Those who have been waiting impatiently for Apple to unveil the iPhone 5, complete with LTE support, will be sorely disappointed according to sources who say the new phone will be nothing but a minor update with HSPA+ thrown in.
Peter Misek, analyst at Jefferies & Co., revealed that according to his “industry checks,” the new handset “should be called iPhone 4S and include minor cosmetic changes, better cameras, A5 dual-core processor, and HSPA+ support.”
Cue much sniveling and disappointment from the scarf and sandal hipster brigade.
For those looking for someone to blame, look no further than wireless giant Qualcomm, whose LTE chips Apple was supposed to use for its upcoming device refresh. Misek writes that the chip behemoth was simply not “achieving yields sufficient for inclusion in the iPhone 5.”
Doubtless, this was a disappointment to Apple execs too, but Misek writes that the firm had a backup plan all along, with plans for an HSPA+ phone dubbed iPhone 4S. This will now be released in place of the iPhone 5 this summer, instead of alongside it.
It’s not all bad news for Apple fans, however, as Misek says the firm will be pushing its handset out to new carriers like Sprint, T-Mobile and China Mobile. Sprint and T-Mobile might even get the device in time for holiday season, he suggests, and knowing T-Mobile, the carrier will likely market the iPhone 4S as 4G anyway.
Meanwhile, Misek suggests that current iPhone sales have gone flat as “strength from the white iPhone 4 release and launches on new carriers such as SK Telekom are offset by slowing at AT&T and Vodafone.” That hasn’t stopped significant ramps for the iPad though, which may say something about tablet potential in the telecom market in general.
Are you gutted that there won’t be an LTE iPhone 5 this summer? Let us know in the comments.
