Analyst predicts new Apple Pencil, 'low-end' $200 HomePod this fall

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware
Although early HomePod orders appear to be doing well, Apple could ship a "low-end" model this fall costing between $150 and $200 instead of the current model's $349, an analyst said Friday in an investor memo seen by AppleInsider.




"Loooking at the success of Amazon's Echo products we believe demand could exceed 10 million units this calendar year," wrote Rosenblatt Securities' Jun Zhang. Apple is forecast to ship about 6 million units of the full-size product.

Zhang didn't propose what features a second HomePod model might have, but much of Amazon's success can be attributed to the Echo Dot, which sacrifices built-in sound quality in exchange for a $40-50 pricetag, about half the cost of a full-size Echo. The difference makes it practical to equip multiple rooms with Amazon's Alexa voice assistant.

A cheaper HomePod would offer a similar benefit for Siri, but Apple might not be willing to sacrifice sound. The company has touted the product as a speaker first and AI platform second, focuing its marketing on technologies like beamforming, room correction, and the use of seven tweeters plus a dedicated woofer.

Separately, Zhang supported the idea that Apple's 2018 lineup will include things like a faster iPhone SE and an iPad Pro with a TrueDepth camera. He also suggested the possibility of a (Product)Red iPhone 8 Plus, with estimated shipments around 3 million.

"We do not expect a red iPhone X model since the metal frame is too challenging to paint," Zhang wrote.

Unusually, the analyst predicted a new Apple Pencil, not just for the iPad Pro but for a rumored 6.5-inch "iPhone X Plus." Giving the device a stylus might put it in more direct competition with Samsung's Galaxy Note series.

It is unclear where or how Zhang is sourcing his predictions.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 59
    This is crap.  That is not the market Apple cares about and they are going to outsell Amazon in 1.5 years. 
    netmagewatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 59
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member

    It is unclear where or how Zhang is sourcing his predictions.

    Let me hazard a guess. 

    His bottom. 

    Every paragraph, every last syllable was sourced, without reference or review by his colleagues and peers, from his bottom. 

    “We do not expect a red iPhoneX model since the metal frame is too challenging to paint.”

    Oh good grief.  
    netmageking editor the gratechiarandominternetpersoncolinngchasmwatto_cobraStrangeDays
  • Reply 3 of 59
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    This is crap.  That is not the market Apple cares about and they are going to outsell Amazon in 1.5 years. 
    There's nothing shocking about this "news." It's exactly how Apple works.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 59
    I doubt the veracity of this article. Apple has staked out the high quality sound end of the market with Siri functionality. Creating a smaller version would require a very different strategy and approach. Amazon sells cheap Echos because they want people to leverage Amazon services. However, after a few weeks of the novelty wearing off, most people use these devices to listen to music and get the weather. 

    I also doubt that a stylus will be made for the iPhone. The stylus makes sense for the iPad Pro because the advanced functionality for writing, notes, drawing, etc. demand a high precision device. You don't need it for pointers and writing on a phone sized screen is not easy or natural. 

    Just because the market is doing something doesn't mean that Apple is going to follow. There has to be real world functional use cases, not just features in search of a solution. 
    watto_cobraStrangeDays
  • Reply 5 of 59
    The predictions about the iPhone SE and iPad are much more plausible than the rest of this silliness.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 59
    lukeilukei Posts: 379member
    This is total horsesh1t

    how much do these guys get paid for spouting this nonsense?
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 59
    I was set to buy a HomePod, but I need to say that as many of the reviews come in I am really hesitant now. Apparently there's no distinction of different people for voice recognition; if linked to your personal accounts then anyone can read back your texts. And if I understand it correctly, AirPlay connections are constantly broken.

    Not to mention the total ecosystem lock-in. I use Apple's iTunes and Music Match for 95% of my stuff but it would be nice to be able to use Spotify, Google Play, etc.

    The sound quality seems like a real achievement however.
  • Reply 8 of 59
    macguimacgui Posts: 2,350member
    lmasanti said:
    Sites need news. But with this kind of news… they will lose its readers!
    Um, no. People will respond just to decry the accuracy of the latest rumor.


    theLedger said:
    I also doubt that a stylus will be made for the iPhone. The stylus makes sense for the iPad Pro because the advanced functionality for writing, notes, drawing, etc. demand a high precision device. You don't need it for pointers and writing on a phone sized screen is not easy or natural. 
    Well, it just might be, especially if you're an old school journalist or cop. Or at least easily overcome with the right tool.

