iPhone ramp delay; iTunes movies for UK & Canada; WTO complaint

[AppleInsider]

One analyst has tied an Infineon profit warning to "delays" with Apple's 3G iPhone ramp. Meanwhile, the UK and Canadian versions of the iTunes Store will soon serve up feature films. And Apple is among a handful of US companies who've filed a grievance with the WTO over steep European tariffs.

Apple having issues with 3G iPhone ramp?

UBS Investment Research analyst Nicolas Gaudois issued a report to clients on Thursday in which he associated a new profit warning from baseband chip maker Infineon with supposed delays in the manufacturing ramp of Apple's highly anticipated 3G handset.

"In our view the profit warning has been caused by ramp changes of next generation iPhone, into which Infineon is supplying the main High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) chipset," he said. More specifically, he said the delay has resulted in 1.5 million fewer orders for the chipset during Infineon's current quarter.

A spokesperson for chip maker later confirmed the company to have "received lower orders than expected" for certain HSDPA chips destined for a "high-speed Internet phone," but stopped short of specifying the iPhone by name.

While those orders are expected to pick up next quarter, Infineon also said a 1.5 month delay on a "Nokia project" is also to blame for its revenue shortfall.

iTunes movies for UK and Canada

Meanwhile, the TimesOnline is citing "studio sources" as saying that Apple is poised to announce the availability of feature films from four major Hollywood studios through the UK version of its iTunes download service at prices on a par with DVDs.

Those four studios are said to be Disney, Paramount, Twentieth Century Fox, and Time Warner. It's reported that films from the four studios will be available for both rent and outright purchase, though an exact launch date has yet to be finalized.

A couple of smaller studios, including independents Lions Gate and MGM, may also soon sign similar deals, according to the Times. The report adds that Canada is expected to be grouped into the distribution agreements, likely seeing its own iTunes movie download service launched in conjunction with the UK.

Apple petitions the WTO

Finally, Apple is among a group of high-tech US firms that filed a complaint Wednesday with the World Trade Organization over European tariffs on three categories of high-tech goods, including flat-panel computer displays and some printers.

The taxes are as high as 14 percent in some cases, making US exports less competitive in the European Union, the Information Technology Industry Council argues.

Having received the complaint, the WTO now initiates a 60-day consultation period with the European Union, after which the US may ask a WTO panel to rule on the matter.

Specifically, the US is charging the EU with violating a 1996 WTO agreement that was supposed to eliminated tariffs on information technology equipment, such as flat-panel displays. But the EU argues that flat-panels can also be used for portable DVD players, not just computers, and are therefore exempt from the the 1996 Information Technology Agreement.

The EU further claims that it has the right to charge duties on other pieces of technology equipment, such as cable boxes that access the Internet, because those pieces of technology were conceived after the 1996 agreement.

The EU has offered to negotiate; the US has refused.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[solipsism]

Hopefully we'll get less bellyaching about Apple's pricing in the EU.

[Royboy]

Originally Posted by solipsism

Hopefully we'll get less bellyaching about Apple's pricing in the EU.

So now we know the rest of the story. A little protectionism.

The taxes are as high as 14 percent in some cases, making US exports less competitive in the European Union, the Information Technology Industry Council argues.

[hdasmith]

The taxes are as high as 14 percent in some cases, making US exports less competitive in the European Union, the Information Technology Industry Council argues.

Here in the UK (which is part of the EU) VAT stands at 17.5%!

[studiomusic]

But these are tariffs in addition to VAT.

[number9]

No one has confirmed that Infineon is supplying the baseband chip for the new iPhone, so is it possible that the unexpectedly low orders pertain to the ramping down of the current iPhone?? I don't know what else there is for baseband chips available that would suit Apple's needs, but it's a possibility that they are using some thing else.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by hdasmith

Here in the UK (which is part of the EU) VAT stands at 17.5%!

If I'm not mistaken, the 14% is an import tax for the distributor prior to the VAT being added at the consumer end.

[Royboy]

Originally Posted by hdasmith

Here in the UK (which is part of the EU) VAT stands at 17.5%!

The EU is not the only one that does this. Even the USA, who lambastes other nations for protectionism, does the same thing for favored industries.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by number9

No one has confirmed that Infineon is supplying the baseband chip for the new iPhone...

The only 3G radio evidence we have is the S-GOLD3H code in the iPhone v2.0 software.

[gigi]

Hope the film for Canada will offer the french version. Like all DVD here.

I know the iPhone and iPod Touch support multi language film ;-)

[aegisdesign]

Originally Posted by solipsism

Hopefully we'll get less bellyaching about Apple's pricing in the EU.

Wanna bet?

