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Analyst: 'revolutionary, compelling' iPhone 5 out in October

Waiting for Qualcomm

Apple's iPhone 5 will be out in October and sport a "revolutionary" industrial design. That, plus 4G LTE connectivity courtesy of 28nm Qualcomm chippery, will make the handset a "compelling upgrade".

So said market observer Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray, a broker, yesterday.

Munster said the iPhone 5's October debut may be later than fellow pundits - and fanboys - might have hoped for, but the launch window is not only a year on from the debut of the iPhone 4S, but gives chip maker Qualcomm the time it needs up ramp up production of 28nm 4G LTE chips.

"Based on our checks," Munster said, "we believe the design win momentum of Qualcomm's 28nm products has been exceptionally strong and a 28nm LTE baseband is likely designed into the next iPhone."

Qualcomm has been expanding the number of chip foundries capable of punching out its products, added Munster, giving the firm capacity it needs "to support a Q4 LTE iPhone 5 launch".

The 4G version of the iPad 3 uses Qualcomm chips for the cellular radio.

In any case, said Munster, the timing of the iPhone 5's launch doesn't matter: it'll so impress, fanboys and regular punters will snap it up.

Apple sold more than 37m iPhones in the final three months of 2011. Wall Street reckons it'll sell almost 40m in Q4 2012, an eight per cent increase. Munster said the year-on-year sales increase will be rather higher than that. ®

Revolutionary?

Will they be letting us buy our own SD cards or will they continue to laugh at people who pay them $200 extra for something you can get at Walmart for $10.

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Anonymous Coward

Re: It might just be revolutionary in a way you don't want

Don't iPhones already have big tits attached to them?

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how?

What sort of black magic are you using to foresee the future so accurately? Careful with such dark arts!

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Anonymous Coward

and for the last time?

Possibly 5 will be the last high cost/high margin/high volume iPhone. Plenty to add this time round with 4G LTE, larger screen, better camera etc. to sustain an Apple £500 price point short term. Beyond the 5, not so much more for the time being to add to a general interest phone. Apple need to decide if they want to try for the low margin mass market or stick to their 10% tradition.

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Analyst

(noun) Someone who makes large amounts of money talking shit.

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