Analysts Predict Flat iPad Sales for Q3 2014, Slight Increase in iPhone Sales

Six months after the launch of the iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPad Air and Retina iPad mini, analysts are expecting a slight rise in iPhone sales from last year, with little growth in sales of the iPad, according to new reports from Philip Elmer-Dewitt of Fortune.

Q3 2014 iPhone sales estimates from 15 Wall Street professionals and 11 amateurs range from 31.8 million to 42 million, averaging 35.88 million. During the year-ago quarter, Apple saw 31.24 million iPhone sales, and the estimated year-over-year change is 4.64 million or 14.85 percent growth.

Q3 2014 iPad sales estimates from the 26 analysts range from 12.3 million to 16 million, averaging 14.43 million. During the year-ago quarter, Apple saw 14.62 million iPad sales, and the estimated year-over-year change is -0.19 million, or a slight -1.27 percent decline, which may not be as dramatic as the dip in sales during Q2 2014.

Did sales bounce back in Q3? The 26 analysts Fortune polled are almost evenly divided on the question, with slightly more expecting iPad sales to be lower this quarter than they were the same quarter last year.

The average estimate — 14.35 million — suggests that iPad sales were down sequentially and flat year over year. But behind that average is a rather wide range, from a high of 16 million (submitted by Asymco’s Horace Dediu and Hilliard’s Stephen Turner) to a low of 12.26 million (from Canaccord’s T. Michael Walkley).

Thus far in 2014, Apple has not released new iPad or iPhone models. The company is expected to launch several new devices in the fall, however, including the iPhone 6 and updated models of the iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina Display, which will lead to much stronger sales later in the year.

Apple will announce its earnings for the third fiscal quarter (second calendar quarter) of 2014 on Tuesday, July 22. The earnings release is posted just after 4:30 PM ET following the close of regular stock trading, and the conference call is scheduled to follow at 5:00 PM Eastern / 2:00 PM Pacific.

Buyer’s Guide Accessory Discounts: Mini Jambox, Sony QX10, Apple Smart Covers, and More [iOS Blog]

Along with several Mac deals and an array of iPhone discounts from Best Buy, multiple companies are offering discounts on various iOS accessories, including the Mini Jambox, Griffin Survivor cases, the Sony QX10 iPhone camera accessory, and Apple Smart Covers and cables.

Jawbone’s newest Mini Jambox can be purchased for $99 via Groupon, which is $30 off the standard price from Jawbone. It’s available in Blue Diamond, Silver Dot, and Graphite Facet. The standard sized Jambox is also available at a discounted price of $89 on Groupon.

Apple Smart Covers for the iPad 2, 3, and 4 can be purchased for $19.99 via Groupon, a discount of $20 off the standard price.

Sony’s DSC-QX10 18-megapixel camera lens that connects to an iPhone via Bluetooth can be purchased through Dealtek on Ebay for $169.99, a discount of $28.

CableJive, a site that sells cables and adapters for iOS devices, is currently offering a 20% discount site-wide with the code “Neverwinter.” The sale will last through July 21. Lifeproof is also offering a 25% discount on several products on the Lifeproof website.

Scosche’s retractable strikeLine Pro Lightning cable can also be purchased for half off through Woot, with a single cable available for $12.99 or two for $19.99.

Standard Apple adapters are on sale at Walmart, with the retailer offering the Lightning to 30-pin adapter for $35 and the Lightning to Digital AV adapter for $43.37. Walmart is also selling the World Travel adapter kit for $33.

Groupon is offering a deal on Griffin Survivor Justice League cases for the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 5s, selling them for $15.99, a significant discount off the regular $60 price tag.

MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors.

Buyer’s Guide: Discounts on MacBook Air, Retina MacBook Pro, AppleCare, and More [Mac Blog]

There are some solid deals on Apple’s Retina MacBook Pro this week, as well as some decent deals on the iMac, the MacBook Air, and AppleCare.

