Munster: 4" iPhone doesn't make sense for rumored Apple event in March

Posted:
in iPhone
Despite rumors that Apple plans to hold a mid-March event to introduce several new products, it may not make sense to include a 4-inch iPhone among them, according to Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster.




Were Apple to launch a phone in the spring, it would quickly look outdated following the iPhone 7's expected September launch, Munster wrote in an investor memo obtained by AppleInsider. He also remarked that having two iPhone events per year would detract from the releases of other products.

The analyst suggested that Apple will instead concentrate on a second-generation Apple Watch and a third-generation iPad Air for its March event. The former will probably be an "S" version, he said, with a similar design but upgraded components like a better battery and new band styles.

The "iPad Air 3" will probably include a redesigned body, Force Touch, and better internal components, Munster said. it might also offer a Smart Connector akin to the iPad Pro.

Munster's claims are at odds with recent reports indicating that Apple is not only preparing to launch a new 4-inch phone -- alternately referred to as the "iPhone 5se" or "iPhone 6c" -- but that the device is already in production. The device might share similarities with the iPhone 5s, but upgrade to an A8 or A9 processor, as well as support for features like Apple Pay.

Likewise, rumors have hinted that the Watch itself will be unchanged, but simply pick up new bands and a watchOS update. The new iPad Air might indeed have a Smart Connector and a rear camera flash, among other improvements, but generally Apple isn't expected to add 3D Touch to iPads until sometime after this fall's iPhone refresh.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 68
    canukstormcanukstorm Posts: 2,693member
    There are two reports saying there will be a March 15th event debuting a new 4" iPhone:

    http://9to5mac.com/2016/02/02/march-15-event-4-inch-phone-new-ipad-apple-watch/

    http://www.buzzfeed.com/johnpaczkowski/apple-to-debut-new-ipad-smaller-iphone-at-march-15-event#.mhpDzzXMQD

    And both Gurman & Paczkowski have great sources.
    clemynx
  • Reply 2 of 68
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    Does Munster ever make sense?
    nolamacguyclemynxredgeminipa
  • Reply 3 of 68
    Mr_GreyMr_Grey Posts: 118member
    1) No one but AppleInsider really, actually thinks it will be called "iPhone 6c" despite plugging it in every single article on this site. 

    2) How many times do we have to look at that ridiculous render (also placed on every story of this type) of the Android-esque iPhone that will literally NEVER happen. 
  • Reply 4 of 68
    msanttimsantti Posts: 1,377member
    Aple needs to knock something out of the park this year.

    New 4" iPhone, and iPad Air 3, and watch bands ain't it.
    ben20larryaredgeminipa
  • Reply 5 of 68
    Oh, Gene...

    How did that TV prediction work out? Yeah, thought so...
    edited February 2016 clemynxredgeminipa
  • Reply 6 of 68
    ...or maybe Apple does not want to launch a budget phone with their premier iPhone 7 line in the fall?
    palomine
  • Reply 7 of 68
    sflocal said:
    Does Munster ever make sense?
    This guy is a clown - 9/5 sources are on the money. Doesn't mean I would be buying this 4" phone but this model is needed to capture the mid range of the market. 
  • Reply 8 of 68
    Oh, Gene...


    Makes you miss his talk about the television set, doesn't it?
    SpamSandwichpalomine
  • Reply 9 of 68
    jonljonl Posts: 210member
    Munster's brain is a smallish mass of neurons, randomly firing.
    nolamacguypalomine
  • Reply 10 of 68
    josujosu Posts: 217member
    msantti said:
    Aple needs to knock something out of the park this year.

    New 4" iPhone, and iPad Air 3, and watch bands ain't it.
    As you know the good stuff is launched after WWDC or, sometimes in WWDC. I think Apple need this kind of spring events, they got them many years, well, to be honest they use to show the stuff to be launched around spring in the MacWorld Expo in January.
    clemynx
  • Reply 11 of 68
    jfc1138jfc1138 Posts: 3,090member
    agsystems said:
    sflocal said:
    Does Munster ever make sense?
    This guy is a clown - 9/5 sources are on the money. Doesn't mean I would be buying this 4" phone but this model is needed to capture the mid range of the market. 
    I'm less sure about whatever "midrange" and rather offering a different sized device for those out there who LIKE the smaller form.
    adybpalominemac fan
  • Reply 12 of 68
    msantti said:
    Aple needs to knock something out of the park this year.

    New 4" iPhone, and iPad Air 3, and watch bands ain't it.
    Oh really? Says who? Also March isn't the rest of the year. 
    nolamacguyWiseGuyclemynxmac fan
  • Reply 13 of 68
    msanttimsantti Posts: 1,377member
    josu said:
    msantti said:
    Aple needs to knock something out of the park this year.

