analysts

Read Cult of Mac’s latest posts on analysts:

iPad sales continue to be hot, hot, hot

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There are no iPad or iPhone purchases limits
iPad shipments last quarter are up about 50% from where they were two years ago.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

iPad sales kicked onto high gear in 2020 and haven’t slowed down since. In the April-through-June quarter of 2021,
Apple shipped around 15 million tablets, roughly 50% higher than shipments in the same period two years ago.

Mac shipments skyrocket as pandemic drags on

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Mac shipments skyrocket as pandemic drags on
Mac demand was extremely strong in the first three months of 2021. The M-series processor almost certainly played a big role.
Photo: Apple

The pandemic continues to drive up demand for notebooks and desktops, and Mac shipments saw a triple-digit annual increase in Q1 2021 according to a market research firm. Apple also almost certainly also benefitted from the release of the first M-series computers near the end of 2020.

Apple TV+ could be in for a surge in subscribers

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Appletvpluslogo
There aren’t a huge number of Apple TV+ subscribers now, but that’s going to change.
Photo: Apple

Apple‘s streaming video service hasn’t taken the world by storm. But an analyst predicts strong growth in coming years will push Apple TV+ to over 100 million paid subscribers by 2025.

Samik Chatterjee from J.P. Morgan points out the service’s catalogue keeps getting bigger, with Apple willing to invest plenty of money to continue that trend.

A tiny percentage of iPhone buyers claimed free Apple TV+ subscription

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Apple TV+
Apple TV+ did not get off to a strong start, if one analyst is correct.
Screenshot: Apple TV+

Even though every new iPhone, Mac or iPad purchased last fall came with a free subscription to Apple TV+, a relatively small percentage of people signed up, according to an analyst, who estimates that the strategy garnered the streaming service only 10 million subscribers.

iPads are flying off store shelves

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Here’s the 10.2-inch iPad for 2019.
The first 10.2-inch iPad brought a surge of iPad sales.
Photo: Apple

Apple has a real hit on its hands with the 10.2-inch iPad it launched last fall. It helped push Apple to a 22.7% year-over-year increase in tablet shipments last quarter, according to a market-research firm.

iPadOS devices continue to vastly outsell all their rivals, and Apple increased its lead in the final three months of 2019.

2020 is the year Apple gets serious about augmented reality

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Apple augmented reality has business potential
Hardware changes in the 2020 iPad and iPhone could noticeably improve augmented reality’s usefulness.
Photo: Apple

Apple CEO Tim Cook called augmented reality “the next big thing” this week. But he kept quiet about his company’s specific plans for this emerging technology. So Cult of Mac reached out to industry analysts, who predict that this year’s iPhone and iPad will come with AR equipment built in. And, for the future, they’re optimistic about Apple’s rumored AR glasses.

iPhone 11 solidly outsells Pro series

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iPhone 11 continues to shine while iPhone 11 Pro Max sales flatten out
Apple sold nearly three times as many iPhone 11 units as it did either of the more expensive Pro models.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

The budget iPhone 11 version was Apple’s biggest seller by a very wide margin last quarter, according to a market-research firm. It has the lion’s share of all iOS sales.

Still, the 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max also sold fairly well in Q4 2019, making up a higher proportion of Apple’s total sales than the iPhone XS series did in the same period the year before.

Analysts bullish that 5G and budget iPhones will give Apple very strong 2020

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Apple boots smelter and refiners in crackdown on conflict minerals
Analysts from several market-analysis firms say the iPhone SE 2 will help propel the company to a strong year.
Render: OnLeaks/iGeeksBlog

Apple’s share price is more than double what it was this time last year. Cult of Mac asked prominent market-analysis firms to explain this meteoric rise. Several of them listed not just the upcoming debut of the 5G iPhone for investor optimism, but also the imminent launch of a budget model.

Why Apple’s share price should rise another 50%

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Apple share price is on a roll
Apple shares went up 100% over the past years, and there are good reasons why it won‘t slow down.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

If you bought Apple shares on Jan. 9, 2019 then you’ve doubled your money since then. And while Apple certainly had a good year, it’s not done yet.

Analysts are predicting big increases in the share price because of the company’s changing mix of products — it’s not just an iPhone maker any more.

Boom or bust? 2020 Apple stock price predictions are all over the board

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Apple could be a $2 trillion company by end of 2021
2020 could finally bring us the iPhone upgrade supercycle investors have been dreaming of.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

One of the most bullish Apple analysts is predicting that the iPhone-maker’s stock price still has plenty of room to rise.

Apple shares hit an all-time high of $300 last week and currently trade just under that mark. In his latest note to investors, Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives is predicting huge gains for AAPL in 2020, but not all analysts are nearly as optimistic.

Apple will dominate 5G sales in 2020

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2020 could be Apple's greatest year so far
5G iPhones will outsell all rivals in 2020.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple will beat out Samsung and Huawei in 5G handsets next year, according to a forecast by industry analysts. This despite accusations by some critics that not putting 5G in the iPhone 11 would put Apple far behind its rivals.

iPhone 11 sales took off like a rocket

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iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro
The more-affordable iPhone 11 is outselling either of the Pro series models.
Photo: Apple

The iPhone 11 along with the Pro series reportedly accounted for a sizable chunk of Apple’s August-through-September handset sales, even though they were only available for two weeks during that quarter.

