Next iPhone may launch in September —report

The next iteration of the iPhone, Apple Inc.’s popular smartphone, may launch by September or October this year, a tech site reported.

 

CNET quoted RBC analyst Amit Daryanani as saying the iPhone 5, likely to be equipped with 4G capabilities, may follow the same launch time frame as the current iPhone 4S.

 

“Since the launch of the original iPhone, Apple has updated the product annually (eg. iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4S) and has redesigned the phone every ~2 years (eg. iPhone 3G and iPhone 4). In our view, consumers are becoming aware of the product cycle and we believe this should cause increased seasonality in the product as consumers await updated and fully remade iPhones,” it quoted Daryanani as saying in an investor report.

 

Daryanani also said in the report the new iPhone should come with the latest 4G/LTE technology and offer a redesign over last year’s model.

 

Assuming an October launch date, the iPhone 5’s sales will kick in during the December 2012 and March 2013 quarters, CNET said.

 

It quoted Daryanani as saying the new iPhone should contribute higher unit sales over those of the iPhone 4S since “consumers have historically been attracted to the new design concepts created by Apple.”

 

CNET also quoted Daryanani as saying that since the original version was released in 2007, the iPhone has grown to account for more than 40 percent of Apple’s total revenue.

 

It added the next iPhone will likely continue scoring huge sales for Apple.

 

CNET also said that while Gartner figures show the iPhone’s share of the overall mobile phone market was only 7.9 percent for the first quarter, Daryanani believes Apple will continue to grab market share over the next few years if it keeps innovating and holding onto its “loyal subscriber base.”

 

Also, it said a focus on international markets such as China and the launch of smartphones at different prices points will also ramp up adoption of the iPhone and increase Apple’s market share.

 

“In our view, the iPhone represents a seamlessly synced enterprise and consumer product that should continue to gain market share in the near- and long-term... If a superior smartphone arrives that emulates the iPhone experience at a lower price point and begins taking share away from Apple, our positive view on the company would likely come under scrutiny,” Daryanani said.  — TJD, GMA News