Here are your Apple rumors and news items for Monday:
Expand the Party: Jeffries analyst Peter Misek said in a Friday note that the iPhone may be available through every major U.S. mobile provider by this September. New models for T-Mobile and Sprint (NYSE:S) will reportedly feature improved cameras and other slight cosmetic changes. Also noteworthy is Misek’s claim that the next iteration of the iPhone, presumed to be named the iPhone 5, will not support the faster 4G network used by both Verizon (NYSE:VZ) and AT&T (NYSE:T). Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) is holding off on developing a 4G iPhone because the chipset manufactured by Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) isn’t yet up to par. The takeaway? Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android phones may establish themselves as the 4G smartphones of choice before Apple can get to the market.
iPhone 5 Details: Multiple leaks about the design of that next iPhone have recently slipped out of East Asian sources. On Saturday, Chinese trading website AliBaba hosted a listing supposedly set up by the manufacturer Kulcase (reposted at Electronista) that offers a “crystal case for Apple iPhone 5g.” The smartphone case and the mock-up of the phone it will hold suggest that the iPhone 5 will feature a larger screen than previous models, extending the touch display across the whole face of the handheld. It also shows the placement of the device’s rear camera and flash bulb on opposing sides of the phone’s backside. Previous models of iPhone placed the flash and camera directly next to one another. The new design was reinforced by images posted at Taiwanese website Apple.pro on Sunday. While these changes appear to be chiefly cosmetic, they do hint that the iPhone will see significant changes during its next product cycle, something that should keep consumers interested in the device.
RIM Recall: Research In Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM) has recalled 1,000 of its PlayBook tablets according to a report at Engadget (via Apple Insider). The iPad competitor had to be recalled from Staples (NASDAQ:SPLS) stores because of a faulty version of the tablet’s operating system. Unfortunately for Research In Motion, the recall is just the latest blow to its new device. The PlayBook has been lambasted by critics and ignored by consumers since its release in April.
As of this writing, Anthony John Agnello did not own a position in any of the stocks named here. Follow him on Twitter at @ajohnagnello and become a fan of InvestorPlace on Facebook.
