“There is intense speculation on when Apple will announce a larger screen iPhone and what it will look like with Pacific Crest and ISI publishing notes in the past few days,” Chuck Jones writes for Forbes. “Jon Fortt from CNBC weighed in on Tuesday saying he would be surprised to see it announced too much off cycle (September) since the carriers have been making customers wait until their two years are up to get a subsidized price on a new smartphone.”
“There are multiple reasons why Apple should ship a larger screen iPhone ASAP,” Jones writes. “The first one of course is Apple is losing sales to competitor’s larger screen smartphones. Those customers are either iPhone users who are off contract, coming off contract or Android users who are also off contract or coming off contract. It doesn’t make sense to wait for the iPhone 5 users who bought in the September/October 2012 timeframe. Apple is losing customers now.”
“The second reason is it would be better from a manufacturing perspective to not have to build for such a huge spike in demand,” Jones writes. “[Also], don’t get too wrapped up in the two year subscription lock-up… I suspect there are millions of smartphone owners that could manipulate their termination date to get an iPhone 6 before this September.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Note: Jones is frequently right about Apple. Most recently, he predicted the resignation of Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer five days before Apple’s official announcement.
Which means a little birdie told him.
If Apple intends to beat last year’s Holiday quarter, they best wait until September for iPhone 6.
I agree. There’s Christmas and then there’s Apple Christmas.
September is not just some arbitrary release date… Wall street would slaughter AAPL if they don’t beat their YOY Holiday quarter.. Considering iPhone is 43% of Apple’s business, THEY MUST release a new iPhone in September. Otherwise, AAPL would tank.
If they release multiple iPhones throughout the year then they temper the highs and lows. Wall Street would adjust. They aren’t frozen yeti. They can see that things change. But I do agree with you. September is better for me. I get BD money just in time, I keep safe for my annual iPhone upgrade.
Or they could actually have adequate supply to meet ongoing demand and sell *more* than they otherwise would during the holiday quarter.
Or they could just do things according to their own schedule and reasons, and ignore Wall Street and analysts entirely like they normally do.
Put a snail and Cook in a foot race, the snail will win every time. Sad but true.
No, but the snail towers over the size of your brain.
Hey steam drive, how long, exactly, do you think it takes to design, prototype, and produce, in really large numbers, a completely new version of an iPhone? Just because some jackass on the interwebz says Apple ought to do this, that, or other, d’you really imagine Apple will just wave a magic wand, and the rainbow unicorns will just produce tens of millions of new phones out of thin air?
I, and a great many other people cannot afford to upgrade every year, a two-yearly cycle of major form change is just perfect.
And I also know plenty of people for whom an upgrade every two years to the intermediate upgrade model works just fine.
Jeeze, everyone on here is a frackin’ expert in what ordinary people want or need.
In their heads…
they aren’t losing anything. customers who want Apple will wait until the phone acutally gets announced by Apple, not from what some idiot analyst says.
and if they can’t wait and buy some stupid “big” screen phablet, then they get what they deserve
“Stupid big screen”? You sound like Ballmer when he said people won’t want the iPhone because it had a stupid no-keyboard interface.
Or there would be no iPad mini. Or an App store. Or video on the iPod. You just have to wonder sometimes what makes people have such thoughts?
I have to say that the delusion amongst some of these people is becoming scary. You can’t talk arrogantly like that about customers or potential customers, that’s what killed Microsoft. SJ was right to not go with public demand when producing new tech and innovations. But when you are committed to a market in phones but dismissively tell people you can simply wait because it suits us, take what your given or go to hell then you deserve to fail. I certainly hope that Apple do not as many on here seem to want go down that road.
I ran into another friend with an s3 the other day. Asked her why she didn’t get an iPhone, did her husband make her get the android? She said she wanted a larger screen, so went with android.
It sort of shook me up, because she is UTTERLY non-techie. In fact, she went on to ask me how she could possibly get her photos off the thing and on to her computer? Could she use iTunes?
Not the first time I’ve seen this by a long shot. A bigger screen iPhone can’t come soon enough.
People who don’t even run a small business constantly telling the largest company on the planet what it MUST do is ridiculous, whether it is a writer for Forbes or the few bombastic types on this site.
Yes, one could argue, like an Olympic coach, one doesn’t need to do it to understand it. But when the writer also displays a lack of business fundamentals such as “Don’t try to be all things to all people” (think Dell cf Apple), then it’s doubly ridiculous.
