KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, in a report this morning, states that both 4.7- and 5.5-inch models of the iPhone 6 will be launched next week and will both offer 128GB storage option. If Apple retains its usual three-tier structure this would suggest 32GB, 64GB and 128GB models – though it could be that 128GB would be a fourth tier, as with its iPad Air models. Or, as a previous report suggested, Apple could keep the 16GB option as a very low price tier and skip 32GB.
The same report predicts that the iPad Air 2 will be announced on the same day as the iPhone 6 rather than in a separate event in October. In this scenario, Apple would forgo any physical updates to the iPad mini line (perhaps price drops?). If true, this suggests that it could be a relatively minor refresh, perhaps simply with Touch ID added and a marginally thinner casing along with the RAM bumped up to 2GB for things like split window multitasking …
Kuo also predicts that the power button – moved to the side – could be a programmable multi-function key, perhaps launching a specific app in response to a long or short press. He also expects the phone to have a barometer, which could take breath measurements as part of the health focus or be involved in weather
This echoes an earlier 9to5mac report.
The camera lens will, he predicts, lose its sapphire coating after failing drop tests. Although sapphire is much more scratch-resistant than glass, it is more prone to shattering, and the protruding lens would make it significantly more vulnerable than on present models. There is no information in this report on whether the screen will be sapphire, though countless previous reports indicate that at least some of the iPhone 6 displays will be sapphire.
Key spec forecasts – No sapphire cover lens, 128GB, built-in barometer pressure sensor & programmable power key
(1) Due to drop test issues, neither 4.7-inch nor 5.5-inch iPhone 6 will have a sapphire cover lens, we believe; (2) as Apple has strong bargaining power on NAND Flash price, and in a bid to meet the large capacity demand of consumers as well as to differentiate themselves from competing models, both 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 will come with 128GB; (3) a built-in barometer can provide more indoor navigation applications and health-management applications relating to spirometry; and (4) we predict (discussed in an earlier report) that the power key will be moved from the upper position to the side. We now further predict that the power key could be programmable to be integrated with specific applications, giving more input options in addition to being a power switch.
The report reiterates previous predictions that both models will be announced on the 9th September, but the 5.5-inch model will go on sale at a later date due to component yield issues and “assembly challenge”. It suggests that supplies of both models could be constrained for 1-2 month, the 4.7-inch model affected by labour shortages at Foxconn.
The same report predicts that the iWatch will be announced at the same event with 8GB storage, 512MB RAM and two different sizes.
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About time for 128GB. Fingers crossed they maintain only three tiers, as it would be a very pleasant surprise.
iPhone 6s must come with 16GB, 64GB and 128GB
I believe it will, at both sizes, $100 apart at each tier.
I totally agree with your prediction. Apple is in the business of making great products to make money. Apple always creates opportunities that might make us spend a more money and I think that the jump from 16GB to 64GB for $100 could be considered one of those opportunities.
Here is my lineup prediction:
iPhone 5c: 16GB / $0
iPhone 5s: 16GB / $99 32GB / $199
iPhone (4.7): 16GB / $199 64GB / $299 128GB / $399
iPhone (5.5): 16GB / $299 64GB / $399 128GB / $499
why not 32/64/128? it costs Apple pennies to increase the storage from 16 to 32. I guess it would make more people go from 16 to 64GB for $100 than from 32 to 64, but still.
I have only purchased 32Gb iPhones (I don’t like buying either the lowest or highest available), but I was looking at how little data I actually have open on my iPhone 5s the other day, and thought to myself “I need to move to 64Gb when I get my iPhone 6”. If this is true, I would still be in the middle … It seems that for “average” users (which I consider myself to be) they need more memory these days …
We’ll know in a few days, but I say that they’re too douchey of a company to start their people off at 32GB. They want people to really feel bad and stupid if they decide to go the cheapskate route and not give them their extra $100 for $5 worth of storage or less. They could easily put in microSD support ans eliminate this worry, BUT THEY DON’T ON PURPOSE. Android users don’t fret about which “tier” they should buy, they just buy the pocket computer they like/can afford.
interesting idea for a programmable power button.
