Apple News: 2014 at 01:16PM

Showing posts with label 2014 at 01:16PM. Show all posts

Apple Projected to Beat Wall Street Estimates with 39 Million Quarterly iPhones Shipped

Posted by Unknown on 6:56 AM

Apple's quarterly iPhone sales may beat Wall Street estimates, based on new data from Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty. According to the firm's AlphaWise Smartphone Tracker, Apple could sell as many as 39 million iPhones in the second calendar quarter of the year, beating Wall Street's predicted 35 million and topping the 31.2 million sold in the same quarter last year.

alphawise_2q14_iphone

Huberty believes iPhone sales will get a boost this quarter due to deep discounts on iPhone upgrades that entice consumers to buy a new iPhone, despite the upcoming rumored launch of the iPhone 6. Apple recently launched a promotion that encourages customers to trade-in their old iPhone and receive credit towards an iPhone 5s or 5c. Apple is offering iPhone 4 users up to $99, while iPhone 4s owners can get up to $199 as a store credit, making an upgrade to a subsidized iPhone 5s virtually free.

Carriers and third-party retailers also have discounted the iPhone in recent weeks, with Best Buy last month offering up to $200 trade-in value for customers who bring in an older iPhone and upgrade to an iPhone 5s or 5c. To maintain this sales momentum, Apple also may start selling the iPhone along with contract-free calling and data plans for T-Mobile and AT&T.

Morgan Stanley's "AlphaWise" smartphone tracker compiles sales data using Google Trends data and historically is more accurate at forecasting iPhone sales than Wall Street consensus estimates, although Huberty may still tweak her numbers in the closing weeks of the quarter.

Insider claims to reveal launch date for Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4

Posted by Unknown on 6:41 AM

In terms of shipment volume, Samsung's Galaxy Note 3 is likely the current king of the phablets. Unveiled last fall, the Note 3 was and still is our favorite Samsung handset to date. After spending some time with the Galaxy S5, it seems increasingly likely that the Note 3 will remain our favorite Samsung handset for some time to come — at least until the Galaxy Note 4 launches later this year.

And according to one supposed insider, that launch will come on September 3rd.

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Apple Reportedly Negotiating with Carriers for $100 Price Increase on iPhone 6

Posted by Unknown on 6:49 AM

Apple is negotiating with wireless carriers to raise the price of the iPhone 6 by $100, claims Jefferies analyst Peter Misek (Via StreetInsider ). Carriers initially are refusing to negotiate on the iPhone's $199 base price, but they may not be able to resist as the iPhone 6 is shaping up to be 2014's blockbuster handset.

"The possibility may at first seem far-fetched in light of investor concerns regarding possible carrier subsidy and handset price cuts due to smartphone saturation and lack of differentiation," Misek comments. "But we think this general lack of differentiation could be the reason why Apple may be able to get a price increase. Carriers realize that the iPhone 6 will likely be the only headline-worthy high-end phone launched this year and that they will lose subs if they do not offer it."

Apple is expected to ship the iPhone 6 later this year, with rumors suggesting the phone will be available with a 4.7-inch touchscreen display at first. A larger 5.5-inch version may follow at the end of this year or early next year.

Along with a larger display, the next-generation iPhone may include a thinner design, Apple's new A8 processor, a Touch ID fingerprint sensor, 1GB of RAM, and an improved camera with optical image stabilization. The iPhone 6 is expected to run iOS 8, which may feature a new Healthbook app, improved Maps and a possible Siri API.