14 DAY TRIAL // A well-known analyst with investment bank Piper Jaffray has issued a new research note which includes his estimates on the event Apple has scheduled for this autumn to release the new-generation iPhone 5.
The key takeaway of Gene Munster’s research note is not the iPhone 5, which most pundits agree will have a larger display, an altogether new form factor, a redesigned dock connector, and a unibody chassis.
Although the updated smartphone will be the main attraction of Apple’s fall event, it’s the rumored iPad mini that has been taking up most headlines in the tech media recently.
Munster agrees that such a device could see the light of day in a few months, and he believes that this cheaper iPad will “eliminate two of the biggest features for Android tablet makers in price and size.”
"We believe this implies that Apple could sell 4-6 million smaller iPads in the December quarter, assuming a holiday launch," Munster wrote in his note to investors on Monday.
According to reports, this smaller iPad aims to fill a gap left by the small iPod touch and the large (currently-selling) iPad, as well as to eat away at the sales of all competing tablet vendors.
"If the launch occurs in (the fourth quarter), we believe the smaller iPad would add about 1% to revenue and (earnings per share) in December," the analyst added, according to an AppleInsider piece.
The device is expected to boast 16GB of on-board storage, a 7.85-inch non-Retina display, and 1024 x 768 pixel resolution.
That’s not all Munster sees on Apple’s roadmap. Apparently there will be a fourth Apple TV announcement at this year’s iPhone event as well.
Giving no specifics as to what this refreshed TV product will bring in terms of new features, Munster says it "could make for a crowded event."