Apple fans are looking forward to a potentially thinner phone or bigger screen, but there may be another less-than-thrilling update to the so-called "iPhone 6": a price increase.
According to Jeffries analyst Peter Misek, the next iPhone may even come with a heftier price tag. In a company research report sent to The Huffington Post, Misek states: "Our checks indicate Apple has started negotiating with carriers on a $100 iPhone 6 price increase. The initial response has been no, but there seems to be an admission that there is no other game-changing device this year."
Now, as Cult of Mac points out, Misek doesn't exactly have a stellar track record when it comes to Apple rumors, so take this with a healthy grain of salt. He has gotten a few right (like the name of the iPhone 4S when everyone else thought it would be the iPhone 5), but he's definitely missed the boat a few times as well (he's been predicting an Apple HDTV for years -- still no sign of that).
In a time when Apple is struggling to innovate, a price increase may seem like the worst possible idea for the already expensive iPhone, but as Business Insider points out, it may not be that strange if Apple does release a 5.5-inch version of the iPhone. "Phablets" like the 6-inch Galaxy Note 3 already sell for $100 more than their smaller counterparts.
Misek's report claims that with no other hot-ticket phones set to be released this year, carriers might be willing to let Apple get away with a price hike on its next device.
Misek also suggests that even a smaller price increase of $50 on the new iPhone would be worth it for Apple.
But with a healthy crop of solid Android options available for far less, it's debatable whether people would pay for a more expensive device from Apple. Time -- and paychecks -- will tell how much people really want to upgrade to the next model.