Analyst: Apple Will Launch Redesigned iPhone 5 in 2012

Apple Insider reports that in a note to investors Gene Munster with Piper Jaffray said that Apple will launch make significant changes to its products in 2012 as it did not launch any redesigned products in 2011.

He expects Apple to launch a redesigned iPhone 5 in mid 2012, which according to him help Apple outperform in 2013. He has offered two scenarios for Apple products in 2012:  a "base case" and a "bull case."

In the base case scenario, he expects Apple to sell 142 million iPhones, which would result in 18% increase in revenues, while in the bull case scenario, he expects Apple to sell 162 million iPhones in 2013, which would result in 35% increase in revenues.

Munster expects Apple to launch one third generation iPad model to replace iPad 2. However, he believes that Apple could beat his estimates if it expands the iPad product line with both lower and higher price points.

Apple Insider speculates:

Rumors and speculation of an expanded iPad lineup are not new, though Apple has yet to adjust its strategy. Last month, another analyst predicted that Apple will sell a third-generation iPad with a high-resolution Retina Display alongside a faster "iPad 2S" with the same screen resolution as the current iPad 2, but with a faster processor and Siri integration. He also predicted that Apple will continue to sell the iPad 2 at a lower price, much like the company already does with the iPhone 3GS.

In the base case scenario, he expects Apple to sell 66 million iPads, which would result in 20% increase in revenues, while in the bull case scenario, he expects Apple to sell 77.5 million iPads in 2013, which would result in 30% increase in revenues.

Apple was widely expected to launch a redesigned iPhone 5 this year, but it launched iPhone 4S, which looks like iPhone 4 but comes with features such as Siri, faster dual-core A5 processor and vastly improved 8-megapixel camera, which had disappointed many people who were eagerly waiting for a redesigned iPhone with a larger screen.

Let's hope that Munster is right and Apple blows us away with a redesigned iPhone and iPad next year.

[via Apple Insider]