IPhone 5's Big New Features: Sprint, T-Mobile

Further corroboration of rumors that the next iteration of Apple’s iPhone will be more of a refinement of its predecessor than an overhaul.

Jefferies & Co. analyst Peter Misek too says the device will be largely similar to the iPhone 4, but with significant improvements under the hood.

“We believe the likelihood of the iPhone 5 launch in September including LTE [Long-Term Evolution] is now remote,” Misek said in a note to clients. “According to our industry checks, the device should be called iPhone 4S and will include minor cosmetic changes, better cameras, A5 dual-core processor, and HSPA+ support.”

These specs are essentially the same ones Concord Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported back in April, so Misek’s not particularly telling us anything new, with the exception of one very interesting detail. He expects Apple to launch the the iPhone 5/4S on a handful of new carriers, Sprint, T-Mobile, and China Telecom among them.

“Industry checks indicate AAPL has or is about to announce new carrier deals in time for the holidays with T-Mobile and Sprint,” Misek wrote. “Additionally, we believe another China carrier could launch the iPhone in the next 12 months. On Apple’s last earnings call, management responded to a question about launching the CDMA iPhone at other carriers as “we are constantly looking and adding where it makes sense, and you can keep confidence that we’ll continue to do that.”