Analyst

Apple close to striking landmark iPhone deal with China Mobile

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 13, 2016

Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty was visiting Hong Kong and Taiwan recently. She is now back from China with some interesting Apple news. Tim Cook & Co., she wrote in her note to clients, may be close to striking an iPhone distribution agreement with China Mobile, the world's top wireless carrier by revenue and subscribers.

Specifically, Huberty wrote that "TD-LTE licenses, and related phone launches, are expected by year-end," in her note to clients. China Mobile debuted small-scale TD-LTE network in 2010 and last year expanded coverage to select large cities. In case you were wondering, TD-LTE is a variant of the fourth-generation Long Term Evolution radio technology, also known as LTE...

Apple v Samsung fight for mobile profits intensifies

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 18, 2016

For some time, whenever Android proponents argued for the platform's dominance based on handsets shipped, Apple fans would counter by pointing out the iPhone was tops in profits.

Indeed, a new report shows Apple had more than half of all mobile profits during the first quarter of 2013, leading Android handset rival Samsung.

According to Canaccord Genuity, the iPhone maker came away from this year's first period with 57 percent of mobile phone profits, despite having just eight percent of the worldwide handset market share.

By contrast, South Korea's Samsung - which leads in market share - earned just 43 percent of the share of profits. However, the two companies could soon switch positions. The analyst firm claims iPhone sales will be weak in the upcoming June quarter, overshadowed by profits fueled by Samsung's new Galaxy S4...

Apple to begin producing multiple new iPhones next month, per Morgan Stanley

Ed Sutherland ∙ May 8, 2013

A well-known Wall Street Apple observer expects Apple's manufacturing partners to start producing multiple new iPhone models in June or July, with the new smartphones introduced around September.

While the analyst note meshes with today's report of Sharp gearing up to begin mass production of the iPhone 5S screens next month and other reports mentioning multiple iPhones on Apple's roadmap, what's perhaps most interesting is word that any drop-off in iPhone demand seems to be over.

And in her additional remarks bolstered by others, Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty tells investors Wednesday that Apple could sell many iPhones in China even if the device were not priced cheaply...

iPad mini 2 Retina screens reportedly entering mass-production next month

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 7, 2013

NPD DisplaySearch is on a roll. After reporting yesterday that Apple could release two Retina-enabled iPad mini models - one in the second half of this year and another in the first quarter of 2014 with an updated processor, the display market researcher tell CNET today they think those high-resolution Retina panels for the second-generation iPad mini could go into mass-production soon, as early as June or July of this year.

If true, and assuming satisfactory yield rates, Apple should be able to ready its first Retina iPad mini for a Fall introduction, a time frame KGI Securities' well-informed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently outlined based on his own sources...

Apple missing some 2.8 billion potential iPhone customers due to carrier demands

Ed Sutherland ∙ May 6, 2013

Much talk surrounding Apple has centered on a cooling consumer demand for its flagship product, the iPhone smartphone. However, it may be time to shift the narrative to feet-dragging by a number of global operators that could hold the key to as many as 2.8 billion iPhone customers, according to a Monday report.

Instead of a slowdown in demand, a Monday report by Bloomberg suggests the larger problem is vastly limited access to customers. Two numbers go far to tell the story: 240 and 800. While Apple has 240 carrier agreements throughout the world, rival Samsung has inked deals with virtually every of the 800 wireless providers. Indeed, Apple is lacking agreements to boost sales of the iPhone in some of the most-populated regions, including China, Japan, India and Russia...

NPD DisplaySearch sees two Retina iPad minis

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 6, 2013

NPD DisplaySearch knows its display supply chain inside out and while they may not be the most accurate source of Apple rumors, more often than not their predictions have proved pretty accurate. In a report filed yesterday, DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim was quoted as saying that Apple is readying not one, but two Retina-capable iPad mini models, "one in the second half of this year, then one in the first quarter of 2014"...

