Apple’s next-gen iPhone will reportedly feature a sleek new redesign in the form of a single unibody frame.
According to analyst Brian J. White of Topeka Capital Markets, the sixth-gen iPhone (iPhone 5) will also boast a larger screen along with high-speed connectivity like the new iPad.
“In our view, this will be the most significant iPhone upgrade with a four-inch screen and a new, sleek look that we believe will require a Unibody case,” White wrote in an industry note obtained by AppleInsider.
“This new, sleek look will be the most important reason that consumers decide to upgrade.”
White emphasized that Apple’s ramp up to a new iPhone launch – possibly in December – could be “extraordinary,” with a triumphant roll out expected to “dwarf previous launches.”
The analyst also said Apple remained on track to launch a full-blown television, but remained cautious about Cupertino’s so-called iPad Mini which is apparently still under development. A launch date for the device, confirms White, is still very “unclear.”
As TG Daily previously reported, Apple is currently testing a smaller version of iPad, with a display that measures approximately 7.85 inches with 1024 x 768 pixel resolution – the same as the original 9.7 inch iPad and iPad 2 models.
“I’ve heard from numerous people that that’s one of the ideas that they’re noodling with,” Apple guru John Gruber claimed during a recent episode of The Talk Show.
“[Sure], there are a couple areas where I think text is maybe a little too small, but it’s not ridiculously small.”
Rumors of a smaller iPad are hardly new and have been circulating since the original tablet launched in April 2010. Nevertheless, reports of a smaller form factor iPad gained significant legitimacy in February when the prestigious Wall Street Journal claimed Apple officials were showing off designs for a smaller tablet with a screen resolution similar to the iPad 2.
More recent reports indicate that the prototype tablet could feature a “slim bezel display,” while Samsung Securities claims Apple could release an iPad Mini in the third quarter of 2012.
However, it remains uncertain if Apple is seriously considering rolling out a smaller iPad. To be sure, the late Steve Jobs apparently believed 7-inch tablets would have very little chance of success in the hyper-competitive mobile market.
