Apple's Refresh Cycle Should Be 'Vigorous' At September 9 Event

From the

and the

to any number of surprises,

is gearing up for a big event this week. "My understanding is that the Apple refresh cycle should be quite vigorous compared to where it was a year ago," Argus Research analyst James Kelleher told Benzinga. "Many more people purchased [the iPhone 5] than 5S [units]. I think a lot of two-year contracts are coming up. [And] there's a lot of interest. I would expect a pretty good response." While there have been some concerns that

could skip the September 9 event, Pacific Crest analyst Andy Hargreaves thinks it might make an appearance. As far as specific expectations are concerned, Hargreaves envisions a device that looks good and offers a battery that lasts more than a day. "Hopefully several days," Hargreaves told Benzinga. "Outside of that, I'm not really sure. I'm interested to see."

Many were hoping that the iPhone 6 would feature the indestructible display that has been hyped all over the Web, thanks to a plethora of rumors and videos like this:

Unfortunately, Hargreaves doesn't expect the iPhone 6 to launch with a sapphire display. "I don't think it will have sapphire," he said. On a more positive note, Hargreaves believes that the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 will retail for the same price as the iPhone 5S. He anticipates a $100 premium for the 5.5-inch model.

Kelleher expects the iPhone 6's unveiling to be much more impressive than that of the iPhone 5. "The 5 was considered a dud because the 4S was a [technological] step forward with Siri," he said. "Whereas the 5, the main technology announced at the time, [Apple] Maps, was a big flop. This time I think there will be a lot more focus on mobile wallet and e-commerce applications and a little bit of iWatch, tying all this stuff to iHome, iHealth, iWallet, all that stuff." Lastly, Kelleher spoke about the way investors reacted to the iPhone 5's launch. "Two years ago, the 5 launch was such a disaster for the stock, going from $700 eventually down to $400," he explained. "I think [the 6] will be a more muted event for the stock. [Investors will] wait and see how their first selling quarter turns out." Disclosure: