Apple may launch a new version
of its smartphone in June or July of 2013 and the device could be
named iPhone 5S, an analyst at investment bank Jefferies said on
Monday.
Jefferies analyst Peter Misek made the predictions in a new
research report to clients, the content of which was made public by
Forbes and other U.S. media.
Misek said the iPhone 5S is likely to have new features such as a
super high-definition camera and screen, a better battery and
support for near field communication (NFC), a technology that
facilitates data transfer between smartphones and other devices.
The iPhone 5S could also possibly have up to 128 GB of storage
and options of six to eight different colors instead of the current
black and white.
It seems that Apple currently is also testing a number of
different prototypes of iPhone 6, which would come after iPhone 5S,
according to the analyst.
Among the iPhone 6 prototypes floating around, the most
interesting one is a model with a 4.8-inch screen which could
possibly have full gesture control, Misek said.
Apple may also unveil a new full-sized iPad and upgrade its small-
sized iPad mini around June of 2013, followed by the launch of a
television product in September or October, the analyst predicted.
Misek's predictions were cited by several U.S. media outlets with
skepticism, although the analyst said his report was based on checks
with Apple's suppliers in Asia.
Misek has missed many predictions about Apple's television
product, the latest example was that he claimed in August this year
that Apple television was in full production and would be out by
year end, online news website Business Insider noted.
