iPhone 5S Production to Begin in March in Preparation for June Release Date

By Vincent Funaro, Christian Post Reporter Tuesday, January 15, 2013

The production of the iPhone 5S is expected to begin in March in preparation for a June release date.

Jeffries analyst Peter Misek issued a note to clients today which claims that the initial production of the iPhone 5S will begin that month so Apple can launch the device by June or July.

"As word of the earlier production schedule starts to spread, we believe we could see a slight slowing of demand CQ1 in anticipation of the new product launch and Apple will likely start curtailing channel inventory," stated Misek. "Therefore we tweak down our CQ1 iPhone shipment estimate from 48M to 44M, which is still well above widespread fears of shipments in the mid-30Ms."

The device is expected to be released in as many as 6-8 colors, according to Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White. He also stated that the handset might be available in multiple screen sizes.

White believes that Apple launched the 5th generation iPod Touch in multiple colors in order to test the waters for the next generation iPhone. The strategy appeared to work with the media device, and Apple will now use it on the iPhone and eventually will launch an iPad with several color options as well.

His theory on the next iPhone's screen size points to Apple releasing a few different variants, with some made for the low-end market. Apple could better penetrate markets such as China and open up opportunities in India with a lower-end model.

The possibility of Apple making the next-generation iPhone's screen bigger seems a bit more likely than usual, as the 4-inch display found on the iPhone 5 is not that much different from the 3.5-inch one found on the 4.