Piper Jaffray analyst forecasts late June launch for iPhone 5S

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster is projecting that the next iPhone—the iPhone 5S— will launch in late June this year, reports CNET. Munster expects the iPhone 5S to pack a faster processor, an improved camera and new software features.

He stated that there is an "outside chance" that the smartphone will include an NFC (near-field communications) chip to allow mobile payments. Munster went on to add that it is more likely that the fingerprint reader security will be included in the iPhone 6, instead of the iPhone 5S. However, earlier this month, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities mentioned that the iPhone 5S will feature a fingerprint reader.

Munster added that the Cupertino company will go on to sell 4 million units of the phone before the end of the month and the quarter, presuming it launches in late June. Munster further expects Apple to sell 30 million iPhones over the June quarter. If that happens, the company would witness a 15 percent increase in sales over the same quarter a year ago.

Late June launch expected

This is the latest in a rather long string of rumours surrounding the iPhone 5S. It's being rumoured that Foxconn is currently busy producing parts for the Apple iPhone 5S, which is said to have many similarities in design with the iPhone 5. It was rumoured that not many changes would be needed from existing iPhone 5 blueprints for the production of this device and both models could be run on the same assembly line.

Apple seems to have struck a design formula for the S refreshes of the iPhone. When going from the iPhone 4 to 4S, the company retained the design of the predecessor and the same seems to be the case for the iPhone 5S. It is a logical step, considering Apple wouldn’t have increased the screen size so soon after its first foray into 4-inch devices. Making big changes to the size and design of the phone would have also made the iPhone 5 slightly dated.

However, that doesn’t mean Apple isn’t updating the internals of the phone. A faster A7 processor is expected to be powering the device, along with an improved camera on the rear. The camera lens may get a "Smart Flash" option that uses white and yellow LED lights in conjunction to improve colour representation and the quality of low-light pictures.

Additionally, we've heard NTT DoCoMo, Japan's largest carrier, might start carrying the Apple iPhone 5S next year for the first time. The carrier has reduced its orders for Android phones in next fall, leading analysts and rivals to believe that the next-gen iPhone might be floated out in the DoCoMo network.