Google is paying Apple an estimated $3 billion per annum, or more, in order to remain the default search engine on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices, according to a new analysis from Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi cited by Business Insider.
Backtracking from his earlier claim that iPhone 8 might offer fewer casing colors to “maintain its boutique image,” respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo with KGI Securities is now saying that all three iPhone models slated for release this year will come in only three color options—Black, Silver and Gold—and launch simultaneously in September.
Apple has “cancelled” plans to embed a Touch ID fingerprint sensor under the cover glass of iPhone 8, revered Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo wrote in a note issued to clients last weekend, a copy of which was obtained by AppleInsider.
As Apple is said to be bankrolling its supplier LG Display's OLED expansion, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities yesterday shared his thoughts on the matter.
iPhone SE is fifteen months old now, but don't hold your breath for any kind of hardware refresh to the smallest and most affordable Apple handset. That's according to Chinese analyst Pan Jiutang, who predicted Apple won't be refreshing iPhone SE because he doesn't think there's enough demand for the device since most consumers are looking for bigger phones.
The report should be taken with a grain of salt because Apple is now building “Assembled in India” iPhone SE models that it plans to eventually export. On top of that, the Cupertino tech giant is planning to expand local iPhone manufacturing in India.
In the US alone, more than five percent of the overall mobile phone sales apparently belong to iPhone SE. The 32-gigabyte edition of the device retails for $399 in the United States.
Powered by Apple's A9 chip, iPhone SE is compatible with iOS 11.
In my opinion, Apple would be wise to keep iPhone SE in its offering for another year or so in order to cater to the needs of people that prefer smaller, inexpensive handsets.
Citing brokerage analysts, The Korea Herald reported Tuesday that Samsung's latest Galaxy S8 flagship smartphone has moved fewer units than the previous-generation Galaxy S7 model.
Samsung sold an estimated 9.8 million units in Galaxy S8's first two months of availability, or about 20 percent less than Galaxy S7’s twelve million sales in the same period last year.
It should be taken into account that Galaxy S8 started selling in three key markets while its predecessor sold globally immediately.
The report attributed the sales decline largely to the saturated smartphone market and, in part, to fiercer competition from Chinese rivals. Samsung apparently reduced supply orders for some parts, an unnamed industry source said.
That Samsung hasn't' bragged recently about Galaxy S8's sales is another indication of the potentially slowing sales. “We estimate Galaxy S8’s sales volume to be similar to that of Galaxy S7 for now,” is all a Samsung official had to say about the matter.
The only data point Samsung shared was on May 16, when it said global shipments of its latest flagship smartphone exceeded ten million units in its first three weeks of availability.
Galaxy S8 debuted on March 30 and started selling globally on April 21.
“Since the 10 million shipment, Samsung is not revealing sales figures possibly due to slowing sales,” said a local analyst. “We assume Galaxy S8 is selling less than Galaxy S7.”
Highly unlikely claims by KeyBanc Capital Markets analyst Andy Hargreaves were cited in today's report by the investment publication Barrons, alleging that Apple has “just weeks” to decide whether to put a Touch ID fingerprint sensor under the cover glass of iPhone 8 or completely replace the popular feature with an advanced facial recognition system.
Apple's struggles with the workaround for the fingerprint sensor increases the potential that the OLED iPhone could be delayed or even ship without a fingerprint sensor at all, he speculates.
Hargreaves went as far as to suggest the flagship device could launch without Apple Pay support unless the Touch ID situation is resolved in a timely manner.
“We do not believe facial recognition would be initially qualified as an acceptable verification method for Apple Pay,” he wrote. “While Apple could achieve this over time, the likelihood for an initial lack of Apple Pay could adversely affect demand.”
It would typically take at least three months from ordering Touch ID chips to full iPhone volume production. If Apple does place orders for the chips before August, the company would likely be able to reach volume production in late October or early November, the analyst speculates.
“We believe this remains Apple's preferred path, and expect it would be acceptable to both consumers and investors,” he said, adding it is “entirely unclear” if Apple will be able to fix the problem in this time frame.
He doesn't think that an advanced facial recognition system would provide strong security required for Apple Pay, even if Apple designed this feature to work from many angles and in low-light environments, as suspected.
That's because scanning your face wouldn't work without clear line of sight to your face, which could be especially problematic when paying with Apple Pay at stores.
Here's an excerpt from the report:
Even if this encompassed just five percent of login scenarios, it would mean that several times a day the new iPhone would perform worse at an elemental feature than older iPhones, which would risk pushback from consumers.
Further, we do not believe facial recognition would be initially qualified as an acceptable verification method for Apple Pay. While Apple could achieve this over time, the likelihood for an initial lack of Apple Pay could adversely affect demand.
Hargreaves says a delay in the retail availability of iPhone 8 is “very unlikely, but possible,” especially if Apple decides that facial recognition isn't suitable for Apple Pay.