The power button thing is interestingly out-of-the-blue.
32gb, 64gb, 128gb for both models would indicate both models would probably cost slightly more than what the iPhone 5s currently costs and that’s NOT good. They’ll have to keep iPhone 5s around for the 16gb and 8gb model (available in emerging countries) with also the iPhone 5c available only in 8gb for “free”.
The difference in production cost to Apple between 16GB and 32GB is trivial.
Is it really? Because I highly doubt any cost difference there would be viewed as trivial…
I can easily see Apple keeping 16 GB for the bottom tier, to maintain their margin.
Flash storage is cheap. In the quantities Apple buys, the difference might be a dollar or two tops.
A dollar or two is a lot when talking 10s of millions of tier 1 iPhones.
Yep, the old car argument can be applied – a 1c saving adds up. But let’s hope …
To your comment at the bottom this thread about $1 across 10s of millions of devices… yes, but still pennies compared to 10s of billions of dollars in net income.
It’s the fact that they are forcing you to pay $100 dollars extra for what could be a $15-$30 upgrade with a simple microSD slot that should make people furious – but no, they keep buying.
It has been rumored that the 16 GB model will remain, and 64 and 128 will occupy the next two price points above that. It makes worlds of sense.
I believe the 16GB will go away. The only rumors of it staying were sketchy blurry pics of a random logic board which most likely was a prototype. Apple has never done 16,64,128. That scheme doesn’t flow well and doesn’t make much sense.
Actually it makes more sense than 32/64/128 does….but I’m not going to argue. You’ll see next week.
Either way, I’ll be happy if 64GB is the middle tier: I’ve been struggling somewhat with 32GB since using my phone a lot more for video.
Apple loves symmetry and continuity (not the iOS 8 feature, lol) and having a single product line where the pattern is 16 – 64 – 128 has no method to it. Remember when the iPad Mini came out it was a 7.9 screen. They pointed out that it was easy to remember because the iPad was 9.7. 7.9 – 9.7. It made sense, so does 32 -64 – 128.
But yes, we will see soon!
I’ve had 32 GB for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5 and be struggling more and more to fit all my apps in 32 GB. Having bigger screens and higher resolutions will likely mean apps using up more storage space. 64 GB is a must for the mid tier models.
I think apple will drop the 5c and will keep a 16 GB iPhone 5s. I see the the 4.7″ becoming the $99 model. I really don’t see Apple going for $299, $399, $499 for for the 5.5″. If they do go for the higher price tiers they better have sapphire and much huger screen resolutions then the 4.7″ model.
Exactly. Apple knows there will always be people who just want to buy the cheapest possible, why sacrifice their margins (and make investors call doom and gloom once again for margins decreasing 5%), the iPhone 6 is already seeming like it will be a more expensive product to build, every single last dollar helps when dealing with 100 million products.
Makes a ton of sense to leave the cheap people with the same 16gb, and upgrade the storage for those users willing to spend a little more for the next step up. The lowest tier product already has the lowest margins to begin with, the upper tiers are supposed to make up for the lack of margin at the lower tier. Creating a 32gb entry tier would see a lot less people upgrading to a higher tier, further eroding margins.
Ok, now Kuo just grasping for blogger headlines.. Unlikely they’d announce the iPad a month early.. very unlikely.. They only just started ramping up production.. it lines up perfect with Oct release.. as we’ve seen many times before. Unless they have to, they generally don’t like to do to product releases at the same time.. In fact, they go out of their way to avoid it usually..
Especially since the iPhone release will be sooooo massive.. It would largely mute any iPad release / announcement.
It would make more sense to release the iPhone, announce the iWatch (since it’s not releasing right away, new product category) … I would not be surprised if they released the 12.9″ iPad in Oct though as well. Not surprised at all.
Ok, and the power button thing.. wha? lol
Completely agree.
