Apple aim for 2 release cycles every year

Apple are feeling the pressure from Android and they are going to accelerate their iPhone and iPad release schedule to 2 times every year, according to Adnaan Ahmad of Berenberg Bank. Obviously, Kitguru can't confirm this, and we haven't heard anything from our sources in the industry, but the news is circulating across many news sites this morning.

Ahmad has also said that the new Apple iPhone for the ‘budget' market will be released soon – with a $300 or lower price tag. We feel it would need to be quite a bit lower than $300 to get a lot of the budget Android sales sweeping stores right now. Android is a growing market and Apple are seeing an opportunity to target different markets.

The subject of Apple stock holding steady has raised a few questions. Why isn't it increasing? Much of the problem analysts say is due to Steve Jobs health. Jobs isn't just a CEO, he is a media personality who is seen as the figurhead of the company. When he is seen as being ‘ill' in public, it concerns people that they might be without a leader in the near future. Tim Cook, Apple's stand in is doing a good job, but people aren't sure if he is ready to take complete control of the Cupertino giant.

Ahmad has also been rather damning of Research In Motion saying “On Nokia (Sell, PT €3.70), our concerns centre on Android proliferation in Nokia’s bread-and-butter low- to mid-end portfolio and our view that Apple will launch a $300 iPhone; Nokia’s transition period, ”end of lifing” Symbian, and employee morale; and the non-exclusive nature of Microsoft deal. We think street estimates for next two years do not reflect margin, ASP and market share pressure that the company will continue to face.

We remain sellers of RIMM (hardware margins, services ARPU [Average Revenue Per User] and Playbook disappoints), which we coined the “new Nokia” in January 2010, Motorola Mobility (tablet sales to disappoint, smartphone pricing pressure), MediaTek (2G business commoditising, 3G behind curve) and STM (ST-Ericsson to remain loss making in 2011–13), as we expect expectations on these stocks to disappoint during the next 12 months.”

KitGuru says: Will Apple be releasing two product cycles each year? it seems a rather high demand.

Become a Patron!