Take the report with a grain of salt.
I don't think Apple would launch its highly anticipated premium smartphone without Touch ID and Apple Pay support, although anything is possible.
How about you?
Claimed iPhone 8 schematics top of post via Sonny Dickson.
Gene Munster, a longtime Apple analyst who had been calling for an HD TV set from Apple for years before eventually giving up on that pipe dream, said today that the upcoming release of Tesla's Model 3 sedan would be as big a launch as the 2007 introduction of the original iPhone.
In a blog post on the Loup Ventures website, Munster writes that the combination of the Model 3’s value and technology has the potential to change the world and accelerate the adoption of electric and autonomous vehicles in the next decade.
“We believe we will eventually look back at the launch of the Model 3 and compare it to the iPhone, which proved to be the catalyst for the shift to mobile computing,” he wrote.
The launch of the vehicle is viewed as Tesla's make or break moment because Model 3 is the company's first truly mass-market electric car priced at the sweet spot of $35,000 before federal and state tax incentives.
According to Elon Musk, Tesla is poised to ship about thirty units of the Model 3 sedans on July 28 and ramp up production to 20,000 Model 3 units per month by December of this year.
Chart via Bloomberg
Imagining that Tesla could produce an estimated 2.5 million cars by 2025 may seem hard to believe given it only delivered about 100,000 cars in the past year. But as Munster says, car hardware does not scale as easy as software, but it can scale.
“Looking back at the iPhone in 2007 it was a stretch to envision the company producing 50 million phones a year, but in 2015, the company sold 232 million units,” he wrote. Owning a Model 3 is only thirteen percent more expensive than owning a Toyota Camry over a five-year period, estimated the analyst.
It's important to note that this figure assumes no state or federal tax credits for electric vehicles as the analyst expect those incentives to end before December 2020.
Loup Ventures is a VC fund focused on augmented reality, artificial intelligence and robotics which Munster founded following his exit from investment firm Piper Jaffray in December of last year, putting an end to Munster's 21-year career as Piper's senior Apple analyst.
iPhone 8 is expected to use a laser transmitter and receiver for advanced facial recognition, 3D mapping, augmented reality and other features. A Barrons report, citing analyst Jun Zhang with Rosenblatt Securities, suggests iPhone 8's 3D sensing module is ready for mass production.
The analyst believes that a company called Viavi Solutions will build 150 million optical filter units for Apple in 2018. He said 3D sensing could be used for facial recognition on iPhone 8, potentially supporting simple gesture recognition in the front.
Furthermore, a 3D sensor for the rear camera should improve depth-of-field photography.
As we previously reported, other suppliers of 3D-sensing modules for iPhone 8 are said to include Largan, Lumentum and Finisar. In the analyst's view, the adoption curve could ramp once the cost of 3D-sensing modules lowers to $10 per piece.
Viavi is one of the 3D-sensing market leaders.
iPhone 8 mockup via iDropNews.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo clarified in a note to clients, a copy of which was obtained by MacRumors, that Apple's OLED-based iPhone 8 and LCD-based iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus smartphones would ship with the same old 5-Watt power adapter, like prior iPhones.
A USB-A to Lightning cable should be included in the box as a standard accessory.
He reiterated his previous stance that iPhone 8 would include a USB-C Power Delivery chip for fast-charge capability. Barclays analyst Blayne Curtis predicted that iPhone 8 would come bundled with a 10-Watt power adapter featuring USB-C connectivity and fast-charge support.
All new iPhones coming down the pike in 2017 should adopt all-glass bodies with metal frames to support wireless charging functionality said to be compatible with the standard put forth by the Wireless Power Consortium, of which Apple is a member.
The analyst claims wireless charging will require an inductive charger, sold separately.
All new iPhones would use ten to fifteen percent faster RAM than iPhone 7 for better augmented reality performance in apps that use the new ARKit framework.
iPhone 8 and iPhone 7s Plus may use 3GB of RAM for better dual-camera performance, while the 4.7-inch iPhone 7s should have 2GB of RAM as it lacks a dual-lens camera.
Kuo said yesterday iPhone 8 would come in limited color options and feature 3D sensing for facial recognition and no Touch ID fingerprint scanning, adding that all 2017 iPhone models would have an improved stereo speaker system and come in 64 and 256GB storage options.
iPhone 8 mockup via iDropNews.
Revered Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities is back with the latest round of predictions conquering Apple's upcoming iPhones, obtained by StreetInsider.
The biggest takeaway from his latest note to clients: iPhone 8 will adopt a full-screen design with a 5.8-inch OLED screen covering nearly the entire front face of the phone. It should have “the highest screen-to-body ratio of any smartphone currently available worldwide”.
The device will feature a virtual Home button. Kuo doesn't think the virtual button will support Touch ID fingerprint recognition although he didn't unequivocally state that the OLED-based handset won't have an integrated in-screen fingerprint sensor.
