Apple Predicted to Launch Apple Watch Sport in Yellow & Rose Gold, New iMacs & iPad Mini Later This Year
In a new research note outlining his predictions for Apple’s recently completed financial quarter and beyond, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo shares his thinking about some of Apple’s upcoming product plans that will provide sales momentum in the latter portion of the year.
–Apple Watch: Kuo remains conservative about the Apple Watch, pegging Apple’s second quarter shipments at roughly 3.9 million and growing to 5.5 million in the current quarter as supply shortages ease and availability expands to more countries. As a result, he believes it will be difficult for Apple to reach Wall Street consensus estimates for 15 million units total through the end of the year, though analyst estimates have seen wide variations and Apple is indicated it will not be reporting Apple Watch unit sales in its financial results.
Notably, Kuo believes Apple could launch the Apple Watch Sport in new color options to match iPhone 6s colors later this year, anodizing the watch’s aluminum casing with yellow and rose gold. Kuo and other sources have previously pointed to a new iPhone color (reportedly rose gold) and Kuo indicated months ago that Apple could use new casing options for the Apple Watch later this year.
– iPhone: Kuo believes Apple shipped roughly 54.2 million iPhones during the second calendar quarter, and he predicts that number will fall to 40.1 million in the current quarter as sales slow ahead of the “iPhone 6s” launch and shipments of the new device may get off to a somewhat slow start due to “low yield of Force Touch.”
– iPad: Apple’s iPad sales continue to slide, with Kuo predicting the company shipped just 8.8 million in the current quarter. He believes a thinner and lighter iPad mini that is essentially a smaller version of the iPad Air 2 could begin shipping at the tail end of the quarter, helping boost overall shipments to 11 million units during the third calendar quarter. Apple’s iPad launches typically come in October, however, so shipments may not begin until the fourth quarter. In line with a recent report claiming Apple may not introduce a new iPad Air this year, Kuo does not mention any pending updates to that device. He also does not address the even larger “iPad Pro” that has been rumored to launch later this year.
– Mac: Kuo predicts strong Mac shipments of 5.3 million units for the second quarter, rising to over 5.8 million in the current quarter, which is traditionally Apple’s best quarter on the strength of back to school sales. He sees Apple releasing new iMacs late in the third quarter or early in the fourth quarter, helping to sustain Mac demand.
Kuo has a solid track record based on information from Apple’s supply chain, but he does occasionally make incorrect predictions. As a result, some caution should be taken with these predictions.
Google Play performance Q2 2015 – Google and Apple gain big from new, emerging markets
It’s about that time of year for the quarterly report by App Annie that tell us how Google Play and the Apple App Store did over the last few months. 2015 was projected to be a big year for both iOS and Android as Android moves into emerging markets and iOS continues to dominate in China. If you want to see some prior stats, you can find those here.
1. Google still leads in downloads, but iOS still leads in revenue
The stats: According to App Annie, Google Play continues to outpace the App Store in app downloads. In fact, they’re doing it so well that they’ve actually increased that gap. Google Play had about 85% more downloads than the App Store. On the other hand, the App Store continues to outpace Google Play in revenue by about 70% and this is about what it was back in Q1.
The takeaway: Both companies have been making some big moves this year. With Android One and cheaper Android smartphones, Google has owned the emerging markets and this has led to far more app downloads. However, any impact this (and growth in general) has made on revenue was totally cancelled out by Apple’s continued growth in China.
2. Taiwan finds out Google Play has games and leaves Germany in the dust
The stats: Google Play’s strength in Germany has been stellar and it’s one of the few places where Google Play outpaces the App Store in revenue. However, over the last quarter, Taiwan apparently figured out that Google Play had games and they have flown passed Germany in revenue generated.
The takeaway: This is a very strong example of what can happen when an emerging market starts taking care of business. It wasn’t long ago we were talking about Taiwan from the perspective that they were new in the Google Play stats world. Now, thanks to some core games such as Fun Plus Game and Shoryuken, the country is now among those that generate the most revenue. It’s also worth mentioning (based on the graphic above), that this growth happened within the last four months which is extremely fast.
