A new report is suggesting that the iPhone 5, not the iPhone 4S, will be discontinued upon the launch of the low-cost iPhone 5C. According to the analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities who has, in the past, provided accurate forecasts of unreleased Apple products, the iPhone 4S will continue to exist even after the launch of the iPhone 5C, with the iPhone 5 ceasing production (via MacRumors). The forecasted line-up for the iPhone from this Fall would therefore be the iPhone 4S, the iPhone 5C and then the iPhone 5S.
While Kuo has in the past provided accurate information about Apple products, this is actually a confusing prediction. With the 4S continuing production, Apple will be continuing to prolong the life of devices with only a 3.5 inch screen and a 30 pin dock connector over devices with the larger screen size and Lightning connector. It’s therefore unclear what the reasoning is behind the decision, particularly since the iPhone 5C is expected to ship with a 4 inch screen and Lightning connector.
The launch event for the new iPhone devices is expected to take place on September 10, although this date remains to be officially confirmed by Apple.
Prolonging…