An excerpt from his note:
We predict the OLED model won’t support fingerprint recognition, reasons being:
(1) the full-screen design doesn’t work with existing capacitive fingerprint recognition
(2) the scan-through ability of the under-display fingerprint solution still has technical challenges, including: (i) requirement for a more complex panel pixel design; (ii) disappointing scan-through of OLED panel despite it being thinner than LCD panel; and (iii) weakened scan-through performance due to overlayered panel module.
As the new OLED iPhone won’t support under-display fingerprint recognition, we now do not expect production ramp-up will be delayed again (we previously projected the ramp-up would be postponed to late October or later).
The analyst reiterated that the OLED-based device will use 3D sensors for advanced facial recognition, improved selfie quality, 3D mapping and other features.
“To maintain its boutique image, we think the OLED version will offer fewer options for casing colors than LCD iPhone models,” reads Kuo's note.
As for the 4.7-inch iPhone 7s and the 5.5-inch iPhone 7s Plus updates, Kuo maintains that these models will continue to use LCD display technology and retain the front form factor design similar to the current iPhone 7 series.
The OLED-based iPhone 8 and the 5.5-inch iPhone 7s Plus will have 3GB of RAM due to dual-camera requirements, while the 4.7-inch iPhone 7s is expected to only use 2GB RAM because it's expected to have a single camera.
All three new models should come with 64GB and 256GB storage options and have a Lightning port with a built-in USB-C Power Delivery chip for fast charging. The output power of the devices' receiver and speaker will be more consistent than before in order to “create better stereo effects,” the analyst predicted.
“For optimized promotional effect, we think Apple may unveil the three models simultaneously in September, though the launch date of the OLED version may trail that of LCD models, and supply tightness may not improve before the first quarter of 2018,” reads the note.
KGI forecast shipments of the three new iPhone models of 80-85 million units during Apple's fiscal year 2017, with an equal split between OLED-based iPhone and the LCD-based iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus models.
iPhone 8 Full Vision Display concept courtesy of iFanr.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has predicted that Apple's rumored Siri home speaker will support physical control via a dedicated touch panel. He expects the device to debut at WWDC next month alongside the “announcement of software development details for home AI”.
In his report to clients Saturday, seen by MacRumors, Kuo did not specify if the AI-driven speaker might feature a built-in touchscreen display or use a set of capacitive physical buttons for things like volume and playback control.
Here's an excerpt from Kuo's note:
In our April 28 Insight report (“Apple’s first home AI product to see cyclical shipments of over ten million units; main competitor is Amazon Echo”), we offered estimates for the new home AI/Siri speaker line. We also believe this new product will come with a touch panel.
For what it's worth, Australian leakster Sonny Dickson claimed in April to have learned from insiders that the smart home accessory will be fat, featuring a Mac Pro-like concave top with built-in controls and a speaker mesh portion covering it all.
Phil Schiller, Apple's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, recently speculated that voice-activated home accessories could benefit from the inclusion of a screen.
“There are many moments where a voice assistant is really beneficial, but that doesn't mean you'd never want a screen,” Schiller said.
“So the idea of not having a screen, I don't think it suits many situations.”
Last year, Bloomberg listed some of the device's potential features:
Control home appliances, locks, lights, curtains and other HomeKit devices More advanced always-on mic and speaker than Amazon Echo or Google Home Facial recognition to see folks in the room and determine their emotional state Built-in speaker for wireless music playback Built-in Siri would process many of the commands available on iPhoneIf you ask CNET, it may include built-in cameras as well:
For example, users may be able to ask the device to read e-mails, send text messages and tweets, and stream content from Apple Music. Apple has also considered integrating mapping information into the speaker, potentially allowing the device to notify a user when it’s time to leave the house for an appointment.
Apple reportedly started work on the project in 2014, right after debuting HomeKit.
Previously, Kuo predicted that the accessory would provide “excellent acoustics performance” with a subwoofer, seven tweeters, always-on microphone and computing power similar to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s application processors. Australian leakster Sonny Dickson claimed the Siri speaker should use Beats audio technology and run a variant of iOS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io8NU6iTto0
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The rumored device should be built by AirPods manufacturer Inventec.
Given his prediction that the market for smart home devices might outsell the iPad market next year, Kuo forecast Siri device shipments of around twelve million units in its first year of availability. Apple’s W1 chip, which debuted in AirPods, could play a key role in the product.
Apple is likely to launch additional models of the Siri speaker in the future, he added.
Kuo has given Apple's rumored Amazon Echo competitor 50-50 odds and the rumored 10.5-inch iPad Pro model more than 70-30 odds of being announced at the Cupertino company's annual Worldwide Developers Conference next month.
WWDC 2017 kicks off with a keynote address at 10:00am Pacific Time on Monday, June 5.
Mockup via iFunnyVlogger on Twitter