Yeah, I’m sure Apple could release their next phone at anytime they desire. Release date has nothing to do with scheduling, tooling, supply chain, component manufacture, etc
Apple has millions of iPhone 6 phones just waiting in warehouses and they are holding back just to annoy the analysts.
Tim’s probably looked at the MDN pie chart on size of phones we Mac users want. I can BARELY wait, and I’m a Mac user since 1985. I can imagine what others are wanting to do. June is better for me.
This deasn’t make sense. “Jon Fortt from CNBC weighed in on Tuesday saying he would be surprised to see it announced too much off cycle (September) since the carriers have been making customers wait until their two years are up to get a subsidized price on a new smartphone.” If Apple released the next phone off cycle they could (potentially) better manage launch inventory to reduce the inevitable ‘supply constraints’. That said I think they will keep the same release schedule as this ensures a huge sales quarter.
The larger iPhone will of course be a big hit, but i don’t see a need to release it off cycle. The yearly thing is great makes it an “Event” It builds anticipation. Not only that, it allows Apple and all it’s partners better plan their businesses.
The first one of course is Apple is losing sales to competitor’s larger screen smartphones.
I’ve never seen any data that indicates these ‘losing sales to phablets’ statements are more than gross exaggerations.
If folks want a Samsung fat ass phablet, have at it. We’ll see you back here in Apple gear territory real soon.
Data? Who could come up with that? Apple? Apple isn’t going to do that. Apple even rarely gives out positive data. And anyone can see that sales of larger competing phones could be sales of larger iPhones if they were available. Those are simply facts. Could be 5% could be 90%, who knows? But certainly there is a percentage of competing larger phones that Apple would take away by offering a larger iPhone. And obviously would have for the last several years. So clearly they have left money on the table. And remember, the sales of larger competing phones could be very small compared to the potential sales of larger iPhones. Those are Android phones not iPhones. That’s something that seems to be forgotten here quite often. The 5S sells well because there is no larger iPhone to be purchased by the consumer. That’s simply a fact. Can’t figure why you’re so defensive like others here about a larger iPhone? Why? Why were you so angered over the fact that people wanted the iPad mini? If you don’t want it don’t buy it. If you invest in AAPL a larger iPhone should help sales and revenue / margins. So why all the anger and angst Derek?
Who is obsessed over the iPad Mini dude? Not me.
I’ve already pointed out in the post you’re replying to that the Apple-Must-Make-A-Phablet blether is HYPE. There is nothing to support that it’s any big market for Apple.
I go all ‘anger and angst’ over lies, deceit, nonsense, haters, trolls and manipulation. It’s the method that works for communicating to such lost and self-loathing people. Being nice to them is a total waste of time and only gains their disrespect. Speak English to English speakers. Does that help clear up the subject?
Now, please drop your obsessions. I have enough of those of my own. I’m not at all interested in yours.
Goodness did I touch a nerve ? Actually you did go on and on ad infinitum about the iPad mini that wouldn’t be made. And you said there was no market for it either. When clearly there was a market for it and there is for the larger iPhone.
Lies, deceit, trolls, self-loathing? Sounds like you have some issues? You have to be able to accept criticism when you hand it out as often as you do. There are always two sides to a story. Not just yours. Sometimes I agree with you sometimes I don’t. Perhaps you should get out in the fresh air and get some exercise? I don’t believe I have ever looked at the site, which is every several days, without seeing where you have posted within the last hour. Get a hobby. Get a dog. Learn to relax. Dude.
How long have you wanted to control the world?
Paranoid are we? C’mon Derek, read your own posts. The hundreds you post every week. You do all the preaching. Hopefully this isn’t the centerpoint of your life? Lighten up. Go for a walk. Get a life.
I am flattered that you insist upon stalking me.
That’s a cowardly reply Derek. Don’t flatter yourself so much. What a way to try to change the subject.
I know you L<3ve me.
Is your name Gene, BTW? You remind me of a total dickhead I used to know named Gene. He was so incredibly insecure that he would preemptively destroy people's self-esteem before he even got to know them. Are you like that? Is that your motivation? Crippling problems with self-esteem?