3. Cord cutting is making a serious impact in the US and China
The stats: Video streaming apps have made a large impact on revenue in the mobile space, but predominately on iOS thanks again to China. The Entertainment category is also in the top five categories for revenue for the first time on Google Play.
The takeaway: It’s been the long time assumption that when cord cutting became a big thing that we’d see it on mobile. Thanks to its ever present nature, mobile devices and tablets seem like the natural fit for things like Netflix, Hulu, and the Chinese streaming services. Expect this to continue to trend upward as services like HBO NOW, Sling TV, Showtime, CBS All Access, and major sports streaming services (NHL Gamecenter, etc) become more popular.
4. The top categories by total time usage and by session duration
The stats: These are graphs that show two things. The first is “total time used” which shows what categories people spend the overall most time on. The other chart is by session which shows what categories people spend the most time doing at once. Here’s the difference. You may check Facebook 15 times a day for five minutes each totally 45 minutes (total time spent). However, you might watch an episode of a TV show on Netflix which is 30 minutes in a single session.
The takeaway: Once you take a good, hard look at the data, nothing here should surprise anyone. Entertainment includes things like Netflix which people will sit and watch for hours at a time so it makes sense that it tops the charts with the longest sessions. Similarly, Social and Communication make sense because people send texts and check their social media profiles copiously. The interesting part is that Books & Reference make an appearance on Google Play session duration which means people read for longer on Android than iOS. The iOS folks seem to be sticking to Music and Entertainment as per the norm.
5. Top countries for revenue and downloads barely change at all
The stats: Part of these stats show which countries were responsible for the most downloads and the most revenue. For the App Store, it’s been China, the United States, and Japan while on Google, it’s been Japan, the United States, and South Korea. The only notable change was that Taiwan surpassed Germany for Google Play revenue to be fourth overall.
The takeaway: There really isn’t any takeaway here. Steady as she goes because the same names that made a splash in Q1 of 2015 were the ones who continue to dominate Q2 of 2015.
6. …and the same goes for app categories
The stats: These stats show which categories saw the most downloads and obtained the most revenue in Q2 of 2015. There haven’t been many changes with the only notable change being that Entertainment is on the rise in revenue for both iOS and Android.
The takeaway: We discussed the rise of Entertainment earlier as cord cutters become more common and services like Sling TV making the idea more appealing. Other than that, much like the revenue and downloads by country, everything here is pretty much the same as it was in Q1 of 2015. Steady as she goes.
Wrap up
Overall, there weren’t a lot of big changes for the App Store and Google Play in Q2 of 2015. Google got some extra downloads while iOS got a little extra revenue. The Entertainment category saw some excitement as did Taiwan. Really, though, everything is pretty much the same and we expect it to remain that way for a while. Change is in the air but it’s slow getting here. If you have any thoughts, let us know in the comments!
Jeb Bush is a big Apple fan apparently
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Living in Australia, I have absolutely no say in who becomes the next President of the United States of America, but if I did, I would probably harbour some interesting emotions towards Republican candidate John Ellis “Jeb” Bush after his latest campaign video. In it, its revealed Jeb Bush is a big Apple fan as he’s asked some binary questions about his “Silicon Valley favorites” and emphatically mentions that he has an iPhone, a MacBook Pro and an Apple Watch. Check out the campaign video below:
The only concession Google gets in the whole video is that Bush is more excited about driverless cars than segways, and frankly who wouldn’t. We realize the point of the video is probably to try and make Bush seem more like one of us, but with 64.9% of Americans owning Android smartphones, 30.9% owning iPhones and just 0.7% owning a Blackberry (Kantar), you start to get the feeling that Bush and his marketing team are still a little bit out of touch with the current times. Or, at the very least, Apple-biased, but we’re willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for now.
