The next Apple smartphone, the iPhone 5S, will begin shipping by the end of June and a low-cost iPhone will arrive in the September quarter, predicts a notable analyst.
According to Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, the iPhone 5S will land in June and he estimates Apple will sell 4 million units of the new phone before the month and the quarter are over, CNET reports. The iPhone 5 sold 5 million units during its first week on sale last September. Munster further estimates that the successor to iPhone 5 will record 30 million unit sales in the June quarter.
"Like most analysts and Apple watchers, Munster expects the phone to include a faster processor, better camera, and new software features tied into the hardware. He thinks there's an outside chance the 5S may come with an NFC (near-field communications) chip to open the door for mobile payments," the report states.
Munster expects Apple to launch the much-rumored low-cost iPhone in the September quarter which he believes will help Apple gain a foothold in the low-cost smartphone market that is valued at $135 billion. According to his prediction, the unlocked price of the budget iPhone will be around $250.
The analyst further sees the possibility of Apple announcing its new television sometime in the December quarter followed by the announcement of a smartwatch. Although he doesn't feel that both the products will help Apple generate much revenue, the company is likely to benefit from the innovative aspects of the device. "We believe investors have wondered if Apple can put out new and innovating products without Steve Jobs," Munster says in an investors note released today. "We believe that ultimately, if Apple is viewed as a company that can innovate, the multiple will improve."
