Production Of iPhone 5S Set To Begin In March In Time For Mid-2013 Launch

In December last year, we relayed a report claiming that the so-called iPhone 5S could come in multiple colors and, more interestingly, could arrive as early as June this year. Now, we have a new report, via StreetInsider, stating that Apple's next-generation smartphone is already set for production in March. Jefferies analyst Peter Misek is following up on his report last month with a note to investors saying that "preliminary builds for the iPhone 5S will start in March for a launch in June/July." Prior to the October 2011 launch of the iPhone 4S, Apple had always reserved summer for launching its new handsets. But its fall schedule continued with last year's iPhone 5, which launched in September. To be sure, Misek's predictions aren't always on the mark. But he does manage to get some key product projections right. He did, for example, correctly predict the arrival of the iPhone 4S. This time, Misek notes that the iPhone 5S is already undergoing testing, along with the rumored low-cost iPhone. Miseks says that he expects the less expensive iPhone to be "a concentrated low-cost iPhone rather than a 'cheap' one." Additionally, he says that it's likely to have a "polycarbonite case with 4" non-Retina display and no LTE." As for the widely reported reduction in iPhone 5 component orders from Apple, Misek joins the chorus of analysts who believe that it's not related to "weaker-than-expected demand." He says that it may very well be ascribable to an assembly bottleneck during the holiday quarter or to initial build production of the next iPhone in March. Source: StreetInsider Via: AppleInsider

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