Apple sets stage for iPhone 7, many already waiting for 8

Wed Sep 7, 2016 | 9:01 AM EDT Apple sets stage for iPhone 7, many already waiting for 8 3h ago | 01:40 iPhone 7 launch lacks the usual buzz in China Apple sets stage for iPhone 7, many already waitin...X By Julia Love | SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The iPhone 7 is expected to make its global debut on Wednesday, but many consumers and investors are already setting their sights on Apple Inc's 2017 version of the popular gadget, hoping for more significant advances. At its annual product launch in San Francisco on Wednesday, the world's most valuable publicly traded company is expected by blogs and analysts to reveal an iPhone without a headphone jack, paving the way for wireless headphones, a touch-sensitive home button that vibrates, double-lens cameras for the larger 'Plus' edition and other incremental improvements. Apple typically gives its main product, which accounts for more than half of its revenue, a big makeover every other year and the last major redesign was the iPhone 6, in 2014. The modest updates suggest that this cycle will be three years. “It looks like part of the reason they are keeping the design the same this year is there are bigger changes they are working on for next year,” said analyst Jan Dawson of Jackdaw Research. Sales of the iPhone dropped two quarters in a row this year, the first declines in the history of the device. With many consumers who purchased the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus due for an upgrade, Apple may eke out single-digit gains in sales for the 7, Dawson said. But some consumer technology sites are advising users to hold off on upgrading until the next year’s version, which will mark the 10-year anniversary of the iPhone. ADVERTISEMENT Analysts say the iPhone 8 may feature a wider display that reaches from one edge of the device to the other and a home button integrated into the screen. Wall Street is impatient for growth, and Apple will be hard-pressed to reverse the downward trend this year, said Colin Gillis, an analyst with BGC Partners. “The iPhone 7 runs the risk of disappointing investors,” he said. Consumers are waiting longer before replacing their phones, a shift that Apple must address in its product roadmap, said analyst Ben Bajarin of Creative Strategies. Analysts predict the Apple Watch will be the second closely watched feature of the event. Apple is expected to revamp the wearable, released last year, with a faster processor and a GPS chip, enabling users to track runs and other workouts without their phones. Most analysts believe sales of Apple's watch - which the company has not disclosed - have not yet justified the fanfare. Starting at $299, well above many other wearables on the market, the most meaningful change Apple can make is a price cut, Bajarin said. “This category is very price sensitive,” he said. Apple is "not there yet." (Reporting by Julia Love; Editing by Bill Rigby)

Apple iPhone 6 pre-orders hit record 4 million on first day

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGxlm82hWDM Apple to unveil new iPads, operating system on Oct. 21: report Wed, Sep 17 14:40 PM EDT image (Reuters) - Apple Inc (AAPL.O) is set to launch two new iPads and release the next version of its Mac operating system at its next event on Oct. 21, a Daily Dot report said, citing sources familiar with the matter. The company plans to unveil the sixth generation of its iPad and the third edition of the iPad mini, as well as its operating system OS X Yosemite, which has undergone a complete visual overhaul, the Internet news website said. Trudy Muller, a spokeswoman for Apple, declined to comment. The iPad is expected to have a 9.7 inch screen, while the new version of the iPad mini will have a 7.9 inch screen, Bloomberg earlier reported, citing people familiar with the matter. A Bloomberg report said the Cupertino, California-based company will launch its next generation of iPads around mid-October as Apple prepares for the holiday season by boosting its product lineup. Apple sold 13.3 million iPads in the quarter ended June, falling short of analysts' projections for more than 14 million. Apple also unveiled its Apple Watch, two larger iPhones and a mobile payments service dubbed "Apple Pay" last week. (Reporting by Anya George Tharakan in Bangalore,; Additional reporting by Christina Farr; Editing by Joyjeet Das) ============================= Mon, Sep 15 19:48 PM EDT image 1 of 4 By Lehar Maan (Reuters) - Apple Inc said many customers will need to wait until next month for their new iPhones after a record 4 million first-day pre-orders were logged, double the number for the iPhone 5 two years ago. The company said demand had outstripped supply of the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, which feature larger screens and longer battery life. Deliveries of pre-orders will begin on Friday and will continue through October. Bumper first-day pre-orders point to first-weekend sales of up to 10 million units, analysts estimated. "Assuming preorders are similar to the 40 percent of first weekend sales for the iPhone 5, this would imply iPhone 6/6Plus first weekend sales could be around 10 million," Wells Fargo Securities analysts wrote in a note. About 2 million pre-orders were received for the iPhone 5 in the first 24 hours after it went on sale in September 2012. Apple sold 5 million of these phones in the first weekend. Apple sold 9 million iPhone 5Ss and 5Cs, which were launched last year, in the first three days in stores. The company did not reveal pre-order numbers for these phones. Raymond James analysts said they expect sales of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus to top 9 million in the first weekend. "Apple will be selling every iPhone it can make, at least through October. Because of this, the first weekend sales are typically more indicative of supply than demand," they said. The company routinely grapples with iPhone supply constraints, particularly in years that involve a smartphone re-design. Apple's website showed last week that the larger 5.5-inch "Plus" models displayed a wait time of up to a month. The 4.7-inch version was available for delivery on Sept. 19. Janney Capital Markets analysts said the large number of pre-orders was due to "pent-up demand" for bigger iPhone screens. The brokerage raised its sales estimate for the latest iPhones to 37.4 million units for the current quarter and 60 million for the quarter ended December. "We believe significant demand will even spill into the March and June quarters given supply and the timing of shipments in China," Barclays analysts wrote in a note. The company said the new iPhone models will be available to customers in its stores in the United States, Canada, Australia and some other countries on Friday morning. AT&T Inc, Sprint Corp, T-Mobile US Inc, Verizon Wireless and some Apple authorized resellers will also start selling the phones on Friday. The phones will come equipped with Apple's new payments service, "Apple Pay", which launches in the United States next month and allows users to pay for items in stores with their phones. Apple's shares were up less than 1 percent at $102.92 Monday afternoon. (Reporting By Lehar Maan and Soham Chatterjee in Bangalore; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)