Matthew Bryson of Avian Securities, who follows component makers such as Micron Technology (MU), this morning tells clients in a note — as reported by “Barron’s” (http://macte.ch/DaO0s) that “recent conversations with the electronics supply chain indicate that Apple (AAPL) is sending out design specifications and component needs for the next generation iPad.”
I’m dubious but Bryson thinks we’ll see an iPad 3 within six months. The analyst thinks it may arrive this fall along with the iPhone 5, which he doesn’t believe will launch in June as some have predicted (or at least hoped).
“We feel the 2H launch fits well with indications an iPhone 5 launch could also come later in the year,” Bryson writes. “With the two platforms sharing similar hardware in many respects, in our view it would make some sense to see the platforms roll-out simultaneously with this timing likely enabling Apple to offer 4G enabled products.”
“Barron’s”notes that he analyst thinks a fall introduction of a new iPad would probably not be for the mere addition of, say, a “Retina Display,” like on the iPhone 4, which would be rather “pedestrian,” in his view, but rather for the purpose of unveiling higher connectivity and cloud-based, or streaming, music and content services.
— Dennis Sellers