In a note to clients this morning, Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White writes:
The success of the iPad 2 launch is clear given the continued serial stock-outs, and one of our contacts believes iPad unit sales could reach up to 40 million in CY11.
Regarding the iPhone, we are increasingly becoming suspicious around continued reports of a delayed iPhone 5 launch into September/October versus the typical June/July time frame. Although we do not have a smoking gun that definitively rules out a delayed autumn unveiling or one that supports a launch this summer, there is a pattern of activity in motion within the supply chain that makes us question a delayed launch.
Essentially, we believe Apple is keeping its iPhone 5 cards extra close to the vest on this launch to avoid a falloff in iPhone 4 demand ahead of a refresh, especially given the February launch of the CDMA iPhone 4 with Verizon.
MacDailyNews Take: Translation: No iPhone 5 prototypes in Redwood City bars this year.
[Thanks to a MacDailyNews reader who wishes to remain anonymous for the heads up.]