Rumours continue to swirl about Apple’s plans for its latest iPhone. Will it be a specification bump with little physical changes (a la iPhone 3GS) or a radically changed design? The latest market analyst to weigh in on this matter is proposing the best of both worlds: Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Whitmore suggests that Apple will announce both in September (without citing any sources).
Whitmore suggests that Apple will release the mid-range iPhone 4S to take advantage of Research In Motion and Nokia’s current challenges. Such a device, unlocked and costing around US$349, would also “drive significantly greater penetration,” especially in the pre-paid market. Many markets, such as Africa and Latin America, are made up of a majority of pre-paid customers. A cheaper iPhone, one that customers could pay for upfront, could open up a market of about a billion new customers to Apple.
Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty suggests that she expects Apple to start ramping production for the new iPhone (she expects only one) in mid to late August with a launch in late September (timelines echoed by Bloomberg last week)