What do you think about Jeb Bush’s latest campaign video? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: JebBush via Phone Arena
The post Jeb Bush is a big Apple fan apparently appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Google Play continues to dominate in downloads as video streaming apps surge
As we move into the second half of 2015, App Annie has released their report on the performance of the Google Play and Apple App Store for the 2nd quarter of 2015. No surprises emerged regarding the competition between the two as Google continues to dominate in terms of downloads while the App Store maintains a lead in revenues.
Google actually expanded their lead in downloads pushing to an 85% advantage compared to 70% for the first quarter of 2015. This growth is attributed to Google’s success in emerging markets on the back of inexpensive Android devices. Even with growth in these markets, penetration is still only 30%, so there is still a lot of potential.
For revenue, much of Apple’s growth can be attributed to China which has eclipsed the U.S. in terms of iOS downloads. This helped Apple maintain a 70% edge over Google.
App Annie also noted a couple other changes of interest that occurred during the second quarter. First, they highlight how Taiwan has surged past Germany in terms of Google Play revenue and it is also one of the markets where Google Play revenues exceed the App Store. Much of this explosive growth in Taiwan is due to the Games category.
The other change is impacting both Google Play and the App Store as the Entertainment category continues to surge on the strength of video streaming platforms. Both China and the U.S. are seeing apps like Hulu, HBO Now, Youku and iQIYI Video grow in popularity and capture the interest of smartphone and tablet users. App Annie hints that this may be an early indication that the cord cutting movement is finally gaining some decent traction with viewers.
source: App Annie
via: Android Authority
Come comment on this article: Google Play continues to dominate in downloads as video streaming apps surge
Google Play performance Q2 2015 – Google and Apple gain big from new, emerging markets
It’s about that time of year for the quarterly report by App Annie that tell us how Google Play and the Apple App Store did over the last few months. 2015 was projected to be a big year for both iOS and Android as Android moves into emerging markets and iOS continues to dominate in China. If you want to see some prior stats, you can find those here.
1. Google still leads in downloads, but iOS still leads in revenue
The stats: According to App Annie, Google Play continues to outpace the App Store in app downloads. In fact, they’re doing it so well that they’ve actually increased that gap. Google Play had about 85% more downloads than the App Store. On the other hand, the App Store continues to outpace Google Play in revenue by about 70% and this is about what it was back in Q1.
The takeaway: Both companies have been making some big moves this year. With Android One and cheaper Android smartphones, Google has owned the emerging markets and this has led to far more app downloads. However, any impact this (and growth in general) has made on revenue was totally cancelled out by Apple’s continued growth in China.
2. Taiwan finds out Google Play has games and leaves Germany in the dust
The stats: Google Play’s strength in Germany has been stellar and it’s one of the few places where Google Play outpaces the App Store in revenue. However, over the last quarter, Taiwan apparently figured out that Google Play had games and they have flown passed Germany in revenue generated.
The takeaway: This is a very strong example of what can happen when an emerging market starts taking care of business. It wasn’t long ago we were talking about Taiwan from the perspective that they were new in the Google Play stats world. Now, thanks to some core games such as Fun Plus Game and Shoryuken, the country is now among those that generate the most revenue. It’s also worth mentioning (based on the graphic above), that this growth happened within the last four months which is extremely fast.
3. Cord cutting is making a serious impact in the US and China
The stats: Video streaming apps have made a large impact on revenue in the mobile space, but predominately on iOS thanks again to China. The Entertainment category is also in the top five categories for revenue for the first time on Google Play.
The takeaway: It’s been the long time assumption that when cord cutting became a big thing that we’d see it on mobile. Thanks to its ever present nature, mobile devices and tablets seem like the natural fit for things like Netflix, Hulu, and the Chinese streaming services. Expect this to continue to trend upward as services like HBO NOW, Sling TV, Showtime, CBS All Access, and major sports streaming services (NHL Gamecenter, etc) become more popular.
4. The top categories by total time usage and by session duration
The stats: These are graphs that show two things. The first is “total time used” which shows what categories people spend the overall most time on. The other chart is by session which shows what categories people spend the most time doing at once. Here’s the difference. You may check Facebook 15 times a day for five minutes each totally 45 minutes (total time spent). However, you might watch an episode of a TV show on Netflix which is 30 minutes in a single session.
