Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster might be a bit of a laughing stock when it comes to the so-called Apple HDTV, but he’s still one of the go-to soothsayers for investors looking for an early heads-up on what Apple might do next. In a new report, Munster is making a rather strange claim: he says that Apple’s low-budget iPhone 5C will ship without Siri.
According to Munster’s report, the iPhone 5C will replace the iPhone 4S as Apple’s lowest-cost iPhone, $0 on contract. So far, so good.
Likewise, Munster envisions the iPhone 5C as a plastic-bodied smartphone with a 4-inch screen, with fewer cutting-edge components than the iPhone 5S. It will cost around $300, and he thinks it will cannibalize iPhone 5S sales by about 25 percent. We’re on board with that.
What we don’t understand is Munster’s claim that Apple could be planning on launching the iPhone 5C without Siri. True, the iPhone 4 — Apple’s current $0 iPhone — doesn’t have Siri, but that’s simply because Siri debuted with the iPhone 4S, and Apple never made it backwards compatible with older models. Considering Siri is software, and literally costs Apple nothing to put on a device, I have a hard time believing that Cupertino would consider “cutting costs” by not shipping the iPhone 5C with Siri. It’s one of iOS’s great distinguishing features.
Otherwise, Munster’s report largely parrots the popular rumors of the day. He agrees with the September 10th iPhone debut date (which we accurately predicted two months ago), says the iWatch is coming in 2014, and because it would be kind of a joke if he didn’t mention it, thinks the Apple HDTV will come out before the end of the year, which is a laugh.
Source: App Advice
