Wedbush Securities analyst Scott Sutherland has updated his Apple projections for the remainder of Q4 and forward, raising his Apple target price to $530. Sutherland expects that will launch two iPhones next month – a next-gen model as well a second iPhone “targeting emerging markets”. Interestingly, he also claims that Apple will release a 4G LTE iPhone in 2012 with a “materially improved user interface,” reports AllThingsD.
While many have long suspected that Apple will release two new iPhone models, the report does conflict with Brian Blair’s recent comments suggesting that Apple may only release the iPhone 4S next month, citing a lack of material evidence for a redesigned iPhone 5.
Apple has already reportedly been sending out LTE-capable test units to carriers, and further reports have suggested that Apple is beginning to install LTE 4G equipment in Apple Retail Stores.
China Mobile claimed to be working with Apple on an LTE-enabled iPhone around the same time, suggesting it might possibly happen with the iPhone 5. China Mobile chairman Wang Jianzhou also commented this month, and confirmed that a forthcoming iPhone is being developed for use of their TD-LTE network.
There is good reason to think that LTE won’t be coming to the iPhone 5 this year, as second-generation LTE chips aren’t expected to be available until 2012, and Tim Cook has commented that the current LTE chips force design changes that Apple isn’t willing to make.