Forbes Tech Trade blogger Eric Savitz reported Friday that Jefferies & Co. analyst and Apple-watcher Peter Misek is predicting in a research note that the iPhone update he projects as coming in September will be a stopgap model designated iPhone 4S rather than iPhone 5.
According to Misek as interpreted by Savitz, at least one iPhone 5 holdup is failure to as yet achieve satisfactory performance with the new Qualcomm 4G LTE high speed wireless chipset Apple wants to use in iPhone 5. Apple COO and current acting CEO Tim Cook, has reportedly mused repeatedly that current generation 4G chipsets impose too many design compromises that Apple isn’t willing to make in an iPhone branded product.
Consequently, Mizak thinks that according to what he terms “industry checks,” Apple will bring na iPhone 4S to market, in September he suggests, with updates and enhancements to include “minor cosmetic changes,” an A5 dual-core processor, better cameras, and HSPA+ (faster than 3G but slower than real 4G) support, but no LTE and no 4G.
Supposing this prediction holds water, whether it would be good news or bad news depends on one’s point of view and personal circumstances vis a vis service contract renewal timing and such, and of course I suppose how much the iPhone 5 designation means. From a functional performance perspective, the big factor will be the A5 chip, at least based on iPad 1 vs. iPad 2 speed and liveliness, so if that’s what’s most important to you, an A5 iPhone 4S running iOS 5 should be an attractive proposition, and coming sooner than some of us have been lately expecting were Misek’s September release date pans out.
However, with some rumors predicting a four-inch display coming with the iPhone 5, others would not doubt opt to wait. And chafe at the ongoing delay.
Apple may itself be chafing to get more new iPhone product out the door, what with Peter Misek also reporting that iPhone 4 demand has gone “flat,” with the sales spike catalyzed by the white iPhone 4 release being offset by a sales slump at AT&T in the U.S. and Vodafone in Europe. Nevertheless, TheStreet commentator Scott Moritz says he’s holding to TheStreet’s previous prediction that a 4G LTE iPhone — that would be the iPhone 5 if Misek is correct — won’t be ready until 2012, and maintains that this will leave prospective buyers weighing whether to go with an Android 4G with a bigger display now or waiting for Apple’s 4G LTE iPhone 5.
Probably not the scenario a lot of folks are hoping for.
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