As if Apple fans needed something else to whet their appetites for the company's rumored launch of the iPhone 5 on Sept. 12: Today a research analyst called the new smartphone the "biggest upgrade in consumer electronics history."
With what's easily the highest target for Apple stock in the analyst universe, Topeka Capital analyst Brian White has gone what Forbes calls "uber-bull" with $1,111 USD.
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White has made it abundantly clear that with the following set of factoids in place, the new iPhone will be more than just a giant launch. It'll be monumental. With this gargantuan electronics event on Wednesday, Apple, he notes, might announce not just a blockbuster iPhone, but a set of other devices as well, such as the recently rumored new iPod Shuffle, Nano, and Touch. Last year when the iPhone 4S was announced, he notes, it was a big event - this year though it'll be even bigger. White's notes go as follows:
- The iPhone 4S sold 1 million pre-orders in the first 24 hours - with the iPhone 5, White expects Apple to run through 1.3 to 1.5 million pre-orders in that same 24 hour period.
- With the iPhone 4S, 4 million units sold in the first three days of it being on sale. With the iPhone 5, White expects this number to move up between 5 and 5.5 million units.
- In the September quarter, White expects Apple to sell between 10 and 12 million iPhone 5 devices.
White also mentions several features that we've more or less seen come through in tips or in "leaked" photos here and there. White expects the price to stay the same as the current iPhone 4S. White also expects a great showcase for iOS 6, a faster processor under the hood of the iPhone 5, and a "modern unibody casing" of one kind or another. This new device, says White, will have a 4-inch display and will be about 15 percent thinner than the iPhone 4S, and it'll be appearing with 4G LTE data speed.
There's also a possibility, again, of there being more than one device revealed at the event this Wednesday. White mentions that new iPods and iMacs might be on display and that the rumored iPad mini, if it does indeed see the light of day, will much more likely be appearing later this year. It's also noted by White that a China Mobile distribution deal as well as a possible Apple television may be in the works - eventually.
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Topeka Capital "provides macroeconomic, strategic, technical, commodity, sector and company-specific fundamental research. In addition to [a] growing team of research analysts, Topeka has forged exclusive partnerships with leading consulting groups, service providers and independent research boutiques. Each of these carefully selected firms and individuals contribute unique value to Topeka's integrated research effort."
Likely iPhone 5 Features
Most rumors/leaks have agreed upon the following features for Apple's new iPhone 5:
4G LTE
An image of what is allegedly the logic board for the iPhone 5 popped up in August on a Chinese iPhone forum. The logic board is said to have more antenna connections than the one in the iPhone 4S, which suggests that the new iPhone could have LTE connectivity. LTE is significantly faster than existing 3G tech, and would bring the iPhone into line with the most current Android phones.
Taller, Thinner Display
It's been long rumored that the size of the iPhone 5 screen will be larger than the current iPhone screens. Many suspect it will be about 4 inches diagonally compared to the existing 3.5-inch display. Meanwhile, according to The Wall Street Journal, the iPhone 5 will tout a thinner screen, which would allow the device to be lighter in weight than ever before.
Redesigned Earbuds
The iPhone itself isn't the only piece of hardware expected to undergo a redesign. Not only have pictures surfaced of newly designed earbuds, a patent filed in April 2012 and approved last month has surfaced for what Apple is calling "vented in-the-ear headphones," which aims to cut back on the echoes you might hear of your voice while making phone calls. "The invention aims to improve the sound quality by venting or leakage," Apple said in the patent.
"They have the appearance of a horse's head, not like earbuds," said a video from Vietnamese website Tinht.vn. "When they are worn, they have a much smaller profile. They have the appearance of a fully integrated, single unit - there's no part that looks like it would come apart - not like earbuds; the integrated design is characteristic of Apple products."
The Name
One major clue we can garner from the invitations is that it might actually be called the iPhone 5, thanks to a large "5" in the shadow of the event's date. But some say the 5 could be in reference to the five rows of apps since it will actually be the company's sixth iPhone device.
Five Rows of Apps
A consequence of the larger screen - which is rumored to have 640 x 1,136 resolution - it's expected that we will see five full rows of apps.
9-Pin Dock Connector
Rumors indicate that Apple will be switching its 30-pin dock connector for one with only nine pins. This would make existing speakers and chargers useless when used with the new device. However, it's likely that Apple will introduce an adapter that will convert it back to its original 30 pins.
No NFC
There's been a lot of back-and-forth about whether or not Apple will include near field communications (NFC) technology in the iPhone 5, which would enable users to swipe devices at checkout to pay for items. Although this would surely help accelerate mobile payments as a phenomenon over the next few years, the new iPhone may not have room for NFC, according to Anandtech.
Smaller Sim Card
According to 9 to 5 Mac, the SIM card slot may be a lot smaller. This could mean Apple is switching to newer, nano-SIM card, which is even smaller than the current micro-SIM in the iPhone 4S.