The takeaway: Once you take a good, hard look at the data, nothing here should surprise anyone. Entertainment includes things like Netflix which people will sit and watch for hours at a time so it makes sense that it tops the charts with the longest sessions. Similarly, Social and Communication make sense because people send texts and check their social media profiles copiously. The interesting part is that Books & Reference make an appearance on Google Play session duration which means people read for longer on Android than iOS. The iOS folks seem to be sticking to Music and Entertainment as per the norm.
5. Top countries for revenue and downloads barely change at all
The stats: Part of these stats show which countries were responsible for the most downloads and the most revenue. For the App Store, it’s been China, the United States, and Japan while on Google, it’s been Japan, the United States, and South Korea. The only notable change was that Taiwan surpassed Germany for Google Play revenue to be fourth overall.
The takeaway: There really isn’t any takeaway here. Steady as she goes because the same names that made a splash in Q1 of 2015 were the ones who continue to dominate Q2 of 2015.
6. …and the same goes for app categories
The stats: These stats show which categories saw the most downloads and obtained the most revenue in Q2 of 2015. There haven’t been many changes with the only notable change being that Entertainment is on the rise in revenue for both iOS and Android.
The takeaway: We discussed the rise of Entertainment earlier as cord cutters become more common and services like Sling TV making the idea more appealing. Other than that, much like the revenue and downloads by country, everything here is pretty much the same as it was in Q1 of 2015. Steady as she goes.
Wrap up
Overall, there weren’t a lot of big changes for the App Store and Google Play in Q2 of 2015. Google got some extra downloads while iOS got a little extra revenue. The Entertainment category saw some excitement as did Taiwan. Really, though, everything is pretty much the same and we expect it to remain that way for a while. Change is in the air but it’s slow getting here. If you have any thoughts, let us know in the comments!
Angela Ahrendts Promises Details on Apple’s ‘Back to School’ Situation Next Week
As we noted earlier this week, Apple has yet to launch its annual “Back to School” promotion that in recent years has launched in early July and offered educational customers free $50-$100 Apple Store or iTunes/App Store gift cards with the purchase of a Mac or iOS device, in addition to the usual educational discount available on some products.
With the usual timeframe having come and gone and no signs of an imminent launch for the promotion, many have speculated Apple has decided to end the long-running program.
According to Consomac.fr [Google Translation], however, Apple retail chief Angela Ahrendts in her latest video message to store employees this week revealed that she will “share a little bit more insight” on the Back to School situation with them in next week’s video.
I’m sure many of you are thinking also ‘but is there anything else for Back to School’? Well, I need you to wait until next week’s video and I’ll share a little bit more insight with you then.
Ahrendts’ comment does not confirm that the usual Back to School promotion will be launching in the near future, but the report notes her “enthusiastic tone” suggests the company will be offering something for customers.
Ahrendts is in Tokyo this week and recorded her weekly message from there, but the reason for her trip is unknown.
MacRumors Giveaway: Win a Telescope for Your iPhone From iCandiApps
For this week’s giveaway, we’ve teamed up with iCandiApps to give two MacRumors readers a chance to win one of the company’s first hardware products – the Night Sky MiniScope.
The Night Sky MiniScope is a telescope that connects to your iPhone and works in conjunction with the Night Sky app to help you gaze at and capture images of celestial bodies like stars and planets. It has offers 50x optical zoom and 500x digital optical zoom when paired with the app.
Priced at $349, the MiniScope comes with a telescope, a tripod, and an iPhone case to connect the device to your phone. It’s compatible with the iPhone 4, 4s, 5, 5c, 5s, 6, and 6 Plus.
Night Sky MiniScope is easy to use, lightweight, small, sturdy, powerful and sublime. Everything you need is supplied in a handcrafted luxurious box. Night Sky MiniScope works seamlessly with the Night Sky stargazing apps.
Locate a celestial object with the Night Sky app and get the perfect image with Night Sky MiniScope.
