14 DAY TRIAL // Mizuho Investors Securities analyst Nobuo Kurahashi has a useful piece of information for Apple investors, and regular folks who like to keep themselves in the loop on Apple matters. He says beware of a cheaper iPhone, but using slightly more elegant terminology than ours.
"The smartphone market has become diverse, but the iPhone still sets the agenda," Kurahashi said, commenting on news regarding Apple’s choice to go with a bigger screen in the next-generation iPhone.
He said the entire tech industry is watching every move from Cupertino, adding that the iPhone's popularity doesn’t come from the display, but from the overall experience offered by the handset. Quoted in a WSJ piece, Kurahashi suggested that even with a 4-inch screen, the iPhone 5 will have many other strengths.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, he cautioned that “If Apple ever released a lower-priced iPhone, that would be more of a sign that the changing market environment is beginning to affect the company.”