    I've known a few of the former and a great many of the latter and a small notebook in your breast pocket was (for journalists) and is (for cops) part of the daily kit. Now phones have replaced notebooks in some instances, and bigger phones make 'writing' much easier. A plus-size phone and Apple Pencil (and decent handwriting recognition could prove more efficient that tapping a virtual keyboard.

    Not that Apple is going to do this, but I see the concept as viable.
    king editor the grate
  • Reply 9 of 59
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    theLedger said:
    I doubt the veracity of this article. Apple has staked out the high quality sound end of the market with Siri functionality. Creating a smaller version would require a very different strategy and approach. Amazon sells cheap Echos because they want people to leverage Amazon services. However, after a few weeks of the novelty wearing off, most people use these devices to listen to music and get the weather. 

    I also doubt that a stylus will be made for the iPhone. The stylus makes sense for the iPad Pro because the advanced functionality for writing, notes, drawing, etc. demand a high precision device. You don't need it for pointers and writing on a phone sized screen is not easy or natural. 

    Just because the market is doing something doesn't mean that Apple is going to follow. There has to be real world functional use cases, not just features in search of a solution. 
    Name a product category where Apple hasn't started at a higher end for a given market and then worked their way down into the more accessible tiers? Even this article mentions the iPhone SE.
  • Reply 10 of 59
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,153member
    Soli said:
    theLedger said:
    I doubt the veracity of this article. Apple has staked out the high quality sound end of the market with Siri functionality. Creating a smaller version would require a very different strategy and approach. Amazon sells cheap Echos because they want people to leverage Amazon services. However, after a few weeks of the novelty wearing off, most people use these devices to listen to music and get the weather. 

    I also doubt that a stylus will be made for the iPhone. The stylus makes sense for the iPad Pro because the advanced functionality for writing, notes, drawing, etc. demand a high precision device. You don't need it for pointers and writing on a phone sized screen is not easy or natural. 

    Just because the market is doing something doesn't mean that Apple is going to follow. There has to be real world functional use cases, not just features in search of a solution. 
    Name a product category where Apple hasn't started at a higher end for a given market and then worked their way down into the more accessible tiers? Even this article mentions the iPhone SE.
    ....and I believe a HomePod Mini will rear its head before another year goes by. 
  • Reply 11 of 59
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    gatorguy said:
    Soli said:
    theLedger said:
    I doubt the veracity of this article. Apple has staked out the high quality sound end of the market with Siri functionality. Creating a smaller version would require a very different strategy and approach. Amazon sells cheap Echos because they want people to leverage Amazon services. However, after a few weeks of the novelty wearing off, most people use these devices to listen to music and get the weather. 

    I also doubt that a stylus will be made for the iPhone. The stylus makes sense for the iPad Pro because the advanced functionality for writing, notes, drawing, etc. demand a high precision device. You don't need it for pointers and writing on a phone sized screen is not easy or natural. 

    Just because the market is doing something doesn't mean that Apple is going to follow. There has to be real world functional use cases, not just features in search of a solution. 
    Name a product category where Apple hasn't started at a higher end for a given market and then worked their way down into the more accessible tiers? Even this article mentions the iPhone SE.
    ....and I believe a HomePod Mini will rear its head before another year goes by. 
    1) But Apple has never used "mini" to describe a more affordable product. /s

    2) I'd love for the kitchen, bathrooms, and bedrooms to be able to replace the Amazon Echos and Echo Dots, but that's not going to happen if Siri is still anemic when these products eventually launch. $200 is still a high for an alarm clock, "clock radio," and white noise machine in the bedroom, but it's doable. Even those the HomePod will seem tiny to most at fist glance, it's still huge for a nightstand. In the kitchen, if it can't do more than one timer at a time and you can't name the timers it's not a kitchen option, despite the reviews showing it being used in that environment. I'm hoping that we only have to wait for WWDC 2018 for a proper App Store (PodKit?). 
    edited February 2018
  • Reply 12 of 59

    ""We do not expect a red iPhone X model since the metal frame is too challenging to paint," Zhang wrote."