Retina MacBook Pro

Like last week, multiple retailers are offering $100 to $150 off most Retina MacBook Pro models. The 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro with 4GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage is $1,199 at Adorama and B&H Photo. The 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage is $1,399 at Adorama and B&H Photo. The lower-end 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro with 8GB of memory and 256GB of storage is $1,849.99 at Amazon, Adorama, and B&H Photo, while the higher-end model with 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage is $2,449 at Amazon, Adorama, and B&H Photo.

iMac

There are some small discounts on the iMac this week, with both Adorama and B&H Photo offering the 21.5-inch iMac with 8GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive for $1,349, a savings of $150 off the standard price. Adorama and B&H are also offering the 27-inch 3.2GHz iMac with 8GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive for $1,679.99 and the two sites also have the higher-end 27-inch 3.4Ghz iMac for $1,879.99 (B&H, Adorama).

MacBook Air

There aren’t many MacBook Air deals this week, but both Adorama and B&H Photo are offering the 13-inch model with 4GB of RAM and 256GB of storage for $1,099.99, a savings of $100.

Buying from Adorama and B&H Photo gives the benefit of no sales tax in many states, as these two stores only charge tax in New York/New Jersey and New York, respectively.

AppleCare

B&H Photo is offering several discounts on AppleCare this week. The AppleCare Protection Plan for the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro and the 15-inch MacBook Pro is available for $244, $105 off Apple’s regular price.

The AppleCare Protection Plan for the MacBook Air and the 13-inch Retina Macbook Pro is available for $174, $75 off Apple’s regular price.

The AppleCare Protection Plan for the Mac Pro is available for $174, $75 off Apple’s regular price, while the AppleCare Protection Plan for the iMac is available for $129, $40 off Apple’s regular price.

Before making a purchase of a Mac or iOS device, make sure to consult our Buyer’s Guide to find out if it’s a good time to buy. For example, because the MacBook Air was updated in April, the Buyer’s Guide indicates that now is a good time to purchase.

MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors.

Best Buy Offers Free iHome Speaker With $0 Down iPhone Purchase, Other Deals [iOS Blog]

Best Buy is offering several deals on the iPhone throughout the end of July, beginning with a $100 discount on the 16GB Verizon iPhone 5s, which is available now through Saturday, July 26. Verizon’s iPhone 5s is typically priced at $199 at Best Buy.

Beginning on Sunday, July 20, Best Buy will be offering a free iHome portable speaker (a $299 value) for any customer who purchases an iPhone with $0 down using monthly installment plans from various carriers including AT&T Next, Verizon Edge, or Sprint Easy Pay at a Best Buy Mobile specialty store location.

Customers who purchase a phone using one of these plans will be given a code to redeem for the speaker, which will be sent to their home address. Best Buy’s speaker deal lasts through Saturday, July 26.

Best Buy is also offering a $200 Best Buy gift card with the purchase of any open box iPhone (4s, 5, or 5s) on AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint with a two-year activation. The gift card can be used towards the smartphone purchase. Open box phones are available in Best Buy stores, Best Buy Mobile Specialty Stores and on BestBuy.com. This deal lasts through August 2.

Finally, Best Buy is giving select iPhone buyers a $100 Best Buy gift card with purchase, both in-store and online. The gift card is available for the following models on AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon: 8GB iPhone 4s ($1.00), 32GB iPhone 5c ($199), and 64GB iPhone 5s ($350). Either a two-year contract or a $0 down monthly billing plan with AT&T Next, Verizon Edge, or Sprint Easy Pay is required.

EU Finds Apple Lacking in Efforts to Address In-App Payment Issues

The European Commission announced today that Apple has not adequately addressed the issue of unauthorized in-app purchases, providing “no concrete and immediate solutions” to the problem, reports Reuters. This subject of in-app purchases within free apps was the focus of a recent EU investigation following complaints from several consumer groups in European Union member countries.

Apple said in a statement that it would address these concerns, but failed to disclose when and how it would make any necessary changes.

Apple takes great pride in leading the industry in parental controls that are incredibly easy to use and help ensure a great experience for parents and children on the App Store. The parental controls in iOS are strong, intuitive and customizable. And over the last year we made sure any app which enables customers to make in-app purchases is clearly marked. We’ve also created a Kids Section on the App Store with even stronger protections to cover apps designed for children younger than 13.

These controls go far beyond the features of others in the industry. But we are always working to strengthen the protections we have in place, and we’re adding great new features with iOS 8, such as Ask to Buy, giving parents even more control over what their kids can buy on the App Store.

Our goal is to continue to provide the best experience for our customers and we will continue to work with the EC member states to respond to their concerns.

