According to Jeffries analyst Peter Misek, Apple will release a new iPhone in just six months. Speaking to Business Insider, Misek stated that the new iPhone would be called the iPhone 5S, following the naming convention of the earlier iPhone 4S that came between the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5, and the 3GS before that.
The analyst also reported that the new iPhone would include a few hardware upgrades, most notably an improved camera and the inclusion of NFC technology. An improved camera is certainly likely (Apple seems to always improve at least one element of its camera tech with each iteration) but NFC seems a bit far-fetched. Apple has famously not included the feature in their products, even when they it was expected and their competitors like Microsoft and Google pushed the technology. However, with many NFC iPhone 5 accessories on the market and some executive reshuffling at Apple, we may finally see that come to fruition.
Like the fifth generation iPod Touch, the iPhone 5S is also reported to come in multiple colour options. This would be a stark departure from previous iPhones, which have never appeared in colours other than white and black. With the efforts of companies like AnoStyle though, who offer re-anodised iPhones in new colours, I’ve got to say I’m curious to see if this will actually pan out.
The analyst at the heart of the article may not be working entirely on guesswork. We have heard that East Asian suppliers are gearing up for pre-production of the iPhone 5S, which would be consistent with an earlier-than-normal launch of the iPhone 5.
Apparently there are some iPhone 6 prototypes floating around as well, with reports of a 4.8″ model with a Retina+ IGZO screen, a quad-core CPU and a new form factor with no home button.
Of course, analysts and rumours are rarely 100% accurate – as with all things, we’ll need to see some more solid evidence before we start to believe!
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