4 Plus” is definitely odd, I must admit. I don’t think Apple would name any of their products this because I don’t recall a time where they used the “plus” suffix. If anything, a cheaper iPhone would get the rumored iPhone 4S title. Pricing is another point of concern. Apple’s original plans last year was for the 3GS to sell at $99 (it has since dropped to $49) and the iPhone 4 for $199. Many recent smartphones have been making the move to the $249 price tag, and Apple may want to take advantage of that. After all, we are talking about a company that sells 17-inch laptops for more than $2,000.
An announcement is rapidly approaching, so we’ll find out soon enough whether these rumors hold any water.