It’s that time of the year were analyst begin to ratchet up speculation to the next generation iPhone. The latest rumor comes to us courtesy of Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, who claims that the iPhone 5S (assuming that’s what it’ll be called) will be announced in late June.
Of course, this totally contradicts what Apple’s release schedule has been like in past couple of years, with the company instead opting to bring out its flagship device in the Fall. Munster believes the tech giant will sell 4 million units of the new phone before the month and the quarter are over, which is 1 million less than the iPhone 5’s first week. He also expects Apple to move 30 million iPhones over the June quarter.
We can all expect the typical Apple spec bump it does with the S-version. So a faster processor, better camera, and new software features tied into the hardware, are all on the docket. This is not a surprising proclamation by Munster. However the Piper Jaffray analyst does believe that Apple will deliver an NFC (near-field communications) chip to jump off mobile payments. It’s the perfect differentiating feature to get consumers to bite.
Munster in his investor note mentioned some of the doubt investors have had with the company. “We believe investors have wondered if Apple can put out new and innovating products without Steve Jobs.” He continued saying “We believe that ultimately, if Apple is viewed as a company that can innovate, the multiple will improve.”
Regardless to what Apple ultimately does, the company has to show folks (investors) it can still innovate. Launching a cheaper iPhone is one of the things the company can do to gain more confidence in those investing, and consumers looking for a cheaper alternative.
[via cnet]