A new report claims that Apple will ship both the low-cost iPhone and iPad 5 in early September, while the iPhone 5S will ship later that month and the iPad mini with Retina Display and a cheaper model will see a 2014 release.
According to a new report from KGI Securities Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple will be forced to ship the iPhone 5S in late September due to production issues. Recent reports have also claimed that when the iPhone 5S launches it will be in limited supply due to production issues stemming from its rumored fingerprint scanner. The analyst makes no mention of what specifically is holding up the smartphone, but notes that production difficulties with new components as the cause. He believes that the supply issues will improve by October or November.
The report also claims that the low-cost iPhone will ship in early September, as the plastic smartphone has been easier to produce. The analyst further estimates that the handset will cost between $450 and $550 without a contract. He claims that Apple will likely ship around 26 million low-cost iPhones in 2013. The report also notes that the iPad 5, which will have a similar design to the iPad mini, will launch along with the low-cost iPhone in early September. He believes that it will be the last iPad Apple ships in 2013.
The analyst also claims that Apple will launch two new iPad mini tablets in March or April of 2014. He believes that Apple will launch a high-end iPad mini with Retina Display and an A7 chip to power the device, while the second model will reportedly use the same A5 chip found in the current iPad mini along with the same resolution screen. The analyst believes that the price of this model will be similar to the current iPad mini's price.
It seems unlikely, however, that Apple would launch the low-cost iPhone a few weeks before it launches the iPhone 5S. As with all Apple rumors, it is always best to take any with a huge grain of salt.
