According to KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple may market as many as 15 to 20 million iPhone units in China in 2014 if signs a deal with China Mobile. Moreover, in 2015 the company from Cupertino may increase the number of devices sold to 20 or even 30 million units. However, the success depends on Apple’s iPhone 5c merchandising strategy, Kuo says.
According to the data, published recently by AppleInsider, Apple still remains the most successful smartphone manufacturer in the USA. iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c remain the most popular devices, purchased on contract in the USA for the third month in a row.
Apple has finally signed a deal with the world’s largest carrier - China Mobile. What that means is that very soon, probably on December, 18th, all the iPhone fans from China will be able to purchase their beloved device on contract.
Apple on Thursday filed a patent for a "Smart dock for activating a voice recognition mode of a portable electronic device". Such a system will allow users to activate Siri and get access to voice recognition functions of the the compatible device once it is connected.
About 50% of people buying iPhone 5c’s are those who previously owned an Android device, Kantar Worldpanel ComTech reports. Apart from that, the research group has published some other facts and figures connected with plastic iPhone sales. Take a look at them below.
Foxconn has been reportedly adding new workers to iPhone 5s assembly lines in order to catch up with the demand on this device. Earlier this month, the company from Cupertino decided to cut down the production of plastic iPhone 5c. As we can see now, this was the right decision as the number of iPhone 5s units available for purchase has grown dramatically since that time.
The company from Cupertino is launching an aggressive trade-in program in India. Sources claim that Apple executives met with retail partners in the country last week to discuss the details of the offer. In order to make the residents of India purchase iPhone 5c or iPhone 4S, Apple will be offering incredible discounts for all those who decide to change iPhone 4 in working condition for the newer device.
Good news for all those who haven’t yet purchased an iPhone. AT&T has made both models, either it is a plastic iPhone 5c or high-end iPhone 5s - ridiculously cheap. Well, you will have to sign a two-year contract with the carrier to get one of the Apple’s new devices for a discounted price, but if that doesn't bother you, why not?
According to the latest report published on a Chinese site C Technology (via MacRumors), Apple continues to cut the production of the plastic iPhone 5c. As you probably know, the new colorful gadget turned out to be a failure for the company from Cupertino - its sales are poor not only in the USA, but also all over the world. Interesting fact: while Apple is experiencing iPhone 5s supply constraints, iPhone 5c can be purchased and picked up from almost any store worldwide at any time.
We have already mentioned that new Apple devices are technically able to work with many LTE networks worldwide, including LTE network in Russia. Apple still blocks iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C from LTE, but the new iPad Air works just fine with LTE in Russia.
Here is a quick test of Megafon LTE cellular network in Moscow:
According to Apple new iPad Air supports the following LTE bands: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26. While new Air works in Russia this is not listed on Apple's official LTE info page.
Shipping estimates for iPhone 5s have changed to 1-2 weeks. That means that the company continues to increase production of its flagship device and makes everything possible to ship the required number of units to customers as soon as possible.
iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, as predicted, attract fewer early upgraders in comparison with the last-year iPhone 5 and previous models. What that means is that people owning an iPhone 5 are unlikely to change it for 5s or 5c. And that makes sense, I guess.
The company from Cupertino will certify two new Asian factories to help in manufacture of the iPhone 5c and iPad mini soon. The reason for such a decision is growing demand for the devices. Current Apple’s suppliers - Foxconn and Pegatron - can’t cope with the production load.
Apple’s new iPad Air is about 13% or $42 cheaper to build than the last-year iPad - the 16GB Wi-Fi-only model cost is $274. Although some components, namely, the 9.7-inch Retina display, are a bit more expensive than earlier, in general the device now costs less.