Image Courtesy of Apple

With Apple’s iPhone 5 the most anticipated phone in the world right now, analysts believe that it will see a complete redesign when compared to the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. The sixth generation of Apple’s world-leading smartphone is believed to be being made ready for release later this year, with some parts manufacturers ready to begin production of certain components as early as June.

Senior analyst of Topeka Capital Markets, Brian J White, who recently returned from a trip to China and Taiwan which involved meeting with suppliers, said of the talk regarding the new iPhone: “In our view, this will be the most significant iPhone upgrade, with a four-inch screen and a new, sleek look that we believe will require a unibody case. This new, sleek look will be the most important reason that consumers decide to upgrade.”

Completely changing the look of the iPhone has shown to be a successful move by Apple in the past, with many people upgrading from the 3G and 3GS to the newer 4 and 4S because of the re-imagined design, as well as to take advantage of the new features, which include better battery life and a higher resolution camera when compared to earlier models.

Apple is currently the market leader when it comes to the sales of smartphones, currently maintaining a 23% share of the market. The iPhone redesign will come, in part, as a move to fight off competition from other manufacturers such as Samsung, who have made inroads with their own smartphones.