Analyst claims iPhone 4S due with HSPA+ 3G, Sprint version

Jefferies analyst Peter Misek claimed in a research note Friday that claimed to know details of the next iPhone. Saying that the phone was now called the iPhone 4S, he referred to "industry checks" that supported what had been rumored so far but also mentioned HSPA+ 3G support on GSM networks, implying 21Mbps. He was also told network support would expand to carriers that had been actively seeking it, including Sprint's CDMA network, T-Mobile's uncommon HSPA+ bands, and China Mobile's unique TD-SCDMA.

Most else of what he mentioned was mentioned in the past, such as better cameras, the dual-core A5 processor, and a design that could be just a minor revision of the iPhone 4. Apple wanted to include an LTE chipset, according to Misek, but wasn't ready.

Analyst claims of inside knowledge are frequently mixed and can be inaccurate. Most of what was said in the Jefferies note, however, matches with more concrete claims. HSPA+ 3G is now a common feature on HTC and Samsung phones and was already coming to phones from RIM and others. An iPhone 4-like prototype was already seen (above) running on T-Mobile USA's 3G, and talk has repeatedly surfaced of a deal with China Mobile.

Sprint is less certain, but it's technically capable of using CDMA. The company has been elusive on the subject but has always alluded to there being talks. Verizon has emphasized that it doesn't have an exclusive and may have just had the advantage of an early deal.

Electronista

Analyst expects OmniVision still locked for iPhone 5 camera

Lazard Capital Markets analyst Daniel Amir on Tuesday told investors that he didn't expect Apple to turn to Sony for iPhone cameras. He still believed OmniVision, the long-time camera sensor maker for Apple, had a "significant" opportunity with its Apple deal. The firm was unique in scaling from the very low end to advanced cameras and still had one of the best backside-illuminated camera sensors in its BSI-2-based chips.

The research note didn't attempt to directly reconcile the view with Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer's own remarks. During a conversation discussing the impact of the northern Japanese earthquake, the executive had claimed Sony was giving its best cameras to Apple, even though no iPhone 4 model uses them. Sony's best mobile camera sensor an eight-megapixel unit that currently fits into the Xperia Arc, Xperia Neo, and other Sony Ericsson models.

OmniVision already has eight-megapixel sensors that would fit a future iPhone, but rumors have circulated of supply issues that would have forced Sony to either take up some of the slack or replace it entirely.

Amir was upbeat on OmniVision as a whole, mostly as he expected the CMOS camera sensor market to grow an average of 25 percent per year over the next few years.

Electronista