I don't love you back, BTW. I don't like being stalked. But if you persist, I'll persist making fun of you. I like damaging the damaging like that. 😀
Like I said Derek, don’t flatter yourself. Who’s stalking you? I’m just posting like you do. Only I only do it occasionally, not 50 times per day. You certainly don’t mind tearing into people when you feel like it. Apparently you can dish it out but you can’t take it. And I’m probably not the person you would ever want to threaten.
I think it’s long past time to directly to psychiatric help. Not kidding. There’s something profoundly wrong with you have you’re so obsessed as to keep up this stalking of my meagre person. Isn’t there.
Your post replies to me are never welcome again. I’ll be sure to let MDN know if you stalk me further. Got that child?
Ha ha that’s funny. Have a nice day Derek.
As promised, I’ve taken up your problem with MDN. Whatever may be your obsession with me, you’re not well. I’d like you to sort it out. Clearly, interacting with me is not going to help you as I am no psychologist. Therefore, I’m going to leave it to MDN as to what to do at this point. I won’t be interacting with you in the future. But I’ll be watching to see if you attempt similar obsessive destructive behavior with others, which I never tolerate, if you haven’t noticed. You could not have a more evident problem with self-loathing. Now see to yourself and sort it out.
Whatever you want to call him/her, the customer, is a person who needs a smartphone. It doesn’t take long to notice size. It takes a phone to find a phone on a busy day. Chances are, if your an adult your eyes aren’t as good as they once were. The salesman just might direct you to screen size. Are your choosing an iPhone or the option of sitting closer the front, where the action appears to be. I guess people who go to movies are also stupid because they could squint it on their iPhone.
… and warp drive rabbit …not sad not true
Release a larger iPhone 6c just above S5 specs in multi colors in June and then the normal September version 6 iRelease for a kick-tail Christmas, then keep that pattern of twice a year releases to keep the impatient happy.
the breathless “rush this mofo out the door now!” Is bullshit. As is the “announce it now” and “to avoid manufacturing problems!”. Maybe the problem is that the Apple needs a bigger iPhone stories are too numerous to get a mention, so the author needed to add some umph. Bigger screen? Sure. Panic mode dictating timelines? Just fucking stupid
If Apple product users feel they need a Phablet they will wait until Apple makes one.
If anyone else wants a Phablet they will wait for Apple’s Phablet or they will buy a Samsung piece of crap instead.
Either way, Apple won’t lose any income while they design and build new products.
I am an Apple user, have a iMac, iPad, Airports … and wanted a bigger screen, but gave up waiting a long time ago. I then used “a Samsung piece of crap”, that was “too big for my pocket” and “looks stupid when making phone calls”. What I discovered was it was not crap, fitted nicely in my pocket and hand, I did not feel stupid making calls, indeed what it made me realise it was more stupid trying to use a tiny screen to do most of the things a smart phone is there to do! I now know my “Samsung crap” is far superior in almost every way to the iPhone and far more productive because of the bigger, better screen, better battery life and more flexible operating system. I now am on my second Samsung and am even more happy and it would take a massive improvment in an iphone to make me go back.
I am not a Samsung or Android fanatic at all, but having used both for long periods of time am able to make a statement from experience.
Launching a product is quite different than someone leaving the company. Apple doesn’t do early launches of anything because they want to make sure the product is right. Saying crap like this is one thing, to do it is a totally different story.
There is a lot of things that need to be setup and taken care of before a launch. So sure, let’s announce a product that’s not finished yet to make people really mad. NOT!!!!
I have not yet met or seen anyone go from apple to other brands for screen size’!
A few may… But i dont think apple is going to lose a huge number of customers in the next 6 months to this kind of movement.
But no doubt larger iphone is way overdue! Has been for a couple of years!
When it comes out .. We will see a huge number of people defecting from other platforms to apple !
I have been all-Apple for 25 years and a stockholder. I know several people who have gone to the dark side because of screen size. People who do a lot of work on their phone like the extra real estate. I will upgrade to a larger screen when Apple releases it.
okh, i have readed all the article, btu i want to know what is the price of next iPhone, or when it come Aug or September?
I’m sure Apple sits around with a pile of already completed products and says, hmm, should we release it in October or June. I’m just not sure! There are so many months to choose from!
And if they are racing for a fall deadline, I’m sure it wouldn’t be too hard to bump it up by 6 months, said the person that never worked in the computer hardware or software industry in their lives or even knew anyone that did or even read about anyone that did.