RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramsky today issued a new report sharing his expectation that Apple will handily beat market expectations for its quarterly earnings report set for next week. Citing strong sales of the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, as well as very strong iPad sales, Abramsky expects Apple to post revenue of $24 billion and earnings per share of $5.75 for the quarter.
The research note also included the results of a proprietary survey of over 2000 respondents in the United States conducted March 14-23, interestingly revealing 40% higher demand for the iPad 2 than in a similar survey conducted for the first-generation models in May 2010. According to the survey, 28% of respondents are either "very likely" or "somewhat likely" to purchase an iPad 2, up from 20% for the first-generation iPad last May.
The survey also demonstrates a shift in the "sweet spot" for customer demand when it comes to Wi-Fi-only models. A February 2010 survey ahead of the launch of the original iPad saw the low-end 16 GB Wi-Fi iPad registering as most popular among those planning to purchase an iPad, with the 32 GB model in second place and the 64 GB model in third place. The new survey for the iPad 2 shows that customers are finding the greatest affinity for the mid-range 32 GB model among the Wi-Fi options, followed by the 16 GB model and finally the 64 GB model. 3G-capable models follow the same trend seen in last year's survey, with those customers looking most frequently to the top-end 64 GB model.
Carrier preferences for 3G iPad 2 customers
With Apple now offering both GSM (AT&T) and CDMA (Verizon) 3G models of the iPad 2, it is also interesting to look at the balance in customer demand between the carriers. According to the new RBC survey, 46% of 3G iPad 2 customers plan to use a Verizon iPad while only 30% of customers plan to utilize AT&T's service.
Tuesday November 19, 2024 12:12 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Barclays analyst Tom O'Malley and his colleagues recently traveled to Asia to meet with various electronics manufacturers and suppliers. In a research note this week, outlining key takeaways from the trip, the analysts said they have "confirmed" that a fourth-generation iPhone SE with an Apple-designed 5G modem is slated to launch towards the end of the first quarter next year. In line with previo...
Sunday November 17, 2024 5:18 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple released the AirTag in April 2021, so it is now three over and a half years old. While the AirTag has not received any hardware updates since then, a new version of the item tracking accessory is rumored to be in development.
Below, we recap rumors about a second-generation AirTag.
Timing
Apple is aiming to release a new AirTag in mid-2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman....
Sunday November 17, 2024 3:03 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
While the Logitech MX Master 3 is a terrific mouse for the Mac, reports claiming that Apple CEO Tim Cook prefers that mouse over the Magic Mouse are false.
The Wall Street Journal last month published an interview with Cook, in which he said he uses every Apple product every day. Soon after, The Verge's Wes Davis attempted to replicate using every Apple product in a single day. During that...
Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:10 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today released iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that debuted earlier in September. iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 come three weeks after the launch of iOS 18.1.
The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iOS 17.7.2 for...
Wednesday November 20, 2024 3:42 am PST by Tim Hardwick
AT&T has begun displaying "Turbo" in the iPhone carrier label for customers subscribed to its premium network prioritization service, according to reports on Reddit. The new indicator seems to have started appearing after users updated to iOS 18.1.1, but that could be just coincidence.
Image credit: Reddit user No_Highlight7476
The Turbo feature provides enhanced network performance through ...
Monday November 18, 2024 1:07 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
In a research note with Hong Kong-based investment bank Haitong today, obtained by MacRumors, Apple analyst Jeff Pu said he agrees with a recent rumor claiming that the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" will be around 6mm thick.
"We agreed with the recent chatter of an 6mm thickness ultra-slim design of the iPhone 17 Slim model," he wrote.
If that measurement proves to be accurate, there would be ...
Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:52 am PST by Juli Clover
The iOS 18.1.1, iPadOS 18.1.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 updates that Apple released today address JavaScriptCore and WebKit vulnerabilities that Apple says have been actively exploited on some devices.
With the JavaScriptCore vulnerability, processing maliciously crafted web content could lead to arbitrary code execution. The WebKit vulnerability had the same issue with maliciously crafted...