The Night Sky MiniScope not a tiny device, but it’s small enough that it’s able to be carried in a bag or backpack to be taken on trips and star-viewing excursions. It can capture some impressive photos of the moon and stars.
Moon photo captured with the Night Sky MiniScope
To enter to win one of two Night Sky MiniScopes, use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter your email address. Your email address will not be given to any third party and is used solely for contact purposes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page. Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years of age or older are eligible to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This contest will run from today (July 17) at 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time through 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time on July 24. The winner will be chosen randomly on July 24 and will be contacted by email. The winner has 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address or a new winner will be chosen.
Video Review: The Juiceboxx Keeps Your MacBook Charger Cord From Fraying
For our latest video review, we went hands-on with the Juiceboxx, a MacBook accessory that originated on Kickstarter. Many of us MacBook owners have suffered from a frayed MacBook charger cord, which is a condition that the Juiceboxx aims to prevent.
The Juiceboxx is a small plastic cover that wraps around the bottom of a MacBook charger, with a portion that extends out over the spot where the cord attaches to the power adapter. This keeps that spot from being bent or damaged in a way that could lead to fraying.
The Juiceboxx is available in six colors, including blue, black, white, red, magenta, and teal. There are versions available for all MacBook models, including the 12-inch Retina MacBook, the MacBook Pro, and the MacBook Air. It can be purchased from the Juiceboxx website for $19.99.
Note: MacRumors received no compensation for this review.
Buyer’s Guide: Discounts on iMac, iPad Air 2, Apple Accessories, BioShock Infinite Bundle and More
It’s the middle of summer and we’re in between holidays, so deals this week are not super impressive, unless you’re looking for an older MacBook Air or Retina MacBook Pro. There are some acceptable discounts on the iPad Air 2, but not as good as we’ve seen in the past, and there are also a few models of the iMac available at reasonable prices.
This week, we’ve teamed up with GameAgent to offer MacRumors readers a complete BioShock Infinite bundle at a 75 percent discount, dropping the price to $10. We’ve also rounded up deals on quite a few Apple accessories, including iTunes gift cards and a discount on AppleCare with an iPad purchased from MacMall. As always, we’ve also rounded up a lengthy list of apps and games that are on sale.
iPad Air 2
Best Buy is selling several models of the 128GB Wi-Fi only iPad Air 2 for $70 off, dropping the price to $629.99. The Silver, Gold, and Space Gray models are all on sale.
B&H Photo is offering a small discount on most of its iPad Air 2 models, dropping prices by $30 to $50. With the discount, 64GB model Wi-Fi only model in Space Gray is priced at $564 and the 128GB model in Gold is priced at $659. Prices vary somewhat by model, but there are slight discounts to be had on quite a few of the site’s iPads.
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Apple Objects to GT Advanced’s Financing Plan Following Mesa Fire
Apple is objecting to GT Advanced Technologies’ financing plan over concerns that it would undermine its existing settlement reached with the bankrupt sapphire crystal supplier last year, reports Re/code. GT Advanced reached a settlement with Apple in October 2014 after failing to produce sapphire crystal of the quality desired by the Cupertino-based company for potential use in future products.
GT Advanced is attempting to restructure by raising $95 million through a loan agreement under the supervision of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for New Hampshire, but the financing plan is contingent upon the company receiving enough insurance money to repair any damage to sapphire furnaces following a fire at its former Mesa, Arizona facility a few months ago.
GT Advanced’s inspection equipment damaged in Mesa facility fire last May
Apple argues that GT Advanced already determined damage at the facility to be minimal, adding that the terms of the loan agreement give lenders too much leverage to foreclose on the sapphire furnaces that GT Advanced is supposed to sell in order to repay Apple. A group of GT Advanced shareholders have also reportedly questioned why the company needs to raise money nine months into bankruptcy.
GT Advanced filed for bankruptcy last October after it became clear the company was spending over one million dollars per day to run its operations, despite being unable to produce sapphire acceptably by Apple’s standards. The company began winding down its sapphire production and decommissioning the furnaces to prepare them for storage and resale through the end of last year.
AIVAnet 