Topeka Capital Markets

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...

Analyst: bowing to phablet trend, Apple’s iPhone 5S to come in three screen sizes

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 9, 2013

Apple's rumored S-upgrade to its iPhone, the iPhone 5S, is assumed to arrive some time during summer, possibly shortly after Apple presumably announces it at its annual developers conference in June or July (the company hasn't yet set the date for WWDC 2013). One analyst in a note issued to clients Tuesday wrote that supply chatter points to multiple screen sizes for the iPhone 5S in order to appeal to consumers who dig jumbo-sized handsets and improve its standing in the market...

Asia calling for Apple iPhablets

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 5, 2013

Flurry data told us that so-called phablets comprise only a minuscule portion of smart devices compared to mid-size phones and large tablets, such as the iPhone and iPad, but there's no doubt that devices with five-inch or larger screens are gaining acceptance, largely thanks to Samsung's willingness to experiment with a bunch of different form factors. Even Apple acknowledged the trend by making the iPhone 5's four-inch screen the new gold standard for iPhones.

But with Samsung launching a five-inch Galaxy S4 soon and rumors of an upcoming Galaxy Mega line with 5.8 and 6.2-inch handsets making rounds, Asian suppliers are advising Apple to follow suit and blow up the upcoming iPhone's display if it wants to capture the next phase of smartphone growth...

Analyst sees Apple television with ‘iRing’ motion controller and ‘mini iTV’ secondary screen

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 3, 2013

A rumored standalone television set from Apple dubbed iTV continues to be the subject of tremendous speculation, with one analyst recently citing supply chain checks allegedly pointing to a 4K Ultra HD set being built by Apple's manufacturing partner Foxconn and slated for an early-2014 launch.

Another analyst now joins the conversation with some pretty wild predictions, also based on - you guessed right - checks with Apple's suppliers. Brian White of Topeka Capital Markets told one publication Wednesday that after meeting with Apple's Asian suppliers he now sees some pretty wild stuff in the pipeline.

Specifically, Cupertino will be launching an Apple-branded television set later this year, White says, along with a motion controller of sorts called iRing and a secondary display...

Analyst: higher dividend can help AAPL rebound

Ed Sutherland ∙ March 19, 2013

With Apple's cash pile projected to balloon from a whopping $137 billion at the end of the previous quarter to an astounding $170 billion by year's end, there is a growing call for the iPhone maker to increase its stock dividend as a way to build a safety net under its beleaguered shares. The report of a bulging corporate vault comes as one Wall Street analyst proposes a four-step solution to pull Apple out of the weeds.

According to Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White, Tim Cook & Co. should start with raising the quarterly dividend to at least $3.75 per share. A five-year program should begin with Apple increasing the $2.65 per share quarterly dividend paid to investors while also repurchasing up to $100 billion in company stock...