    The back of the iPhone X, like the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, is coloured glass (space grey or silver), so it should be no problem for Apple to make a red glass back for the iPhone X as easily as they can do it for the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus.

    edited February 2018 StrangeDays
  • Reply 13 of 59
    tmaytmay Posts: 6,293member
    Soli said:
    gatorguy said:
    Soli said:
    theLedger said:
    I doubt the veracity of this article. Apple has staked out the high quality sound end of the market with Siri functionality. Creating a smaller version would require a very different strategy and approach. Amazon sells cheap Echos because they want people to leverage Amazon services. However, after a few weeks of the novelty wearing off, most people use these devices to listen to music and get the weather. 

    I also doubt that a stylus will be made for the iPhone. The stylus makes sense for the iPad Pro because the advanced functionality for writing, notes, drawing, etc. demand a high precision device. You don't need it for pointers and writing on a phone sized screen is not easy or natural. 

    Just because the market is doing something doesn't mean that Apple is going to follow. There has to be real world functional use cases, not just features in search of a solution. 
    Name a product category where Apple hasn't started at a higher end for a given market and then worked their way down into the more accessible tiers? Even this article mentions the iPhone SE.
    ....and I believe a HomePod Mini will rear its head before another year goes by. 
    1) But Apple has never used "mini" to describe a more affordable product. /s

    2) I'd love for the kitchen, bathrooms, and bedrooms to be able to replace the Amazon Echos and Echo Dots, but that's not going to happen if Siri is still anemic when these products eventually launch. $200 is still a high for an alarm clock, "clock radio," and white noise machine in the bedroom, but it's doable. Even those the HomePod will seem tiny to most at fist glance, it's still huge for a nightstand. In the kitchen, if it can't do more than one timer at a time and you can't name the timers it's not a kitchen option, despite the reviews showing it being used in that environment. I'm hoping that we only have to wait for WWDC 2018 for a proper App Store (PodKit?). 
    HomePod will be a billion dollar business in a year, no matter the anemic Siri. Building off of that makes the same amount of sense as anything that Google or Amazon are doing, and all three benefit from native streaming music.

    Selling two HomePod Mini's for $400, also known as "the stereo bundle", would be an easy sell.

    Just read that Sonos responded to the HomePod with an ad; that's not a good call.
    artdentwatto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 59
    k2kwk2kw Posts: 2,075member
    Soli said:
    theLedger said:
    I doubt the veracity of this article. Apple has staked out the high quality sound end of the market with Siri functionality. Creating a smaller version would require a very different strategy and approach. Amazon sells cheap Echos because they want people to leverage Amazon services. However, after a few weeks of the novelty wearing off, most people use these devices to listen to music and get the weather. 

    I also doubt that a stylus will be made for the iPhone. The stylus makes sense for the iPad Pro because the advanced functionality for writing, notes, drawing, etc. demand a high precision device. You don't need it for pointers and writing on a phone sized screen is not easy or natural. 

    Just because the market is doing something doesn't mean that Apple is going to follow. There has to be real world functional use cases, not just features in search of a solution. 
    Name a product category where Apple hasn't started at a higher end for a given market and then worked their way down into the more accessible tiers? Even this article mentions the iPhone SE.
    I would say that AppleHomepod  is already at the low end (price wise) of quality audio.   (don’t take that the wrong way because it does sound like HomePod is incredible). I would say Apple should make a HomePodMax or HomePodPro that would be about 50% bigger with 12 tweets of the size the have in them now. 6 mid size tweeters that are 75% bigger in size.  The 4 inch woofer they currently have and a bigger 6 inch woofer along with the 6 microphones.   It would also come with an Auxilary line in and Ethernet port.
    randominternetpersonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 59
    ...is an acoustically matched if processor reduced satellite speaker (for stereo) a reasonable anticipation...?
  • Reply 16 of 59
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    tmay said:
    Soli said:
    gatorguy said:
    Soli said:
    theLedger said:
    I doubt the veracity of this article. Apple has staked out the high quality sound end of the market with Siri functionality. Creating a smaller version would require a very different strategy and approach. Amazon sells cheap Echos because they want people to leverage Amazon services. However, after a few weeks of the novelty wearing off, most people use these devices to listen to music and get the weather. 

