Apr 8, 2011 17:11 GMT  ·  By

The iPhone 5 may well be on track for a June-July release, according to Analyst Brian White with Ticonderoga Securities, who issued a note to investors today.

"Apple is keeping its iPhone 5 cards extra close to the vest on this launch to avoid a falloff in iPhone 4 demand ahead of a refresh, especially given the February launch of the CDMA iPhone 4 with Verizon," White told clients in a research note.

[admark=1]According to a report by AppleInsider quoting the analyst, White believes the iPhone 5 could be on track to launch this summer, in the June - July timeframe, which would keep Apple’s annual refresh cycle alive.

Despite reports saying that Apple’s fifth-generation iPhone was being pushed to autumn, or fiscal 2012 for the company, White isn't convinced.

"Although we do not have a smoking gun that definitively rules out a delayed autumn unveiling or one that supports a launch this summer, there is a pattern of activity in motion with the supply chain that makes us question a delayed launch," he said.

White’s sources reportedly indicated to him that the widely reported disturbance caused by the earthquake and tsunami disaster in Japan will benefit Apple in the end.

The reason cited by the analyst was that suppliers will "rush to support Apple at the expense of competitors."

iPhone 5 is expected to launch pre-installed with a major new version of the iOS (iOS 5 or iOS 5.0) which reportedly focuses heavily on cloud-based services.

A new version of Apple’s MobileMe service is likely to emerge in tandem with the new hardware and iOS, though Apple is keeping such details under tight wraps as well.

A preview of iOS 5 may be offered at the company’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June. If this turns out to be true, an iOS 5 showcase will be indicative of Apple’s schedule for releasing its next major iPhone iteration.