If I hadn’t already lost interest with the claim that the iPhone and iPad would launch at the same time, the Power button thing…
It just doesn’t make any kind of sense — you’d loose the ability to lock the phone if you’re in an app. It’s absurd.
iPad this month would be surprising, but Kuo has a good track-record …
Depends on your definition of “good”. :)
He’s about at a 50% rate of being correct. Not that hard to hit 50% which makes most of his predictions a toss up.
Apple announcing iPhones and iPads on the the same day? Hardly. Are these predictions based on anything other than guessing?
I agree…plus after all those announcements in September, what could they possibly announce in their annual October event?
History has stated that it is iPhone event in September, and iPad event in October. Seems silly to try and cram it all in one event, especially if their pipeline is as good as Eddy Cue suggests!
I could only see iPads and iPhones both at the September event if they plan to release retina iMacs, retina 12″ MacBooks Airs and a pro 12..9″ iPad in October. That is highly doubtful since it doesn’t look like Intel will have enough chips to release a fan-less 12″ MacBook Air
actually, that’s the only reason I could think of why they might cram it in September – because the pipeline is so good, and they have something else big for October – like a TV, or a new laptop range, or something else which is not an iDevice.
In that scenario, it could make sense to put the mobile iDevices into one event, and the other stuff into an October event – but only if either a) that ‘new thing’ was something really big (like a TV) or b) because they want to just focus on Macs in October (i.e. along with the release of Yosemite, and a new laptop design – e.g. retina Macbook Air etc.).
but having said all that, I agree, probably unlikely.
To focus on Marc’s they would almost have to put an very high end ARM chip in the 12″ MacBook Airs and the 12.9″ iPads. Then they would have to use all the new intel chips they could get for a retina iMac. And wait for early next year for a retina MacBook Pro update.
Besides highlighting new macs and Yosemite Apple would have to preview the next generation of Apple TV unless they want to focus more on Homekit and Healthkit which seems lightly unlikely.
“Key spec forecasts – No sapphire cover lens, 128GB, built-in barometer pressure sensor & programmable power key”
So he’s saying the camera won’t have sapphire cover lens?
Yep, likely because it protrudes so is at risk of shattering
And yet we’re supposed to believe the displays could be sapphire? Something doesn’t pass the smell test. Me thinks Kuo is just throwing stuff at the wall hoping some of it will stick.
The screen is less vulnerable as the phone would have to land flat on the screen to directly impact it. But if it lands the other way up, the camera will be the first thing to hit the ground much of the time.
Not saying it’s true, but there’s a logic to it.
Is the camera lens on the iPod touch sapphire?
I’ve worked at an Apple Store for years and the sapphire cover to the camera lens is the best thing ever. When it was glass we had to replace so many backplates on the 4 and 4S because of scratching that it was annoying. The lens on the 5 – 5S NEVER breaks. It doesn’t even scratch. Trust me, they won’t be changing that. The numbers alone would show Apple that they are right. The lens is too small to break just the lens. Try it, you can’t break JUST the lens on the back of the phone. It isn’t an issue.
But I don’t see them reverting to glass for the camera lens when they’ve prided themselves on the clarity provided by the sapphire lens and the photo quality of iPhone.
The camera lens also protrudes on the iPod touch and that didn’t stop them.
It doesn’t add up for me.
4.7″ iPhone 6
16 GB – $199
64 GB – $299
128 GB – $399
5.5″ iPhone 6
16 GB – $299
64 GB – $399
128 GB – $499
5.5″ 16 GB seems unlikely, or at least quite niche.
Not at all. It will command a premium over the 4.7″ in size alone, by $100. Unless they pull a fast one and have 5.5 start at 32 GB instead of 16 (a possibility)…then 16 it is.
Not niche at all. It will be more than half of the device’s sales. Lowest tier ALWAYS is. Storage is not most important at all to tens of millions of people.
For your pricing to be true Apple would have to release a new 5c with 5s hardware inside it for the $99 tier. I can’t see Apple moving the 5c to the free model and keeping a 5s for the $99 model.
$500 is an outrageous amount to pay for any subsidized device, it had better be made of solid gold by that point. There are $350 un-subsidized phones with unbelievable specs available now around the world. Flagship Smartphones, especially those sold in the US, have 100’s of $ of profit built into them, but none are better at gouging than the iPhone.
