Apple and the iPhone 5 replacement ...
Hi Frank,
<< What do you make of the date, Eric? Is Apple doomed, or just gathering until the next release in September? >>
Doomed? Hardly. It rather amazes me that they gained YoY share in the US again even as the iPhone 5 became stale but the addition of Sprint helped that. They'll surge here again when the iPhone 5 replacement is introduced across all major carriers.
The global stage where the real smartphone growth is occurring is of course a different story, but the introduction of a mid-tier iOS 7 value priced phone will help stem the loss they have experienced overseas.
The ecosystem is exceptionally strong, fragmentation is minimal, and the user base is more satisfied and more loyal than any other branded smartphone.
As far as AAPL stock goes, the fundamentals are just to darned strong and I don't expect that to change, at least in the next few years. I've reduced judiciously over the last few years when the stock has gotten well ahead of itself and taken my original stakes bought on big dips off the table several times but still hold a chunk that is valued at over 5 times the cost of my original purchases. While I have no plans to either buy or sell in the immediate future I do plan to hold all or at least some of the remainder for a considerable period and will likely trim again if we get a big pop.
I'm a Windows guy so the stock is the only Apple product I own and you won't hear me cheerleading for Apple too often.
Mark your September calendar.
>> Circle September 10 on Your Calendar for Apple’s Big iPhone Event
Ina Fried
All Things Digital
August 10, 2013 a
allthingsd.com
Apple is expected to unveil its next iPhone at a special event on Sept. 10, sources told AllThingsD.
The launch comes at an important time for Apple, which continues to make a lot of money from the iPhone but has seen its global market share dip amid a growing wave of lower-cost Android devices, as well as an intense battle with archrival Samsung.
One of the key questions is whether Apple adopts a new tactic to address the midrange of the smartphone market. Historically, Apple has gone after those customers by offering its year-old and two-year-old models for $100 and $200 less than a new iPhone. However, there has been a great deal of talk that the company will debut a new lower-cost iPhone alongside whatever update it has in store for the current iPhone 5.
Much of the speculation there has centered on the usual kinds of camera and processor enhancements, as well as the likelihood of a fingerprint sensor. That has been expected ever since Apple acquired Authentec last year.
Naturally, any new phones will be running iOS 7, which has been in testing since its announcement at Apple’s developer conference in June. The new software includes a radical redesign of the overall look of the iPhone’s menus and icons, but the other new features are largely incremental updates, such as improved notifications, better photo-organizing abilities and additional capabilities for developers.
This has become something of a pattern for Apple, which typically debuts its software update at its June developer conference, tests it for a couple months, then shows the new hardware a couple weeks ahead of the new phone’s availability. The iOS update is also available for older models. Apple has already said that iOS 7 will work on many recent iPhones, iPads and iPod touch devices.
Apple is also expected to formally launch the next version of Mac OS X, known as Mavericks, in the coming weeks, though that is not expected at the Sept. 10 event.
An Apple representative declined to comment on the timing of any upcoming events.
Consumers, investors (and reportedly board members, as well) have been pressing Apple for a more rapid pace of innovation.
The company has long been rumored to also be working on television and watch projects, though there is no indication either of those are close to debuting. ###
- Eric - |
