Apple could use 'a Siri-like moment' at next week's iPhone event, Barclays says
Apple needs to introduce another "wow" element with its new iPhones, says British financial services company Barclays, if the company wants to really differentiate its smartphones from the competition and reignite investor interest.
The 2011 unveiling of Apple's virtual assistant Siri alongside Apple's iPhone 4S "generated a flurry of consumer interest, making the first two quarters of the 4S upgrade cycle much stronger than expected," analyst Ben A. Reitzes said in a note to investors this week. The Cupertino-based company, which is expected to unveil its new iPhones on Tuesday, "could really use a 'Siri-like' moment right now" in order to pump more life into its shares, Reitzes said.
While he doesn't dismiss the possibility outright, Reitzes doesn't seem confident of such a moment, saying that the event is "so well telegraphed" that real movement in Apple shares would more likely be sparked by the "scope and velocity of a new China strategy and any new features within iOS 7 and fingerprint scanner technology."
Apple has already announced a September 11 event for Chinese journalists, coming just 10 hours after the stateside media event. Observers note that the iPhone maker's ongoing talks with China Mobile ? that nation's largest carrier, with some 700 million customers ? may have resulted in a deal between the two firms in which China Mobile will finally carry the iPhone.
Apple is also thought to have built fingerprint scanning technology into the next generation of iPhone. Apple bought embedded security company AuthenTec last year, and recent image leaks appear to show elements of the iOS home button with scanning technology built in. Should such technology be featured in the next iPhone, the report says, it could have a wide range of applications, from simple phone security to a secure mobile payment system with Apple's iTunes at its center.
Barclays is more optimistic on the possibility of "wow factor" devices making an appearance in 2014. Though the report says Apple already "missed the trend toward larger screened phones" like Samsung's Galaxy Note 3, the firm sees Retina-enabled iPad minis and the ever-rumored larger-screened iPhones showing up some time in the next year, as well as possibly a larger form factor for the iPad or a convertible device.
Barclays' report finishes on an optimistic note, predicting that "Apple's growth rate is set to improve with new product cycles" and forecasting as much as 20 million iPhones sold per month in the December quarter. The firm estimates Q413 earnings per share of $7.50, a two percent year over year revenue decline to $35.4 billion. The firm sees earnings per share at $13.07 for the first quarter of fiscal 2014.
The 2011 unveiling of Apple's virtual assistant Siri alongside Apple's iPhone 4S "generated a flurry of consumer interest, making the first two quarters of the 4S upgrade cycle much stronger than expected," analyst Ben A. Reitzes said in a note to investors this week. The Cupertino-based company, which is expected to unveil its new iPhones on Tuesday, "could really use a 'Siri-like' moment right now" in order to pump more life into its shares, Reitzes said.
While he doesn't dismiss the possibility outright, Reitzes doesn't seem confident of such a moment, saying that the event is "so well telegraphed" that real movement in Apple shares would more likely be sparked by the "scope and velocity of a new China strategy and any new features within iOS 7 and fingerprint scanner technology."
Apple has already announced a September 11 event for Chinese journalists, coming just 10 hours after the stateside media event. Observers note that the iPhone maker's ongoing talks with China Mobile ? that nation's largest carrier, with some 700 million customers ? may have resulted in a deal between the two firms in which China Mobile will finally carry the iPhone.
Apple is also thought to have built fingerprint scanning technology into the next generation of iPhone. Apple bought embedded security company AuthenTec last year, and recent image leaks appear to show elements of the iOS home button with scanning technology built in. Should such technology be featured in the next iPhone, the report says, it could have a wide range of applications, from simple phone security to a secure mobile payment system with Apple's iTunes at its center.
Barclays is more optimistic on the possibility of "wow factor" devices making an appearance in 2014. Though the report says Apple already "missed the trend toward larger screened phones" like Samsung's Galaxy Note 3, the firm sees Retina-enabled iPad minis and the ever-rumored larger-screened iPhones showing up some time in the next year, as well as possibly a larger form factor for the iPad or a convertible device.
Barclays' report finishes on an optimistic note, predicting that "Apple's growth rate is set to improve with new product cycles" and forecasting as much as 20 million iPhones sold per month in the December quarter. The firm estimates Q413 earnings per share of $7.50, a two percent year over year revenue decline to $35.4 billion. The firm sees earnings per share at $13.07 for the first quarter of fiscal 2014.
Comments
More condscending analyst pap.
We should care what a representative of the industry that almost destroyed America thinks?
Barclays is so incompetent as to be laughable.
The lead speaker at the Samsung watch introduction (I think he was the CEO) actually said "one more thing" deliberately ripping off Jobs. Samsung is a company that exists because of stolen ideas, designs and now...catchphrases.
Oops, forgot to read previous articles and other news sites... Re. China's event 8 hrs later
(the one titled "Apple to hold separate iPhone event in China on Sept. 11")
Or a gag order for stupid analysts.
Oh, SHUT UP, you worthless whore. Maybe you idiotic analysts have forgotten, but when the 4S was released and Siri was showcased, you all said "HURR THAT'S IT THAT'S NOT SPECIAL HURR".
Also, 14 days until we can properly laugh at the idiots from last year's "travesty".
Showmanship and drama? Sure.
"One more thing"? Nope. Using the same techniques that worked for Jobs is likely to be a disaster. It leads to travesties like Samsung's use of "one more thing" in their announcement earlier this week. That simply shows lack of originality.
They do not take into account that the market cannot handle a continuously changing playing-field, innovation needs to mature before accepting the "next big thing". Apple was never known to continually change the market, they're known to bring innovative products once every 7 years or so:
- Apple II (1977)
- Apple Macintosh (1984), 7years
- Apple Newton (1993), 9 years
- Apple iPod (2001), 8 years
- Apple iPhone (2007), 6 years
- Apple iPad (2010), 3 years. IPad and iPhone were from the same product concept.
I would expect a new "earth shattering" product from Apple in no less that 4 years. Consumers and software developers are just beginning to get used to multi-touch tablets and phones, any new product launch that challenges this evolving field will be deemed as "premature" or "ahead of its time" and may face limited adoption.
His attitude is one of the reasons that businesses fail today. Instead of trying to drive growth through long-term growth, they sacrifice long-term value generation in order to drive stock value up in the short-term. Such strategies can destroy a company.
Larger screen phones are not a trend. I want a phone that fits nicely into my pocket. Get a tablet for a bigger screen!
I'm so tired of reading geeky comments the new iPhone has to do this or I'm getting this android phone. Really, ok then go find out how crappy battery life is.
Last year apple introduced the fastest smart phone. Isn't it enough that apple packs more punch into a sleeker, thinner package than the rest? That's no small feat. That's harder to do than to make it bigger so you can make it faster.
All apple needs is what it already has, the highest customer satisfaction rating. That shows apple has the best real world use experience. That's what matters. And iOS 7 will take things a step forward.
Siri can talk in more realistic voices now in iOS 7, male or female, and works much faster. Id like to hear Siri tell Barclays to sit down and shut up.
Or just tell AI to stop giving these twits a platform to shill for themselves.
When it's September 10 during the Apple event in California, it'll be September 11 in China, folks. There is no "China specific event". It's the same product introductions in Chinese.
The China event is scheduled for 10 am local time there, which does not coincide with the US event.