Another analyst believes with 'increased confidence' that Apple will make a big splash this summer with a new iPhone form factor.
Barclays Capital analyst Ben Reitzes writes,
“iPad yields should improve dramatically throughout the year even if the launch starts out capacity constrained. These developments support upside to consensus forecasts for the iPad, should demand materialize like we think it can. We estimate Apple will sell almost 5 million iPads for CY10; including 1.2 million in the June quarter – which could prove conservative.
… Also, we have increased confidence that Apple will make a big splash this summer with a new iPhone form factor. We believe that the new model will launch with considerable fanfare and expect unit expectations to rise in turn.”
This follows a prediction by The Street's Jason Schwarz who says that come June Apple will decrease the screen size of the iPhone as part of a new strategy to focus on the iPad.
Reducing the iPhone screen real estate? The iPad is not the first "tablet" device to be released with much excitement; most have not captured the imagination because their place in our lives is not clear. Do many people not want to walk about with an electronic sheet of paper in their hand? Is the human form and function best suited to the limited dimensional approach of screen and keyboard? Personally, I use a desktop or laptop for "heavy lifting" and an iPhone for mobility and light work. As the iPad cannot replace either, it would be more a novelty item than a functional replacement or enhancement. I can also see major issues with many of the current iPhone apps that have already minimised font size and packed their existing screens. As I would require to have an operable phone, it would force me back to another phone and Missing Sync and that would be a shame.
decreased, screen size? that sounds like a horrendous idea. i really do hope they change to form factor though. the design is two years old and with phones like HD2 and the EVO apple has to step their game up. not even just aesthetically but technically as well. if the new iphone isnt something radical, im switching phones.
Killing popularity of one item to focus on a more expensive and larger item is not a good business strategy. The iPhone has its place in the world, the iPad has... a mild place in this world and changing the better of the two to focus on the crappier of the two is horrible.
The idea that there will only one iPhone with a smaller screen is simply demented. Apple will never do that, it would make it unusable.
That sais it is possible/likely that there will be more than one iPhone with different screen sizes. Maybe one a little bit bigger than the current and with a higher resolution (say 640x360 for HD ratio) and maybe a smaller one the size of the current iPod mini.
Ben Reitzes has quite an history to be wrong on iPhone predictions. He predicted front camera, "low end" iPhone., etc.
i will honestly be really angry and disappointed if they decrease the screen size. how would that make anyone happier? i'll just buy the discounted 3GS at launch if they intend to rob me of screen real estate, though I really doubt they would sabotage themselves like that.
If they're planning on expanding the iPhone with different sizes then this is a good thing. But an overall decrease in screen size will pretty much seal the deal for me to buy another phone. I don't see this as a good move for Apple and the iPhone.
Im with you on this one....., i might think of switching to sprint with that new htc phone.......but im really hoping apple kicks it up a notch and show htc something to really copy out off......