Apple rumormongering: Go! A new research note from Jefferies & Co analyst Peter Misek suggests that Apple isn't going to be performing a significant upgrade to the connection capabilities of its new, to-be-released iPhone—namely, no 4G LTE support.
Whenever the next version of Apple's smartphone hits the market—we're already nearing the one-year anniversary of the iPhone 4's launch with no hint of a new product in sight—Misek suggests that the device will only have incremental upgrades compared to the iPhone 4's specifications. Heck, it's practically keeping the same name.
"We believe the likelihood of the iPhone 5 launch in September including LTE [Long-Term Evolution] is now remote," wrote Misek in a research note on May 13. "According to our industry checks, the device should be called iPhone 4S and include minor cosmetic changes, better cameras, A5 dual-core processor, and HSPA+ [EvolvedHigh-Speed Packet Access] support."
The bigger news on Apple's side is Misek's suggestion that the company will be pursuing an expanded carrier lineup for its iPhones. His "industry checks" indicate that Apple will be launching the iPhone on both Sprint and T-Mobile in time for the holidays—remember, although the latter is in the process of being purchased by AT&T, T-Mobile currently remains a separate company from the larger carrier. In other words, no iPhone… yet.
As for when the new iPhone is expected to actually hit the market—looking cosmetically similar to the iPhone 4, as indicated by current rumors—that's anyone's guess. While anonymous sources speaking to Reuters in an April 2011 article suggest that the iPhone 5 (or iPhone 4S) is expected to drop in September of this year, other rumors peg the next version of Apple's smartphone to ship just in time for the holidays.
So why new carriers, but not LTE support for the new iPhone-whatever? In actuality, Apple was allegedly planning to support full-fledged LTE in the iPhone via a Qualcomm chipset, but Misek says that chip yields just haven't been strong enough for Apple to be able bring LTE support into the picture just yet. While not explicitly stated by Misek, the iPhone 4S seems like it was Apple's "backup plan" in case a full LTE-enhanced iPhone couldn't come to pass.
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