Wall Street ‘Suspicious’ of Delayed iPhone 5 Rumors

Here’s a shocker: Apple is playing its cards close to the vest about a product launch. That’s the opinion of one analyst who tells investors Friday he is “suspicious” of all the talk the Cupertino, Calif. company may delay the iPhone 5 until later this year.

“We are increasingly becoming suspicious around continued reports of a delayed iPhone 5 launch into September/October versus the typical June/July time frame,” writes Brian White of Ticonderoga Securities. Why the suspicion?

“There is a pattern of activity in motion within the supply chain that makes us question a delayed launch,” White said. But at the heart of the matter is a belief Apple wants to keep consumers buying the iPhone 4. White doesn’t provide details on what supply chain indications prompt his concern.

“Essentially, we believe Apple is keeping its iPhone 5 cards extra close to the vest on this launch to avoid a falloff in iPhone 4 demand ahead of a refresh, especially given the February launch of the CDMA iPhone 4 with Verizon,” the analyst concludes.

Talk of a delayed iPhone 5 launch is already having an effect on Wall Street as financial analyst adjust their sales expectations in light of the chatter.

White may have a point. If word leaked about a new iPhone set for June or July, consumers considering purchasing an Apple handset likely would hold off, wanting to buy the latest version.

[WSJ]

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