News tagged ‘share’

Bloomberg reports, citing research firm Strategy Analytics, that Android-based tablets increased their share in the tablet market during the third quarter.

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Yesterday Apple posted financial results for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2011 and the full fiscal year. The company posted record-breaking revenue of $28.27 billion and net quarterly profit of $6.62 billion, or $7.05 per diluted share. Gross margin was 40.3 percent. Apple now has $81.57 billion in cash and marketable securities.

For the 2011 fiscal year, Apple reported revenue of $108.25 billion and net profit of $25.92 billion, or $27.68 per diluted share. Gross margin for the year was 40.5 percent and Apple's yearly profit and revenue were company records with Apple reporting more than $100 billion in yearly revenue for the first time ever.

Apple shipped 4.89 million Macintosh computers during the quarter, sold 17.07 million iPhone, up 21 percent from the year-ago quarter, and the company also sold 6.62 million iPods during the quarter, representing 27 percent unit decline over the year-ago quarter. Apple also sold 11.12 million iPads during the quarter, up 166 percent over the year-ago quarter. Apple also announced over 6 million copies of Lion had been downloaded through the Mac App Store since July 20th (when the operating system went on sale), with Mac users approaching 60 million worldwide.

In the first fiscal quarter of  2012 (the third calendar quarter) Apple expects to gain revenue of $37 billion.

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UnitediPhoneRepair has posted an iPhone 4S drop test video. Of course, the iPhone 4S shares the same external design as the iPhone 4, and yes, it still breaks when dropped on its glass screen.

Today is the iPhone 4S launched day. And Apple’s stock just closed at $422 a share. The company costs $391.23B. This is all-time high for the company. Amazing!!

Yesterday Apple issued a press release stating that the company will announce its fourth fiscal quarter of 2011 financial results on Tuesday, October 18th, 2011 and will be followed by a conference call relating to the announcement.  The earnings release comes around 4:30 PM Eastern and the conference call at 5:00 PM Eastern / 2:00 PM Pacific.

Apple’s conference call webcast discussing Q4 – 2011 financial results will begin at 2:00pm PT/5:00pm ET on Tuesday, October 18, 2011. Please note that comments made in this call may include forward-looking statements which are subject to risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from these forward-looking statements. For additional information at the factors that may influence results, please seek advice from Apple’s SEC filings.

Apple is expected to announce $25 billion in revenue with profits of $5.50 per share, that less that the previous quarter record-breaking results - $7.31 billion in profit on revenue of $28.57 billion.

German website Macerkopf.de. has reported that some German customers have apparently received their pre-ordered iPhone 4S ahead of its official launch, October 14th. The iPhone 4S pre-ordered through Deutsche Telekom was delivered this morning. The lucky customer promptly shared photos of the packaging, device and Siri. The packaging is almost similar to the iPhone 4’ one.  The new assistant is now available in English, French and German, with more languages to come in the future. The US customers are still waiting for their devices that will start shipping on October 14th.

More photos below.

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Here's a nice quick hands-on video of new iPhone 4S from BBC.

According to Reuters, the $12 billion deal between Brazil and Foxconn to produce Apple’s iPad in a new Brazil-based Foxconn factory is now in doubt. It seems that negotiations between Brazilian government and the iPad-manufacturer have temporarily stalled. The main reasons are high taxes and lack of skilled workers that meet Faxconn expectations.

"We’re dealing with a lot of issues, like the (Taiwanese) trying to figure out how to do business in Brazil … and Brazil figuring out how to produce these complicated products,” a second government official told Reuters. Maybe we will end up starting with something smaller.

Start of production was already put off twice. We see that it still unclear whether the company will manufacture any Apple tablets in this country. As far as we know, Foxconn would like to build a new industrial complex with its own energy system, roads and infrastructure outside Sao Paolo. But the situation is complicated by the fact that the Brazilian government is now engaged in building more profitable $1 trillion projects related to the World Cup and the Summer Olympics the country will host in 2014 and 2016. The other problem includes lack of companies to partner with Foxconn in order to share costs in Brazil.

