The low cost iPhone. Coming right up!

The low cost iPhone. Coming right up!

 

Panel production for the next iPhone starts on June 1, shipments forecast by September.

It’s been part of the rumour mill for a while, and its apparently confirmed… a low cost incarnation of the iPhone is coming to retail.

What would any biggie tech launch be without those leaked analyst statements? The last few days we have seen quite a few statements that point to the iPhone 5S coming to retail by September, and the definite possibility of a low cost iPhone.

It all started with a research note on Wednesday titled “Systems and PC Hardware Asia Trip Takeaways Part I,” by Katy Huberty of Morgan Stanley, where she stated “Multiple new iPhone SKUs begin production in Jun/Jul, on track with the Sept launch we model. Apple’s new handsets are likely to launch around September, the analyst believes, based on her meetings in Hong Kong and Taiwan.” She also stated “Carriers see the opportunity for Apple to expand market coverage with 5-inch and lower-priced iPhones over time. TD-LTE licenses, and related phone launches, are expected by year-end.”

Another researcher, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, had cited delays to the Apple shipments, even mentioning shipping forecasts for the low cost iPhone [supposedly retailing at $160]:

“Earlier we estimated that shipments of the new iPhone would begin in July (FDD version) and September (TDD version), while iPad mini 2 would hit the market in August. Currently, market consensus for shipments of iPhone 5S, low-cost iPhone and iPad mini 2 is July, July, and August, respectively. But in light of publicly available information and our knowledge of technological trends, we now think all three products will begin shipments later than our previous expectation and market consensus.”

Interestingly, the challenges that Kuo mentions facing Apple include optimizing the fingerprint sensor, color coatings for the plastic shells of the lower-cost iPhone and incorporating retina displays in the iPad mini 2.

Plus, we have updates from Japan that production on the next iPhone is set to begin in June. According to a report in Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, Sharp will begin volume production in June of the display panel for the next iPhone model at its Kameyama plant in Mie prefecture, and Sharp will be joined by LG Display and Japan Display (which integrates the LCD panel businesses of Sony, Hitachi and Toshiba) in panel production.

Khursheed Alam
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Khursheed Alam

I wish to be a positive example for those who wish to succeed in similar fields of operation. I build my enterprise from heart and with passion, which mostly consists of how I can constantly improve and help others as well towards a better life. I would like to prove that with the right attitude, know-how, strong faith and hard work we can reach goals we truly deserve.

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