iPhone

Given that smartphone users seem increasingly drawn toward larger displays, Apple could be feeling some pressure to come out with its own “iPhablet” to offer its users a larger alternative to the 4-inch iPhone 5. But Barron’s points us to a recent Bloomberg TV interview with Jefferies analyst Peter Misek, who says that we shouldn’t get our hopes up for a larger version of the iPhone anytime soon. Misek says that based on his firm’s “research on Apple’s technology, we don’t think they can produce a larger screen iPhone until the middle of next year” at the very earliest, by which time Samsung will likely have already released new versions of both its Galaxy S and Galaxy Note lines of devices. Misek also says that “pressure for a larger-screen phone will continue to mount” in the coming months, especially if Samsung’s 5-inch Galaxy S4 sells as well as early projections have indicated.

Pegatron may or may not be seeing falling demand for the iPad mini but it’s clear that the Apple device manufacturer won’t be slacking off for the next several months. Reuters reports that Pegatron is planning to boost its workforce in China by 40% in the second half of 2013, right when Apple is expected to start manufacturing its long-rumored low-cost iPhone. While there’s no definitive information linking Pegatron to the low-cost iPhone, Reuters says that the company expects its “revenue from communication products” to “contribute up to 40% to total in the six months from June, compared to 24% in the three months in the beginning of the year.” Or put another way, Pegatron expects to get a major revenue boost from producing “communications products” that will likely include some variant of Apple’s iPhone.