Apple To Launch Next iPhone This October With LTE [Analyst]

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The next iPhone could have faster speeds than your home's DSL.
The next iPhone could have faster speeds than your home's DSL.

Many have speculated that Apple’s next iPhone will have lightning fast LTE ‘4G’ networking speeds. Chipset maker Qualcomm has been experiencing incredible demand for its next generation  28-nanometer LTE chips, and industry watchers are saying that device markers are having to adjust their LTE product roadmaps accordingly for 2012.

This news could be a factor in why Apple’s sixth-gen iPhone probably won’t hit the shelves this summer if it does indeed come with LTE. Instead, analysts are predicting an October rollout, mimicking the iPhone 4S launch just last year.

In a note to investors, longtime Apple lover and analyst Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray said, “We believe the iPhone 5 launch is likely to follow the new typical pattern established with the iPhone 4S of an October launch. We expect the iPhone 5 to not only include a revolutionary newly designed body, but also support LTE and utilize the Qualcomm 28nm baseband modem.”

Based on Qualcomm’s statement that “we cannot secure enough supply to meet the increasing demand we are experiencing,” Munster believes that “it is more likely the phone launches in October given Qualcomm commentary around 28nm chip supply.”

Recent rumors have suggested that Apple will use a liquidmetal alloy for the next iPhone’s casing, and the general consensus is that the device will at least sport a redesigned exterior. Considering the rest of the market’s rapid LTE adoption, Apple will likely jump onboard later this year.

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