    New 4" iPhone, and iPad Air 3, and watch bands ain't it.
    As you know the good stuff is launched after WWDC or, sometimes in WWDC. I think Apple need this kind of spring events, they got them many years, well, to be honest they use to show the stuff to be launched around spring in the MacWorld Expo in January.
    I know that.

    I am sure the next real iPhone wil be nice but I doubt it wil be a massive upgrade. The rumors of the dual camera would be, if true, the big attraction.

    The watch, while doing ok, was NOT the next big thing Apple had hoped it would be.
  • Reply 14 of 68
    19831983 Posts: 1,225member
    Munster hasn't a clue! He says if they launch the new 4" in March it will look outdated come iPhone 7 time in September. We haven't seen a confirmable design yet for the 5se/6c so how does he know? Maybe it'll incorporate design cues from the upcoming 7 to give the renewed iPhone line a more homogenous look come the end of the year. And even if it doesn't...its supposed to be the new 'entry level' iPhone, nobody will care...the iPhone 5c looked nothing like the 5s did it? But nor did it look outdated either, just plastic!
    edited February 2016
  • Reply 15 of 68

    agsystems said:
    sflocal said:
    Does Munster ever make sense?
    This guy is a clown - 9/5 sources are on the money. Doesn't mean I would be buying this 4" phone but this model is needed to capture the mid range of the market. 
    He's not talking about the phone he's talking about showing it off at a March event. I happen to agree. That phone seems like something more suited for a press release. 
  • Reply 16 of 68
    josujosu Posts: 217member
    As I had said before this is the kind of rumor which Ming-Chi-Kuo usually nailed. The guy is as good as everybody in sales forecasts, but his sources in the supply chain are second to none. So if the guy says there will be a 4" iPhone in spring it will happen.

    Don't get me wrong, sometimes the guy fails, last year he said the AppleWatch will be launched by the end of 2015 in titanium and other materials, and he was wrong with that, but usually is right. It was launched in other colors but not materials, so maybe 50/50 on that.

    I'm just waiting for my next iPad, I'm worried about the increase in size, because the weight is my biggest reason to upgrade, and the display. I hope they only make it bigger to make room for the resonance chambers for the speakers, as in iPad Pro, and don't add any significant weight to the device.

    I want to ask something if any helpful soul can solved me a doubt, the lightning dock for the iPhone is strong enough to put on it an iPad Air 2.

    edited February 2016
  • Reply 17 of 68
    msantti said:
    Aple needs to knock something out of the park this year.

    New 4" iPhone, and iPad Air 3, and watch bands ain't it.
    Oh really? Says who? Also March isn't the rest of the year. 
    If I read it right, he said it.  And he didn't say March was the end of the year.  Why do you feel like he has to answer to you on matters like this?
  • Reply 18 of 68
    josujosu Posts: 217member
    msantti said:
    josu said:
    As you know the good stuff is launched after WWDC or, sometimes in WWDC. I think Apple need this kind of spring events, they got them many years, well, to be honest they use to show the stuff to be launched around spring in the MacWorld Expo in January.
    I know that.

    I am sure the next real iPhone wil be nice but I doubt it wil be a massive upgrade. The rumors of the dual camera would be, if true, the big attraction.

    The watch, while doing ok, was NOT the next big thing Apple had hoped it would be.
    To me the supposed expectations of the Apple Watch by Apple are speculations, is not possible that Apple expected that big sales, if it were the case, the roll out of the device would have been faster in more markets, so the production was low by design, at least at the beginning. Add to that that is a slave device that only works with certain generations of iPhone, but not with anything else, and you can't sell that much, technically the device could work with a late generation iPad or iPod Touch but not. If it was the case, I would have bought one by now. Taking everything with a grain of salt, given that nobody knows for sure how much they have sold.

    All in all, seems that nobody still remembers how slow was the beginning of the iPod back in 2001, and after several years it was a smash hit. On the other hand, look at my beloved iPad, took the market by storm, surpassing every other product launch from Apple ever, and now seems to go nowhere, I hope they can find a way to revitalized it.

    So time will tell, if in two to three generations the device don't go anywhere it will be a failure. But right now is anybody guess.
    edited February 2016
  • Reply 19 of 68
    mazda 3smazda 3s Posts: 1,613member
    Gruber said the same thing about the iPad Pro at the iPhone 6s event... we see how that turned out.
  • Reply 20 of 68
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Munster says it doesn't make sense? Guess it's confirmed then.
    SpamSandwich
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