14 DAY TRIAL // Apple’s iPhone sales will go through the roof following the launch of two upgraded models this fall, going by one Wall Street analyst who believes the iPhone 5 will boast a totally redesigned, aluminum, unibody construction.
Analyst Chris Whitmore with Deutsche Bank addressed investors this week with a new research note.
In it, he said there will be two new iPhones launching this year - one iPhone 5 and one iPhone 4S, in accordance with most rumors on the matter.
However, unlike other Wall Street buffs, Whitmore seems convinced that the iPhone 5 will be completely redesigned, bearing an aluminum chassis, a larger display, and an enhanced camera.
However, while numerous case manufacturers have posted pictures of their designs hinting at this precise form factor of the new iPhone 5, all the tangible leaks that have been reported on so far have implied the existence of an iPhone 4S only.
On this device model, Whitmore has quite a few prognostications to make.
For example, he (like many fellow analysts) believes Apple needs the mid-level device to penetrate the midrange smartphone market, where Whitmore estimates there are about 1 billion pre-paid customers.
The handset would boast 8GB of flash storage, a better antenna (to address the cellular concerns surrounding the current iPhone 4), and a price point that doesn’t exceed $300 - a move that could have the iPhone achieve 50 percent margins, the analyst said.
He compared the unconfirmed iPhone 4S with the existing iPod touch which sells for $229 (around 220 euros) and has 38 percent margins, according to AppleInsider.
There is also a theory (not Whitmore’s) that Apple will make the iPod touch 3G capable, effectively turning it into a full-fledged phone.
According to two separate reports from a high profile news agency last week, Apple will host its next event at the Town Hall Auditorium in Cupertino on October 4.