Analyst

Apple to update iPad Air this year, no 12.9-inch iPad or new mini until 2015

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

KGI Securities' Ming-Chi Kuo is out with a new research note this weekend, offering predictions on Apple's tablet plans for the next two years. The analyst, who has a strong track record in tech predictions, believes that 2014 will be the year of the iPad Air.

Kuo sees Apple updating the full-sized iPad this year with an A8 processor, Touch ID fingerprint sensor, and possibly a few other improvements. But as for a new iPad mini and the oft-rumored 12.9-inch iPad "pro," he believes we wont see them until 2015...

Apple sold more Macs and iOS devices than all Windows PCs combined last quarter

Cody Lee ∙ February 14, 2014

Apple may not have impressed Wall Street with its holiday quarter, but it did reach a major [symbolic] milestone. During the 3-month period, the Cupertino company sold more Macs, iPhones, iPads and iPod touches than the total number of Windows computers combined.

According to data gathered by analyst Benedict Evans, this is the first time Apple has surpassed the PC market in hardware sales. Now this doesn't include Windows Phone. If you add that in, the two are more or less exactly equal, though Apple still wins in average selling price...

iTunes Inc. would rank #130 on Fortune 500

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 11, 2014

If Apple's iTunes were a separate company, it would rank 130th on Fortune’s annual list of the Top 500 companies in the United States. It's also half the size of Google's search business! The high-volume, low-margin store raked in an astounding $4.4 billion in revenue during Apple's fiscal 2014 first quarter ended December 28, 2013.

And according to independent analyst Horace Dediu of Asymco, total iTunes revenue in 2013 topped - wait for it - an incredible $23.5 billion. That's an awful lot of money for an online-only content store...

Pundit makes the case for a solar-powered iPhone 6

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 19, 2018

It would seem that much of the tech world is expecting Apple to give its iPhone line a significant refresh this year. The company is believed to be working on not one, but two new models with larger displays, and of course there will be the usual performance bumps.

But if you ask Matt Margolis of Seeking Alpha, the iPhone 6 may feature much more than just a larger display. The analyst thinks the handset could utilize a sapphire display with an embedded solar power panel, and he makes a pretty interesting case for the theory...

Tim Cook: mobile payments ‘one of the thoughts behind Touch ID’

Cody Lee ∙ January 27, 2014

Apple just finished up its quarterly earnings call a few hours ago where it offered up sales numbers for the holiday quarter, forecasts for next quarter, and everything in between. Tim Cook even fielded some questions from overly-eager analysts.

While most of these questions were fairly dull, there were a handful of them worth noting, including one about Apple's plans for the mobile payment space. Obviously Cook wouldn't answer the query directly, but his response was rather interesting...

Apple may have sold record 55 million iPhones last quarter

Cody Lee ∙ January 21, 2014

Wall Street analysts have been foaming at the mouth since Apple announced it would be discussing its Q1FY14 financial results on January 27. Record holidays have become the norm for the company, but with two new iPhones released last fall, this one is expected to be over the top.

How much over the top? Well Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty says she believes Apple may have sold between 54 and 55 million iPhones last quarter. That would be a new record for the company, and a nice jump from the 47.8 million handsets it sold over the holidays last year...

Apple reportedly targeting fall launch for new 12-inch iPad

Cody Lee ∙ Updated December 26, 2016

The 12-inch iPad is real, in the opinion of Evercore's Patrick Wang, and it's going to hit the market sometime this fall. The analyst published a research note yesterday claiming that his supply chain sources have confirmed the existence of the larger tablet.

According to Wang's sources, Apple is looking to launch the 12-inch iPad in the second half of this year. The "hybrid" device will be targeted at enterprise users and likely feature a new (possibly quad-core) A8 processor, increased storage and other upgrades...

Weak iPhone 5c demand possible factor in missing China Mobile deal

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

The entire tech world let out a simultaneous gasp when China Mobile launched its 4G network on Wednesday and made no mention of the iPhone. Up until then we had seen a flurry of reports and evidence suggesting that Apple had finally reached a deal with the carrier.

But clearly that's not the case, and the big question now is: what's the holdup? Well according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the deal may have been slowed by unexpectedly weak demand for the iPhone 5c versus the iPhone 5s among China Mobile customers...

iPhone 5s is best-selling smartphone at US carriers, 5c is third best

Cody Lee ∙ December 12, 2013

According to research by Canaccord Genuity analyst T. Michael Walkley, the iPhone 5s has been the top-selling smartphone at the four major US carriers for the past 3 months. That's not too surprising, considering new iPhones usually fair well right after launch.

But what did surprise me was the fact that the iPhone 5c has also been in the top 3 selling smartphones at AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile since September. You know, the same handset that Apple has reportedly been cutting production for due to poor sales...

Report finds that Siri’s accuracy continues to improve under iOS 7

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Gene Munster—yes the iTV guy—is out with a new report today looking at the state of Siri's ability to accurately answer and respond to queries. The Piper Jaffray analyst regularly assesses the accuracy of Apple's digital assistant.

In his latest look, Munster found that Siri has continued to improve with the release of iOS 7, particularly in its ability to properly interpret questions being asked and its overall performance when accessed in noisier situations...

Retina iPad mini: first shipments due Friday, tight supply until 2014

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 13, 2013

Have you ordered your iPad mini with Retina display yet? If you're still on the fence of buying the device, make up your mind sooner than later because the popular Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is expecting tight supply this holiday season.

Kuo is very reliable and this is the first time he posted estimates of the numbers so it pays to take his remarks at face value. Corroborating his analysis, Rhoda Alexander of IHS iSupply cautions that shipments of the supply-constrained device won't double until the first quarter of next year, meaning shortages are to be expected throughout the Christmas quarter.

Meanwhile, early adopters are now reporting receiving an Apple Store-estimated delivery date of this coming Friday, November 15. Jump past the fold for the full reveal...

Two iWatch sizes: 1.7 inches for men and 1.3 inches for women

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 13, 2013

If you believe research firm DisplaySearch, the Apple smartwatch project, the iWatch, has taken the front seat as the company sharpens its focus on wearable technology, allegedly at the expense of a full-on television set which one reliable analysts now thinks is more of a 2015-2016 thing.

According to a new report by The Korea Herald, DisplaySearch thinks the iWatch will come in two sizes accommodating for men and women's wrist. In the case of men, the iWatch should have a 1.7-inch display, the research firm said. On the other hand, women should get a tinier device outfitted with a smaller 1.3-inch display...