Apple faces legal action from European Union member countries if it is found to be in violation of the EU consumer protection law. The company currently is being investigated by Italy’s Antitrust and Competition Authority, which is reviewing in-app purchasing policies for apps that are labeled as “free.” Apple faced similar scrutiny in the US, recently settling with the FTC in an agreement that provided $32 million in refunds to parents whose children purchased unauthorized in-app items.

Apple’s lawyers had tattled on Google to the FTC in an effort to point out that Apple was not alone in experiencing issues with unauthorized in-app purchases by children, but the EU today praised Google for its changes to address the problem, including moves to ban the use of the word “free” when referring to apps with in-app purchases.

Apple has implemented a series of changes in recent versions of iOS that prevent errant in-app purchases. iOS now requires users to enter their passcode before initiating an in-app purchase, notifies consumers before an in-app purchase is made and obtains express consent from consumers before billing them for an in-app purchase. More recently, Apple added an “Offers In-App Purchases” disclosure to app detail pages and inserted an “In-App Purchases” label for apps listed in its featured Top App Charts

Amazon Officially Announces ‘Kindle Unlimited’ E-book and Audiobook Subscription Service

Following the premature posting of information about the program, Amazon today officially announced Kindle Unlimited, a new e-book and audiobook subscription service that provides unlimited access to 600,000 Kindle titles and thousands of Audible audiobooks for $9.99 per month. Subscribers can access the content on any Kindle device or via the Kindle app on the iPad, iPhone or Mac.

The Kindle Unlimited service includes high-profile Kindle titles such as The Hobbit and the Harry Potter series as well as popular audiobooks like The Hunger Games trilogy and Life of Pi. The service includes popular Kindle features including Highlights, X-Ray and Whispersync for Voice, which allows users to switch between listening and reading a book without losing their place.

Amazon is offering Kindle Unlimited with a 30-day free trial that also includes a free three-month membership to the full Audible service with access to more than 150,000 audiobooks. After this trial period is over, subscribers must pay $9.99 per month for the Kindle Unlimited service and can opt to continue the additional Audible membership for $14.95 per month.

Photos of Construction Material Hint at Scale of Apple’s Spaceship Campus [Mac Blog]

Construction at Apple’s “Spaceship” Campus has been progressing at a rapid pace in the past few months, as the company most recently began putting up the outer walls and laying roadwork. Now, iFun.de (Google Translate) shares new photos of the steel and glass material that will be used for the campus’ facade, which are being provided by German company Josef Gartner GmbH.

Construction material for Apple’s Spaceship Campus tested by Josef Gartner
The images show the steel and glass components being tested by Josef Gartner outside of its premises, and could hint at the scale of Apple’s new Campus 2 building upon completion. The building will have a circular, multi-story structure surrounded by greenery, additional buildings, performance stages, a fountain, and more.

A concept image of what the front of Apple’s Spaceship Campus will look like
Apple’s Campus 2 project will be constructed in two phases, with the first phase finishing up by 2016 and including a 2.8 million square-foot ring-shaped central building, an underground parking facility, a 100,000 square foot fitness center, and a 120,000 square foot auditorium. Meanwhile, the second phase of construction will take place after 2016 and include an additional 600,000 square feet of office, research and development buildings as well as an additional parking structure with 1,740 spaces.

Upcoming Apple Store in Hanover, Germany Likely Opening in September [Mac Blog]

Apple’s upcoming retail store in Hanover, Germany may finally open in late September, reports iFun.de (Google Translate) citing sources close to Apple’s retail team in the region. The report notes that Apple has had to fix a number of problems with the building to be used for the store, including physical defects, mold, and ventilation issues.

Apple’s upcoming retail store in Hanover, Germany covered by barricades
According to iFun, it is also possible that the store could open to the public on September 19, which has been rumored to be the launch date for the iPhone 6. Apple originally put up its traditional black barricades for the location back in April 2013, as images showing progress on the store surfaced this past March. The layout of the Hanover store will also be similar to the Apple Store Opéra in Paris, France, which has become known as one of the company’s most visually appealing locations.

During its financial results conference call for the third quarter of 2013, Apple announced that it would be building over 30 new stores in fiscal 2014, with 2/3 of those stores being built outside of the United States. Some of those openings have included the Apple Store Zorlu Center in Turkey, the Apple Store VillageMall in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and the Apple Store Kurfürstendamm, Berlin, Germany.