iPhone 6 Release Date Set on First Quarter of 2013 - Analyst
Early 2013 will herald a new product from the tech giant Apple and will release the successor of its latest smartphone - iPhone 6 or iPhone 5S.
Asymco's analyst Horace Dediu believes that Apple's future will indeed consist of a new generation of device every six months. This assumption is based on the statement of former Apple CEO John Sculley.
According to Sculley, the company is "going through a very significant change now in terms of product cycles," and that "now it's really introducing products twice a year."
Apple is trying to regain its glory being on top of the tech market after most of its products launched the last few months were overshadowed by its competitors. Dediu says that the current predictability of the iPhone's annual launch means that most competitors are probably already preparing to update their models in spring.
Dediu also notes that the launch ramp for the iPhone 5 this year was steeper than ever before, with more than 100 countries expected to have the new smartphone before January arrives, and almost all of the mobile operators launching the device on their network within the first quarter of its availability.
Not long after the launch of the iPhone 5, rumours of an iPhone 5S or iPhone 6 began to emerge, including alleged leaked back plates. The latest speculation suggests that the seventh-generation iPhone will arrive in June or July next year, with NFC, a Retina+ display, 128GB of storage and could be available in six to eight colours.
Apple's primary manufacturer Foxconn is also making changes that could mean an improved assembly line and stronger supply chain for the company that may be also due to the change in its partner's schedule.
Finally, Dediu said that the rumours about the so-called iPhone 5S, in particular the 'S', which could signal a spring launch. He admits that this is the least valuable piece of evidence in his report, but adds that the iPhone 4 was unveiled in June.
We have witnessed the Cupertino-based company steered away from its predicted schedule and released a product twice a year is the introduction of the iPad 4, which was launched seven months after its predecessor. Thus, there is a possibility that it will do the same for its flagship phone, especially after many competitors are already ahead in the competition.