The most popular new model is the 6.1-inch iPhone 11, which costs significantly less than that iPhone 11 Pro series.

iPhone demand in China is on the rise again

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iPhone XS Max
2019 has seen a real turnaround for iPhone in China.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

The drop in iPhone sales among Chinese consumers that hurt Apple so much last year is now a thing of the past, according to market analysts. The company saw five straight months of growth in that important region.

Smart speaker installed base could top 200 million this year

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HomePod Volume Controls
Perhaps a rising tide of smart speaker sales will help HomePod.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The number of smart speakers like Amazon’s Echo and Apple’s HomePod in use around the world is expected to keep growing strongly for years to come. It could pass 200 million in 2019, and pass 500 million in 2023.

Analysts from Canalys indicate the installed base of these devices is now surpassing the number of smartwatches in use. And smart speakers could even outnumber tablets before the end of 2021, they say.

App Store downloads fall, but revenues still rise

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Apple pays $467k for doing business with blacklisted app developer
Fewer iOS apps were downloaded from the App Store last quarter. But the money is still pouring in.
Photo: Apple

The number of downloads from Apple’s iOS App Store declined slightly last quarter, according to a report from market analysis firm Morgan Stanley.

However, revenue from iOS software is increasing, up 15 percent year-over-year.

Americans are far more interested in buying iPhone than Android

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Apple display maker exec fired for embezzling millions of dollars
More U.S. consumers are interested in Apple devices like these than Android.
Photo: Kristal Chan/Cult of Mac

Americans about to purchase a handset are far more interested in an iPhone than in devices running the rival Android OS, according to a survey done by an industry analysis firm.

But the news isn’t all good for Apple. The same survey found only moderate interest in the company’s rumored streaming video service.

Upgrade rate slows by 33 percent as we hold onto our iPhones ever longer

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iPhone 6s
With people keeping their phones so long, a typical device getting replaced these days is the iPhone 6s.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The days when people bought a new iPhone every two years are over, according to an industry analyst. In fact, many people are holding on to their handsets for twice that long.

That’s bad news for Apple’s bottom line, as faster upgrades mean more profits.

Apple staffing up its streaming video service

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Apple TV service facing competition
The rumored Apple TV streaming service for Mac, iPhone, etc. needs people to run it. People who Apple might be hiring already.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple is hiring in its media group devoted to audiovisual media. After digging through the company’s job openings in recent months, an analyst believes these new employees are for the anticipated Apple TV streaming service.

This company has been paying to have TV shows and movies produced for months, but has so far kept quiet about its plans. That’s expected to change soon.

Now is the time to buy Apple stock

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What’s it like to have your startup bought by Apple? Stressful
Buying Apple shares now could earn you quite a bit of money this year, according to Morgan Stanley.
Photo illustration: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

If you’ve been thinking about investing in Apple stock, an analyst from Morgan Stanley says this is to time to do so. The price is already low, and not likely to go any lower.

There’s been bad news for Apple recently but that’s already priced into the stock.

Apple may hit the brakes on autonomous vehicle program

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Project Titan
Apple’s test vehicles from its self-driving car project could be headed for the highway exit.
Photo: Idiggapple/Twitter

Apple’s self-driving car development could be headed for a cliff. Maybe. A questionable report from industry analysts says that there are layoffs in this division and the whole project might even be scrapped.

The cause is supposedly the slowdown in iPhone sales caused by the weakening Chinese economy. The reduction in revenue leaves less room for non-core programs.

AirPods could someday replace your Apple Watch

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airpods
Ear-worn devices like these AirPods could become the most-used type of wearable.
Photo: Ste Smith/ Cult of Mac

Smart watches are currently the most popular form of wearable, but ear-worn devices are expected to replace them in the coming years. The changeover will take place as AirPods and similar products gain additional features that people now get from Apple Watch and iPhone.

In less than five years, so-called “hearables” could outsell every other type of  wearable by a wide margin.

iPhone XS first week sales solidly outpace iPhone 8

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iPhone XS box gold
People around the world snapped up the iPhone XS models more quickly than they did the iPhone 8 series last year.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The iPhone XS and XS Max debuted last month, and some versions sold out almost immediately. But that doesn’t automatically mean they’re a huge hit. Still there’s new evideance that sales are strong.

Drawing on data compiled from over 1 million mobile apps, an analyst says that, during the first week they were available, Apple’s XS series outsold last year’s iPhone 8 and 8 Plus by 45 percent.

iPhone XS Max vastly outsells smaller XS

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iPhone Xs
The iPhone XS Max is Apple's best selling model by a wide margin.
Photo: Apple

When it comes to iPhones, it appears bigger is much better. The iPhone XS series debuted on Friday, and a respected analyst reports the larger of the two is selling far, far better than its smaller sibling.

The analyst also reports that the new Apple Watch Series 4 is selling better than he expected.

Small phone screens go the way of the dodo

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iPhone SE 2 could cost $399 just like the first-gen iPhone SE
In just a few years this 4.7-inch iPhone screen will be considered tiny.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The iPhone 8 display is 4.7 inches. Over the next few years, phone screen sizes are expected to grow to the point that only a tiny fraction will be that small.

Fortunately, it appears Apple is keeping up with the trend. In fact, it could be argued that the iPhone started it.