Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster has something of a mixed track record predicting Apple product releases, having expected an Apple television set for several years now. Regardless, in a research note today, Munster predicted an iPhone 5S will be released in June, and a low-cost iPhone in September.
He believes the 5S will have incremental upgrades with a faster processor, better camera, and "an outside chance" that the device will gain an NFC chip as part of a digital wallet initiative. He also notes that some kind of biometric security feature is a possibility, but believes that is more likely in a future iPhone 6.
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Regarding the lower-cost iPhone, Munster writes:
We continue to believe Apple will have a cheaper phone product to address the emerging markets. In recent public comments, Tim Cook noted that the original iPod cost $399 and eventually the company released a $49 iPod Shuffle which addressed a broader market. We believe Apple will likely introduce a cheaper device in the September quarter.
Earlier this year, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo -- who has a very good track record in recent years -- also predicted an iPhone 5S in June or July, with a lower-cost iPhone around the same time.
Top Rated Comments
Understatement of the year!
I mean, why get excited?
A CPU revision? A few tenths of a millimeter shaved of the dimensions, a few grams lighter, a bump in the iOS version. Maybe larger screen that only fits one more row of the same sized icons, but 90% of apps are letter boxed anyways?
iPhone rollouts are becoming mundane and uninspired, almost comical really.
Until Apple does a complete UI revamp of iOS or some stunning design changes then I don't see why people should get excited about an iPhone release these days, and I don't understand why people would stand in line to replace their iPhone 5 with 5s on the day its released. Why buy a phone where everything just works the same way as the last iPhone you owned?
I want Apple to be innovative and ahead of the curve again, but lately they are not even playing catch up anymore. They seem to be lost in their own little reality field, you know, the same way RIM was when the iPhone was first released, just before they lost most of their marketshare.
Inspiration through apathy. If all there is to look forward from Apple is a watch, then they lost everything they have gained over the last 5 years.