The EU/US trade dispute is, from what I gather, over what constitutes a technology product (computer, monitor etc) and what constitutes a consumer electronics product.

It's all pretty silly really when both the EU and the US have sold their arses to China anyway.


Nice to see movies are coming to the UK. Perhaps now Apple will reduce the price of AppleTV like they did in the US for the 'Take 2' version, which they still haven't done here despite us having very little incentive to buy one. It's still £199 inc VAT here, as it's always been, for the 40GB model when it's $229 (£115ex VAT) in the USA.

They could really do with a BBC iPlayer plugin for it though. Even just being able to download the iPhone compatible quicktime versions would make it immensly useful.

[Bageljoey]

Interesting...
The rumor of a rumor of an iPhone delay caused a steep (though short lived) decline in Apple's stock. This "news" has produced barely a hickup...

[Jensonb]

Disney films on iTunes = Jensonb VERY happy.

Gonna buy me some Cars...Among other things.

[nagromme]

Assuming they ARE supplying iPhone parts, their statement about "received lower orders than expected" does not prove anything about Apple somehow delaying or cutting back orders... it could simply mean the company falsely EXPECTED Apple to order more than actually happened. A bad guess by a company other than Apple would explain such a shortfall just as well as some actual scaling-back by Apple.

[tadunne]

Lets talk pricing (uk)..

It will be interesting how competitive they will be. DVD price in the UK have gotten very competitive. £10-15 for new releases £4-7 for older titles and some low as £3 for less popular ones.

So I would hope for £14.99 for new and £5.99 for older on itunes?

Judging by some of the prices on the TV store the prices will be similar to (RETAIL) Dvd prices ?

I'm guessing rental prices will be £2.99 for older titles £3.99 for new? and hopefully not £4.99 for HD? better prices would be £2.50, £3.50 and £3.99? and I hope they do a 99p movie of the week like the US store!?

and the Apple TV needs to be £150 at the most, Steve you listening?

[anantksundaram]

Originally Posted by Royboy

The EU is not the only one that does this. Even the USA, who lambastes other nations for protectionism, does the same thing for favored industries.

Get serious. The breadth and depth of tariff and subsidy protections that EU governments dole out to local industries is at a totally different level compared to what the US does. (Granted, the current administration did some pretty dumb things -- notably with steel and lumber -- but those are truly exceptions, not the norm when it comes to US trade policy.)

That is just a well-known fact.

[Royboy]

Originally Posted by anantksundaram

Get serious. The breadth and depth of tariff and subsidy protections that EU governments dole out to local industries is at a totally different level compared to what the US does. (Granted, the current administration did some pretty dumb things -- notably with steel and lumber -- but those are truly exceptions, not the norm when it comes to US trade policy.)

That is just a well-known fact.

According to who? Or according to you?

[aegisdesign]

Originally Posted by anantksundaram

Get serious. The breadth and depth of tariff and subsidy protections that EU governments dole out to local industries is at a totally different level compared to what the US does. (Granted, the current administration did some pretty dumb things -- notably with steel and lumber -- but those are truly exceptions, not the norm when it comes to US trade policy.)

That is just a well-known fact.

Yep...

http://www.oxfam.org/en/news/pressre...ubsidies_truth

Totally different level compared to the US

[Royboy]

Originally Posted by aegisdesign

Yep...

http://www.oxfam.org/en/news/pressre...ubsidies_truth

Totally different level compared to the US

The US definitely has its farmers (especially the large agro-business corps) on a form of "corporate welfare or dole".

[nasdarq]

Originally Posted by aegisdesign

It's all pretty silly really when both the EU and the US have sold their arses to China anyway.

So true.

[nasdarq]

Originally Posted by anantksundaram

Get serious. The breadth and depth of tariff and subsidy protections that EU governments dole out to local industries is at a totally different level compared to what the US does. (Granted, the current administration did some pretty dumb things -- notably with steel and lumber -- but those are truly exceptions, not the norm when it comes to US trade policy.)

That is just a well-known fact.

If by "fact" you mean the spin given to the issue by the White House (which always conveniently forgets the exorbitant US subsidies), then you have indeed stated a well-known fact

[Bageljoey]

Originally Posted by nasdarq

If by "fact" you mean the spin given to the issue by the White House (which always conveniently forgets the exorbitant US subsidies), then you have indeed stated a well-known fact

You didn't know that spin by the White House is always factual? How naive of you.

[nasdarq]

Who needs facts these days anyway? Most people are just too lazy to make up their own mind.

Back to the relevant topic, so when is the new iPhone coming? Is 9 June definitely off? Or is it going to be announced then, with delivery starting around 30th?