O'Grady's PowerPage

Tag: analyst

  • Apple to hold Q3 2020 financial conference call on Thursday, July 30th

    Apple will announce its Q3 2020 financial results on Thursday, July 30, starting at 14:00 Pacific (17:00 ET). The highly anticipated event will illustrate how well Apple has weathered the coronavirus pandemic.

    For the first time in over two decades, Apple did not issue any guidance for its forthcoming Q3 results. Traditionally, it issues such guidance for the next quarter during its call announcing the current ones, but this changed in 2020 and did so entirely because of COVID-19.

    On average, analysts tracking Apple’s sales might expect the company to report $52.47 billion in this call. That compares to $58.3 billion in the second fiscal quarter of 2020, although traditionally Apple’s third fiscal quarter is the company’s weakest time in the year. 

    While the impact of COVID-19 and Apple’s efforts to reopen its Stores will the major factor affecting results overall, some of this is expected to be positive. What had been thought to be a temporary rise in MacBook Pro sales due to people beginning to work from home, has reportedly continued. 

    The call will also help provide an indication as to the success of Apple’snew iPhone SE.

    “I have seen a strong customer response to iPhone SE, which is our most affordable iPhone,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook, while answering analysts’ questions. “[It] appears that those customers are primarily coming from wanting a smaller form factor with the lates technology, or coming over for it from Android.”

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider

  • Rumor: Apple Glasses could debut in 2021, 2002; according to noted analysts

    The big dogs of early Apple product notification/leaking, are in relative agreement as to Apple’s rumored Augmented Reality glasses, which could debut in 2021 or 2022.

    Per noted leaker Jon Prosser, the device will hit in March or June of 2021.

    And, as of May 14th, respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that the Apple Glasses would launch in 2022 at the earliest. This would be consistent with the original Apple Watch, which was previewed in September 2014 and launched in April 2015. Apple also introduced the HomePod in June 2017 and launched the speaker in February 2018.

    Prosser also claimed that he will be showing off a prototype of the Apple glasses soon.

    Apple, in turn, could be working on two separate head-word Augmented Reality products, among them a bulkier headset and sleeker glasses. The headset is expected to launch prior to the glasses, so there could be some confusion between the products.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and @jon_prosser

  • Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo states that iPhone SE Plus launch could be delayed until second half of 2020, sometime in 2021

    As nifty as the new iPhone SE is, you may have to wait until the second half of 2020 to see the larger iPhone SE Plus version.

    Per noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple will “likely postpone” this new model until later in 2020 or 2021:

    We predicted that Apple would launch the new ‌iPhone‌ model in 1H21 in a previous report (“‌iPhone‌ supply chain to be 2020 top pick in the tech sector; key predictions for new ‌iPhone‌ product mixes in 2020 and 2021” [December 5, 2019]). However, we think that Apple will likely postpone the new model from 1H21 to 2H21.

    The ‌iPhone‌ SE Plus is expected to have a 5.5 or 6.1-inch display with a full-screen design, similar to the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro. It will not use Face ID, though, and will instead feature Touch ID integrated into the power button on the right side of the device.

    With no Face ID, the iPhone SE Plus is expected to feature a smaller notch, since the front of the device will only need to house a standard front-facing camera, microphone, and speaker.

    Apple this month released its updated iPhone SE model, which starts at $399, is similar in design to the iPhone 8, but features an A13 processor. The iPhone SE combines Touch ID and an older iPhone design with improved performance, and seeks to appeal to those who liked the design factor found in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 7.

    Kuo has yet to provide details as to what to expect for iPhone SE Plus pricing, but it’s thought the unit could have a lower price tag compared to Apple’s flagship models despite the full-screen design and relocated ‌Touch ID‌ button.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors

  • Rumor: Apple to include mini LED displays in some iPads, MacBooks, and monitors through 2020, 2021

    This could lead to something nifty.

    Apple is rumored to be en route to incorporating new displays with mini LED technology by the end of 2020.

    A Mini LED maker has been tapped to provide orders for upcoming Apple products until June.

    Noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said on Tuesday that Apple is developing at least six mini LED products to launch over the course of 2020 and 2021. Kuo said he is expecting several new iPads, a refreshed iMac Pro and a new 14.1-inch MacBook Pro all sporting the technology.

    The rumor was strengthened on Thursday via a supply chain report by DigiTimes, which indicated that Apple will use mini LED backlighting for a 12.9-inch iPad Pro, several Mac notebooks, and a “few” LCD monitors. Taiwan-based supplier Epistar is said to have been tapped to provide mini LED chips, their orders scheduled for delivery in June.

    Apple is reported to have begun switching some products to mini LEDs in 2019. Although comparable to OLED displays, mini LED screens are said to do away with some of the burn-in and production issues of the industry-standard display technology. Used as a backlighting technology in LCD screens, mini LEDs can improve contrast ratios and power efficiency and offer OLED-style deep blacks.

    Apple is also said to be eyeing GIS, TSMT, and Osram as potential suppliers for mini LED components, and is thought to be developing its own in-house mini LED technologies as well.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider and DigiTimes

  • Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts iPhone production may not see significant improvement until Q2 2020 due to Corona virus delays

    The Corona virus is taking its toll on the world, and Apple’s iPhone production may not significantly improve until the second quarter of 2020.

    This is the conclusion of respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who sent this opinion out in a research note. In the past few weeks, Kuo has warned of delays and low labor return rates at Apple supplier factories in China. 

    Apple’s iPhone camera lens supplier, Genius Electronic Optical, has also reportedly sent smaller shipments throughout February, and supplies are dwindling. Kuo has predicted that there’s about a month of lens inventory remaining, and that significant production may resume in May at the earliest. ‌

    Kuo in January predicted that all of the 5G iPhones were still on track to launch in the fall of 2020. More recently, Kuo mentioned that the long-rumored “iPhone 9” or “iPhone SE 2” would still be on track to launch in the first half of 2020 despite the coronavirus outbreak. 

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors