Photo courtesy of AppleA picture of the new iPhone 5
The iPhone 5S release date will be in mid-2013, according to Jefferies analyst Peter Misek.
Based on supply chain checks, Misek believes that Apple will launch the next-generation iPhone in June or July of next year, which agrees with several other reports that have surfaced recently.
Misek also believes that the iPhone 5S will come with a new HD camera, screen, a longer lasting battery, and NFC (near-field-communications). The device will also launch in bigger memory capacities, including one version with 128GB storage and will come in six to eight colors.
Misek also reported on several iPhone 6 prototypes that he's seen floating around Apple's manufacturing facilities.
"Several iPhone 6 prototypes appear to be floating around. The model with a 4.8-inch screen is the most interesting. It has a Retina+IGZO screen, a new A7 quad-core processor variant, and a new form factor with no home button. Full gesture control is also possibly included," said Misek.
He also stated that a low-cost iPhone could also be launching soon that will have an unsubsidized price tag of anywhere from $200-$250.
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Misek has had mixed track record in the past, so all of this news should be taken with a grain of salt. His early claims of the iPhone 4S happened to be on point, while other topics, such as a thinner IGZO-based iPad for the third-generation model, he was wrong about.
He also predicted that Apple would launch a Netflix competitor, but that also never came to fruition.
The iPhone 5S rumors have been surfacing a lot lately and it is safe to say that Apple will probably not release a completely redesigned iPhone until 2014, following its usual launch pattern. The 5S is sure to be a beefed up version of its predecessor.
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