In another unlikely report from Taiwan, Topeka Capital Markets analyst claims that Apple’s new entry-level “iPhone mini” may launch as soon next month. The analyst has been meeting with contacts in the Far East over the past five days, and he says that the cheaper iPhone may launch in July with a new design featuring a “subtle tapered” plastic shell available in five colors. Leaked photos that supposedly show the casing from the upcoming cheaper iPhone fit White’s description.
“Regarding Apple, we uncovered more data points around the ‘iPhone mini’ (i.e., lower priced iPhone) that suggest a launch is imminent and possibly in July,” the analyst wrote in a note to clients on Friday. “We spotted an ‘iPhone mini’ accessory at today’s show. Essentially, the ‘iPhone mini’ body is slightly thicker than the iPhone 5 and the four corners have a more tapered rounding, the edges are less defined but the length is identical (including a four-inch display). Also, as we indicated earlier this week, the ‘iPhone mini’ is expected to come in five colors (i.e., white, black, pink, blue and yellow) and the back will be made of plastic.”
He expects the new cheaper iPhone to cost between $350 and $400 before taxes and subsidies.
White has had some big hits in the past — he was one of the first to share details about Apple’s iPad mini ahead of its launch last year, for example, and he was the first person in the world to suggest that Apple’s iPhone 5S will ship with new color options, which looks like it may pan out — but more recent dispatches have been curious at best. Among them was the recent claim that Apple will soon launch an HDTV controlled by an “iRing.”
