Apple is expected to release an iPhone 5S in June, a break from the pattern it’s established over the last two years, says Jefferies analyst Peter Misek in a note this morning.
Misek is predicting the iPhone 5S has a new “super HD camera/screen, a better battery, and NFC,” and “possible updates include an IGZO screen for Retina+, 128GB storage.” He’s also predicting it comes in 6-8 colors, presumably similar to the iPod Touch which comes in a bunch of colors.
The iPhone 4S and the iPhone 5 were released in the September/October time frame. The iPhone 3G and iPhone 4 came out in the June/July time frame.
Why flip back to the mid-year launch? Misek doesn’t give an answer, but Horace Dediu at Asymco has an interesting theory on why Apple would speed up its release cycle.
This year, Apple’s sales dipped significantly two quarters before the launch of a new iPhone. Consumers held off because they knew a new phone was coming. Apple wants to avoid loading all its sales into one half of the year. By accelerating its product releases it can avoid his problem.
Now, a note about Misek’s predictions. Misek had been making a lot of bad predictions about Apple TV for years. For instance, in August he said the Apple television was in full production and would be out by year end.
But, he nailed the iPhone 4S ahead of everyone else. In May 2011 when everyone was calling for an iPhone 5, he called for an iPhone 4S, which turned out to be accurate. So, his iPhone predictions seem trustworthy.
Source: Businessinsider.com