The title makes it look like we’re talking about the iPhone 6s (next gen) at first glance.
Exactly what I thought!
Helpful feedback, thanks – updated.
Seems like everything this analyst reports he obtained from selectively reading 9to5Mac… And some extra bits he just plain made up.
Please drop the 16gb model. So many are suckers for the $199 model, leading to a poor user experience constantly trying to manage storage space.
If you consciously buy the 16 GB knowing your needs exceed that, then you make a poor choice.
Most people buy the $199 model, not the 16 GB model…if you understand my meaning. Price is their motivator. And most do not run into storage problems, or have bad user experiences. Photos, Video, and iMessage that contain both, are the largest storage culprits, and also not something that even an average user fills up their phone with. Despite that, iOS 8 has the solution. Auto-delete Messages to stop it from taking up space, and iCloud Photo Library automatically optimizing your phone’s storage….taking (for example) 8 GB of photos/videos and reducing that down to around 600 MB.
Truthfully, there is LESS reason now for a higher capacity entry level model than there ever was before.
“Despite that, iOS 8 has the solution. Auto-delete Messages to stop it from taking up space, and iCloud Photo Library automatically optimizing your phone’s storage….taking (for example) 8 GB of photos/videos and reducing that down to around 600 MB.
Truthfully, there is LESS reason now for a higher capacity entry level model than there ever was before.”
100% agree with this.
iPad sales have declined a bit. I just don’t see a viable 16GB option given today’s app sizes. If you want to install the iWork suite that’s 1.5 GB. App sizes are growing too fast.
Start with 32GB then 64 and 128. Keep the SKU sprawl low and customer satisfaction high.
The Samsung phones have expandable storage. That’s the way to go.
If Apple doesn’t start drop the 16 GB and replace it with the 32 GB I think they’re going to hurt themselves. Unless they do a 16 GB for $99, which I find unlikely, they need to start 32 GB for $199 and so on. I don’t know many people who survive well on 16 GB anymore, it just doesn’t cut it anymore. Cloud storage is great and all but I personally don’t want to rely on it especially with having to use my data plan for it. Verizon and AT&T customers are scared to use their data most of the time, the majority of Sprint customers don’t have reliable data and outside the big cities T-Mobile doesn’t have good data. It’s nice to have a decent bit of storage on your device. A bunch of the big name android phones have adopted this by having 32 GB of storage and having micro SD card slots on top of that. I’m excited to hear about 128 GB though but I hope that Apple keeps three tiers
One thing not mentioned to boost iPad sales is for Apple to make all iPads cellular models. To me it would be more cost effective for Apple to release one cellular model for each storage capacity instead of 3 each for each storage capacity. There is was to many sku’s across the iPhone and iPad ranges. iPhones and iPads both need to go to a single world LTE modem.
Oops I guess the iPad airs and retina iPad minis have just one modem now. Really don’t see why the iPhone 5s wasn’t the same.
Long shot of a thought and most likely wrong but what about OS X Yosemite being released the same day as iOS 8 as I cannot see how they will get iCloud drive working without both being released at the same time, either all your iWork documents will be available on your iOS device and not your mac or they will push a fix for it (see various information about iCloud drive in the Yosemite beta).
I don’t mind being wrong (and if someone can explain to me simply) but I cannot at the moment see how they can work it well without leaving one of their key features (and featured prominently on their iOS8 page of their website http://www.apple.com/ios/ios8/icloud-drive/ ) out of action for a month at least. And that isn’t even mentioning continuity, air drop, family sharing.
I have the 16GB iPhone and I’m always having to keep it tidy. Forget about putting movies on it. Even one. But in a few months when both phones are available, I can choose an upgrade well. Though, I might just get a higher capacity IPhone 5. Bigger screen is nice but it’s much more difficult to put in your pocket. If the newer phones are much thinner, that might convince me to upgrade to them.
they really shouldn’t even offer 16gb as an option anymore…maybe if everyone uses 32gb or more they can make offline maps happen!