O'Grady's PowerPage

Tag: demand

  • Ford offers public backing for CarPlay, insists on continued support for the system

    Ford offers public backing for CarPlay, insists on continued support for the system

    In the midst of the ongoing kerfuffle as to which car manufacturers will support Apple’s CarPlay, Ford has announced that the company remains committed to Apple’s in-car software and won’t be shifting away anytime soon.

    Speaking at the 2025 Barclays Global Auto and Mobility Tech Conference, Ford CFO Sherry House voiced her company’s support for CarPlay. Ford Authority reports the CFO said it was important to give consumers choice and access to technology, which will be a key feature of Ford’s future plans.

    “We think that it is a product that our customers really enjoy, so we’re going to continue to allow them to have access to that,” said House, specifically referencing CarPlay.

    Despite the public support and mention, Ford seems to be on the fence as to CarPlay Ultra. As of September, CEO Jim Farley said the company will stick to the standard CarPlay, but wasn’t keen on the initial execution of CarPlay Ultra.

    In spite of some car manufacturers backing away from CarPlay or keeping their options open, as of November, there were reports that Tesla was working on supporting CarPlay, following years of consumer demand to add it.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider and Ford Authority

  • Rumor: Apple likely to release fourth-get iPhone SE, iPad 11, and updated iPad Air in April

    Rumor: Apple likely to release fourth-get iPhone SE, iPad 11, and updated iPad Air in April

    Sometimes the rumor mill has the best idea as to when Apple’s upcoming products can be expected.

    Following the release of Apple’s most recent iOS 18.3 beta, the rumors began to spread that Apple might release its new iPhone SE and iPads along an iOS 18.3 release later this month. This rumor was quickly dispelled by a more reliable source, and per the mighty Mark Gurman, Apple is developing the iPhone SE 4 and new iPads with iOS 18.3 in mind for the launch. Gurman also stated that Apple would release these products “by April if all goes to plan.” Apple will allegedly release the new hardware ahead of iOS 18.4, which is due before WWDC in June. The post arrived after a private social media account suggested that Apple would release the new hardware alongside the iOS 18.3 update.

    This, in turn, lines up with previous rumors that Apple could release the iPhone SE 4, M4-based iPad Air, and iPad 11 after a MacBook Air update this year. That would leave room for a potential new product reveal in May or during WWDC for the square display Home Hub device, though some believe that’s been pushed back to the fall.

    The iPad 11 is expected to be a straightforward update that will offer Apple Intelligence to the device thanks to its A18 processor. Apple’s upcoming iPad Air is expected to feature the M4 processor, and could herald an M5-equipped iPad Pro for the fall. Apple also has historically avoided product releases in January, and tends to release flagship iPhone models in the fall, while the iPhone SE has always launched in the spring.

    It’s also thought that while the holiday quarter is Apple’s most intense retail period, and that the majority of the demand for a new iPhone was met during this season. An April launch of iPhone SE would line up with previous releases, enable the supply chain to catch up with chip demand, and coincide with customers that upgrade in the spring.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider and @markgurman.bsky.social

  • Rumor: MacBook Pro notebooks with OLED displays could begin surfacing in 2026

    Rumor: MacBook Pro notebooks with OLED displays could begin surfacing in 2026

    You may start seeing MacBook Pro notebooks with OLED in 2026.

    Per a supply chain report, the display technology could arrive for Apple’s flagship notebook in roughly two years’ time. The report includes the iPad Pro, which the report says will triple demand for OLED screens in tablets, and going forward, will influence competitors’ strategies to compete with Apple in this particular market.

    Omdia’s Senior Principal Ricky Park offered this opinion in the report:

    “Apple is highly likely to incorporate OLED into its MacBook Pro models as early as 2026,. This move could spark a significant surge in OLED demand within the notebook market, potentially reaching over 60 million units by 2031.”

    It’s currently unknown if Omdia has any particular insight gleaned from data it has discovered on the release timing, though. OLED MacBook Pro models have been rumored for some time. And, nearly all of those rumors have put it a year or more away, regardless of when the rumor was made.

    OLED screens offer higher contrast ratios, require no backlighting, and are thinner and use less power than current displays. Apple has previously been reported to release a MacBook Pro with an OLED screen in 2024.

    Apple’s MacBook Pro lines currently use LCD systems, and OLED displays would offer improved response times and contrast ratios. Still, given the higher manufacturing costs associated with OLEDs, transitioning from LCD to OLED might only be considered when substantial consumer demand exists to support it. Apple’s release of the technology on the iPad before the Mac may be to gauge consumer interest in potentially paying more for the technology.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider and Omdia

  • Rumor: Apple Vision Pro shipments decreased as US demand for the headset wanes

    Rumor: Apple Vision Pro shipments decreased as US demand for the headset wanes

    Sometimes demand levels off and/or there need to be easier ways to purchase an item.

    Per noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple has reduced its orders for Apple Vision Pro parts and assemblies, with the cut in shipments said to indicate lower demand for Apple’s headset than previously thought.

    While the launch of the Apple Vision Pro in the United States was a success, and shipment estimates in February proved far better than Apple’s original estimate, demand seems to have lowered considerably as Apple prepares to move towards international sales for the wearable headset.

    According to TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo on Tuesday, Apple has cut its shipment orders for the Apple Vision Pro in 2024 down to between 400,000 and 450,000 units. This is said to be far below the market consensus for shipments at 700,000 to 800,000 units.

    It’s unknown as to the exact circumstances Kuo might be concerned about, and potential shifts in the supply chain could be part of this.

    Where international markets are concerned, China is expected to receive the device as part of the first wave of the sales expansion.

    Apple is also reportedly changing it product roadmap for the device given demand changes, and it’s currently theorized that the next iteration of the Apple Vision Pro may not arrive in 2025 after all.

    In January, it was estimated that Apple had sold 200,000 Apple Vision Pro units, reportedly more than expected. Return rates still approximate the non-Pro iPhone return rate.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider

  • Apple posts strong shipments, and year-over-year growth as computing industry returns to pre-pandemic levels

    Apple posts strong shipments, and year-over-year growth as computing industry returns to pre-pandemic levels

    It was a long pandemic, but Apple and the larger industry have gotten back to pre-pandemic levels, complete with substantial year-over-year growth.

    According to 9to5Mac, an IDC report released yesterday on global shipments for Q1 2024 showed that while Apple still doesn’t lead for volume, it did come in number one for YoY growth.

    IDC highlights that global PC shipments saw a slump for the last two years with Q1 2024 marking a return to growth.

    While the average increase for all manufacturers stood at 1.5 percent year-over-year growth, Apple was able to see almost 10 times this given a 14.6 percent increase in shipments for Q1 2024 over 2023. Acer came in second for growth with 9.2 percent with Lenovo in third with 7.8 percent. Lenovo took first place for PC shipment market share with 23 percent, HP in second with 20.1 percent, and Dell in third with 15.5 percent market share. Apple currently stands at 8.1 percent market share for Q1 2024 – up 1 percent from Q1 2023. For Q1, Apple shipped 4.8 million Macs.

    With inflation numbers trending down, PC shipments have begun to recover in most regions, leading to growth in the Americas as well as Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). However, the deflationary pressures in China directly impacted the global PC market. As the largest consumer of desktop PCs, weak demand in China led to yet another quarter of declines for global desktop shipments, which already faced pressure from notebooks as the preferred form factor.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via 9to5Mac and Doodle