Analyst

KGI predictions: Apple Watch Sport in yellow/rose gold, new iMacs & thinner iPad mini due this fall

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 19, 2015

Well-connected KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has issued a new report to clients ahead of Apple's June quarter earnings report, which is due this coming Tuesday.

The note, a copy of which was obtained by AppleInsider, provides several predictions regarding Apple's upcoming product refreshes.

For starters, Kuo is expecting new Apple Watch Sport variants in rose and yellow gold color options matching the upcoming 'iPhone 6s' and 'iPhone 6s Plus' colors. He also wrote that new iMac models with upgraded processors could arrive later this year, in addition to a thinner, lighter iPad mini and more.

Analyst: ‘iPhone 6c’ to replace polycarbonate shell with metal casing based on iPhone 6 style

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 1, 2015

According to Jefferies analyst Ange Wu, Apple's next iteration of the the “unapologetically plastic” iPhone 5c will do away with its polycarbonate shell in favor of a more robust metal casing based on iPhone 6 style.

Wu wrote in yesterday's note to clients, a copy of which was obtained by Barron's, that the so-called 'iPhone 6c' will be an extended version of the iPhone 5s with a four-inch Retina display and a unibody metal casing.

KGI: iPhone 6s to be marginally thicker due to Force Touch

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 17, 2015

Several supply chain reports have indicated that this year's 'iPhone 6s' and 'iPhone 6s Plus' releases will feature Apple's pressure-sensitive screen technology called Force Touch that debuted on the Apple Watch and now a revered analyst has given these reports an aura of credibility.

Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities wrote in a note to clients, a copy of which was obtained by the Japanese blog MacOtakara, that Apple's implementation of Force Touch on the upcoming phones will make them slightly thicker than the present-generation iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

KGI claims Apple will unveil new iPhones in August before making them available for sale in September

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 2, 2017

Apple usually launches new iPhones in September (and iPads in October), but this time around the company could bring the 'iPhone 6s' and 'iPhone 6s Plus' to market a bit earlier, if a new analysis by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is an indication.

In a note to clients, a copy of which was obtained by The China Post, Kuo writes that Apple will announce the new handsets in August before making them available for sale in September, the time frame that suggests the possibility of pre-orders in late August.

KGI predicts softened demand for Apple Watch as it may be selling much better with men

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 20, 2015

Demand for the Apple Watch may be softening since its April 2015 launch and the Cupertino company is likely to see less than 15 million shipments through the end of September, KGI Securities' Ming-Chi Kuo predicted in a note issued to clients on Wednesday, a copy of which was obtained by AppleInsider.

By comparison, the consensus is somewhere in the range of 20 and 30 million units.

Moreover, the analyst has identified the Apple Watch's biggest problem: women don't seem to be falling in love with the device. According to his findings, demand for the smaller 38mm model is significantly lower than the 42mm units.

Gene Munster gives up on Apple television dream

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 19, 2015

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster has become something of a joke in the broader analyst community. Arguably the most vocal proponent of a fully-fledged Apple television set, he's been predicting the imminent arrival of a 50+ inch TV with the shiny Apple logo on it for years now.

He wasn't alone in his predictions. Most recently, noted activist investor Carl Icahn put much faith in the mythical Apple Ultra HD TV set in a yet another letter to Tim Cook yesterday.

But as a new report by The Wall Street Journal alleged that Apple has indeed axed the project after researching it for nearly a decade, Munster was quick to admit that he's been wrong all along.

Analyst “confirms” 12MP camera with smaller pixels for the next iPhone

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 30, 2016

Apple's forthcoming iPhone refresh — presumably an ‘iPhone 6s’ and ‘iPhone 6s Plus’ — is set for a major upgrade in the camera department as Apple has reportedly relented and decided to join the megapixel race with a twelve-megapixel iSight camera on the back of the new phone(s).

But the megapixels don't tell the whole story.

According to Kevin Wang, IHS's Technology Research Director for China, the pixel size will be smaller, raising questions about the camera' performance in low-light conditions.

KGI on next iPhone: 2GB RAM, 12MP camera, Force Touch, rose gold, no new 4-inch model

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 12, 2015

Revered KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo arguably has the most prescient track record in forecasting Apple's plans. In a note issued to clients Tuesday, obtained by MacRumors, Kuo makes a number of predictions regarding the next iPhone refresh, many of which have already been rumored, but some never heard before.

He is expecting ‘iPhone 6s’ and ‘iPhone 6s Plus’ handsets to be powered by Apple's next-generation A9 processor with 2GB of RAM, twice as much as the current iPhone lineup. The RAM will be of a speedier LPDDR4 variety versus the LPDDR3 RAM in current iPhones. More RAM coupled with a faster, more power efficient processor, should result in smoother performance and better multitasking.

The camera is likely to receive a pixel upgrade and should be twelve megapixels while Force Touch pressure sensitive screen will be “the biggest upgraded selling point”.

Analyst calls for an Apple Watch with new casing materials by fourth quarter

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 11, 2015

The current aluminum Apple Watch Sport, the stainless steel Apple Watch and the 18-karat rose/yellow gold Apple Watch Edition may be joined by up to three additional editions of the device featuring new casing materials, according to revered Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities.

Analyst weighs on why auto industry needs Apple, Mercedes-Benz exec laughs off Project Titan

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 25, 2015

As big media rides on the 'Apple researching an electric vehicle' bandwagon, one analyst lays out why the Cupertino firm could ultimately become a force to be reckoned with in autonomous cars.

Commenting on an influx of stories related to Apple's rumored Project Titan, Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty explains (via Forbes) why the world’s richest, most valuable company taking on the world’s most disruptable business makes a lot of sense.

JP Morgan determines that 5 percent of iPhone owners will buy Apple Watch

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 11, 2015

A study released Wednesday by investment firm J.P. Morgan bodes well for Apple’s inaugural wrist-worn gadget. Although the Apple Watch requires an iPhone and is limited to owners of the iPhone 5 and newer, JP Morgan thinks there will be 400 million potential Apple Watch customers by the end of the March quarter, with five percent of compatible iPhone owners potentially buying it before the end of 2015.

Kuo: iPhone 6s to sport much-improved Touch ID for safer Apple Pay experience

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 10, 2015

In a note to clients obtained Monday by AppleInsider, revered analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is predicting that the next iPhone will have a much improved and more reliable Touch ID fingerprint sensor that will “offer a better and safer Apple Pay user experience by reducing reading errors."

An analyst with KGI Securities, Kuo is plugged deeply into Apple's supply chain and has proven reliable.