It’s a requirement to have Brazilian partners, (but) in the technology area the partners we have do not have the financial muscle for investments near that value.

According to a survey, conducted by a mobile advertising company InMobi, 41 percent of US customers is going to purchase the next-generation iPhone. 50 percent of them will do it within the first six months after public launch. This time Sprint customers will also have access to the new iPhone, so Apple seems to open new market for its smartphone, taking in account that Sprit has 52 million customers.

If consumers put their money where their mouths are, these numbers could go a long way to bumping up Apple’s overall market share in the UK and the U.S.. According to figures from Kantar Worldpanel, in Q2 Apple had an 18.3 percent share of the UK smartphone market; another research group, comScore, puts it around 20 percent. If people follow through with their purchasing intent, InMobi says this share would go up to 40 percent. In the U.S., the market share would grow to 41 percent.

Nevertheless, despite the InMobi’ estimates, Apple could release slightly revised version of the iPhone 4 – co-called iPhone 4S, reducing number of customers who will purchase such device.

Research firm Gartner has published sales forecasts for the tablet market, stating that a lack of momentum from competitors will allow iPad to be absolute leader during the holiday shopping season. Looking further ahead, Gartner predicts that Apple will maintain more than 50 percent share of this market segment through 2014 even as Research in Motion’s QNX and Microsoft's Windows 8 platforms are expected to build up some momentum. Research vice president at Gartner Carolina Milanesi explains:

“This is because Apple delivers a superior and unified user experience across its hardware, software and services. Unless competitors can respond with a similar approach, challenges to Apple’s position will be minimal. Apple had the foresight to create this market and in doing that planned for it as far as component supplies such as memory and screen”.

Gartner has lowered its estimates for sales of Android tablets in 2011 by 28% over second quarter’s projections, noting very weak adoption due to its interface issues, high prices and limited app availability.

The company expects that Android will see growth as Google releases its next-generation Android’s "Ice Cream Sandwich" and addresses fragmentation across the Android ecosystem. However, according to Gartner's sales forecasts, Android tablets will not catch up the iPad by the end of projection period of 2015.

Engadget Chinese has confirmed that the first Apple’s retail store in Hong Kong will be open on September 24. Apple does not confirm the date, noting they "don't have further information to share." Construction of the store began in June, but now the two-story store front is covered and promised to be opened in the 4th quarter of 2011. Apple reportedly spent about $20 million on construction alone. Apple will employ more that 300 employees for that store that will serve approximately 40,000 customers each day. An average U.S. Apple store serves four times less flow of customers. This store will obviously thwart a grey market for Apple devices that are extremely popular in Hong Kong.

A new report claims that Apple has made a deal with Largan Precision and Genius Electronic Optical to build and supply 8-megapixel camera lenses for the company's forthcoming next-generation handset.

“The two companies are reported to continue supplying lenses for Apple’s newest iPhone 5 with an 8-megapixel camera. With relatively higher production yield, Largan, commanding nearly 20% of the global market, will reportedly garner a big order from Apple.”

Both companies were previously responsible for production of 5-megapixel lens modules for the current-generation iPhone 4. Today’s report claims the two companies will compete and work together as they continue to share Apple has one of their largest customers for the upcoming next-gen iPhone. Last year both companies covered 27.5 percent of global market share and it could move even higher as iPhone sales continue to grow. It’s not surprising that Apple continues to source parts from multiple suppliers. This is a move that is common for the company in an attempt to create competition amongst suppliers, drive down prices, and increase production quality while reducing risk.

According to DigiTimes, Foxconn, a manufacturer of Apple gadgets, is expected to produce 20 million iPad 2s in the third quarter. This order more than doubles the 9.25 million iPads that Apple sold during the second quarter. DigiTimes reports:

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Google and Apple, two main parties on the smartphone market, are continuously fighting for consumers especially those who have not yet decided which OS they want to have in their next smartphone. According to Nielsen survey in July 2011, these ‘undecideds’ will be the customers which manufacturers will be hoping to win over. It is interesting that late adopters are least sure among likely smartphone upgraders about their next phone platform.

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