Budget iPhone could be $350 mid-range device

Ed Sutherland ∙ May 3, 2013

Android is gaining ground largely by offering a cheaper alternative to Apple's higher-priced iPhone and iPad. Case in point: Acer's just announced $169 Iconia A1 Jelly Bean tablet. Now, for some time there's been a drumbeat for Apple to respond with a cheap smartphone of its own, one sold unsubsidized and off-contract to cash-strapped buyers in emerging markets.

However, now comes a voice suggesting Apple doesn't have to slash prices to improve its market standing. Instead, it could offer a mid-priced iPhone and in the process could cut rival Samsung's U.S. operations off at the knees.

There's no need for hokey plastic fake prototypes or leaks from "insiders." Apple needs only to repeat what its done numerous times in the past, opine two Wall Street Apple observers at J.P. Morgan...

Analyst sees larger iPhone 6 coming in June 2014

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 11, 2018

Despite the fact that Apple added a 4-inch option to its iPhone lineup last year, many folks are still calling for the Cupertino company to produce a larger handset. Even outspoken billionaire Donald Trump says he's in favor of a so-called 'iPhablet.'

During a conference call last week, Tim Cook all but shot down the idea of a larger iPhone, saying that Apple is not willing to make the tradeoffs currently necessary for bigger screens. But according to a new report, that could change next year...

Low-cost iPad mini mulled, seen competing with Android cheapos

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 29, 2013

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has a very strong track record, having previously predicted a number of Apple products.

For example, he correctly assumed the MacBook Pro with Retina display would be offered alongside the existing models and called for the phasing out of the 17-inch MacBook Pro.

You'll recall that Tim Cook during last week's conference call advised against major hardware announcements until Fall. Be that as it may, Kuo now thinks Apple could at its upcoming five-day conference for developers refresh the MacBook notebook lineup with upgrades mostly revolving around a speedier Intel Haswell chips.

He is also expecting a new low-cost iPad mini model - the budget iPad mini, if you will - which should help the company fend off the onslaught of cheap Android tablets on the low-end...

Why Apple is borrowing money to pay for $60B stock buyback

Ed Sutherland ∙ April 26, 2013

To bolster its stock in the eyes of investors, Apple recently announced it would buy back $60 billion worth of shares. Such a move makes sense - after all, the iPhone maker does have this cash hoard of nearly $150 billion. However, it turns out Apple won't touch that money, opting instead to borrow the funds.

By borrowing the money, Apple keeps its billions out of the reach of U.S. taxes, saving the corporate giant money while also retiring expensive stock dividends.

You didn't think there was any altruism involved, did you? The move, however, isn't without its pitfalls. Moreover, Apple isn't alone in a corporate game of chess where it's all about manipulating the tax code, according to a report Friday...

15 interesting points from today’s earnings call

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Apple just announced its earnings for its first quarter of 2013, second fiscal quarter, and despite all of the lead-in 'doom' talk, the numbers are actually very impressive. The company beat Wall Street projections in nearly every metric.

We’re just finishing up the conference call, where Tim Cook and company have made several announcements and dropped a number of impressive statistics. And as usual, we've rounded up the 15 most interesting points for you…

The next iPhone’s killer feature? Fingerprint scanning.

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Most analysts tend to pull their predictions out of thin air. We were cagey about last month's Morgan Stanley report as it rather cryptically asserts Apple's next iPhone, the iPhone 5S, will have a "killer feature." Of course it will, stupid - every iPhone has at least one standout feature cunningly designed to convince existing users to upgrade.

The iPhone 3G had 3G networking, the iPhone 3GS had video, the iPhone 4 had the stunning form factor and Retina display and the iPhone 4S had Siri.

As for the current iPhone 5, it of course offers LTE and sports the dramatic two-tone design akin to a finely crafted watch. According to a rather reliable analyst, this year's S-upgrade to Apple's handset will have fingerprint scanning as an exclusive feature...