The next version of Apple"s iPhone is supposed to start actual production in mid to late August, according to what a financial analyst stated on Sunday. Apple Insider reports that Katy Huberty from Morgan Stanley made her prediction after a visit to Taiwan with various companies. The actualy release date for the fifth version of Apple"s iPhone should be late in the third quarter, which means a late September release date for the phone on Verizon and AT&T.
As we have reported before, Apple did not release the next version of the iPhone in its usual June/July time frame thanks in part to supply issues from Japan due to the massive March earthquake. Huberty estimates that Apple will sell 17 million iPhones in the third quarter of 2011 followed by 19 million in the fourth quarter. That represents a change of 2 million units lost in the third quarter from Morgan Stanley"s previous estimates. However that loss will be recovered in the fourth quarter.
The report also repeats rumors that Apple could be working on a smaller and cheaper version of the iPhone that could be sold in emerging markets. Huberty states that Apple has already predicting a large increase in iPhone unit production in 2012. It also repeats more recent rumors that Apple might be looking to produce and sell a television that will have the iPhone-based iOS operating system inside. Huberty is quoted as saying that such a Apple branded TV "could add $19 billion" to Apple"s revenue.