14 DAY TRIAL // Apple’s upcoming iPhone refresh may not occur as scheduled, if one analyst’s research is to be taken seriously. Peter Misek with Jefferies says Apple is having preproduction issues with the iPhone 5S, which could result in multiple delays.
“After our Asia trip we now think the low-cost iPhone launch could be pushed to CQ4 and have increased confidence that the iPhone 6 will not launch until CY14,” Misek tells StreetInsider.
The analyst adds, “iPhone 5S is having preproduction issues with mass production at least a month or more away. This combined with the publicly discussed delay of iOS 7 puts a July availability at risk.”
Of course, “the publicly discussed delay of iOS 7” is only a rumor. Apple hasn’t commented on the subject and, if the company can produce it at WWDC 2013, it will have arrived on schedule.
The same goes for the CQ4 release of any new iPhone Apple may have in store for us. The company has shipped a new model every other fall for the past two year, and they haven’t been dropping any hints that the iPhone 5S (or whatever they end up calling it) would launch in summer.
In other words, until further notice, Apple is just as likely to stick with its autumn refresh cycle.
“We continue to believe there is almost no chance the iPhone 6 launches in CY13 [calendar year 2013] due to supply chain issues,” Misek adds.
Again, if history is any indication, the iPhone 6 is not “delayed” to 2014 but actually scheduled to ship in 2014.
However, since the analyst has held discussions with Apple’s Asian suppliers, the iPhone 5S delay rumor may hold water. Numerous analysts and pundits alike have pegged the iPhone 5S launch date for summer 2013.