    I also doubt that a stylus will be made for the iPhone. The stylus makes sense for the iPad Pro because the advanced functionality for writing, notes, drawing, etc. demand a high precision device. You don't need it for pointers and writing on a phone sized screen is not easy or natural. 

    Just because the market is doing something doesn't mean that Apple is going to follow. There has to be real world functional use cases, not just features in search of a solution. 
    Name a product category where Apple hasn't started at a higher end for a given market and then worked their way down into the more accessible tiers? Even this article mentions the iPhone SE.
    ....and I believe a HomePod Mini will rear its head before another year goes by. 
    1) But Apple has never used "mini" to describe a more affordable product. /s

    2) I'd love for the kitchen, bathrooms, and bedrooms to be able to replace the Amazon Echos and Echo Dots, but that's not going to happen if Siri is still anemic when these products eventually launch. $200 is still a high for an alarm clock, "clock radio," and white noise machine in the bedroom, but it's doable. Even those the HomePod will seem tiny to most at fist glance, it's still huge for a nightstand. In the kitchen, if it can't do more than one timer at a time and you can't name the timers it's not a kitchen option, despite the reviews showing it being used in that environment. I'm hoping that we only have to wait for WWDC 2018 for a proper App Store (PodKit?). 
    HomePod will be a billion dollar business in a year, no matter the anemic Siri. Building off of that makes the same amount of sense as anything that Google or Amazon are doing, and all three benefit from native streaming music.

    Selling two HomePod Mini's for $400, also known as "the stereo bundle", would be an easy sell.

    Just read that Sonos responded to the HomePod with an ad; that's not a good call.
    Did you run the numbers? That’s not even 300k units. I wouldn’t surprised if launch day is already a “billion dollar business.”
  • Reply 17 of 59
    theLedger said:
    [...] after a few weeks of the novelty wearing off, most people use these devices to listen to music and get the weather.
    I'm interested in how you know what "most people" do with their digital assistant devices. Do you have usage reports to support your conclusion, or are you basing it on what you think is likely?
  • Reply 18 of 59
    tmaytmay Posts: 6,293member
    Soli said:
    tmay said:
    Soli said:
    gatorguy said:
    Soli said:
    theLedger said:
    I doubt the veracity of this article. Apple has staked out the high quality sound end of the market with Siri functionality. Creating a smaller version would require a very different strategy and approach. Amazon sells cheap Echos because they want people to leverage Amazon services. However, after a few weeks of the novelty wearing off, most people use these devices to listen to music and get the weather. 

    I also doubt that a stylus will be made for the iPhone. The stylus makes sense for the iPad Pro because the advanced functionality for writing, notes, drawing, etc. demand a high precision device. You don't need it for pointers and writing on a phone sized screen is not easy or natural. 

    Just because the market is doing something doesn't mean that Apple is going to follow. There has to be real world functional use cases, not just features in search of a solution. 
    Name a product category where Apple hasn't started at a higher end for a given market and then worked their way down into the more accessible tiers? Even this article mentions the iPhone SE.
    ....and I believe a HomePod Mini will rear its head before another year goes by. 
    1) But Apple has never used "mini" to describe a more affordable product. /s

    2) I'd love for the kitchen, bathrooms, and bedrooms to be able to replace the Amazon Echos and Echo Dots, but that's not going to happen if Siri is still anemic when these products eventually launch. $200 is still a high for an alarm clock, "clock radio," and white noise machine in the bedroom, but it's doable. Even those the HomePod will seem tiny to most at fist glance, it's still huge for a nightstand. In the kitchen, if it can't do more than one timer at a time and you can't name the timers it's not a kitchen option, despite the reviews showing it being used in that environment. I'm hoping that we only have to wait for WWDC 2018 for a proper App Store (PodKit?). 
    HomePod will be a billion dollar business in a year, no matter the anemic Siri. Building off of that makes the same amount of sense as anything that Google or Amazon are doing, and all three benefit from native streaming music.

    Selling two HomePod Mini's for $400, also known as "the stereo bundle", would be an easy sell.

    Just read that Sonos responded to the HomePod with an ad; that's not a good call.
    Did you run the numbers? That’s not even 300k units. I wouldn’t surprised if launch day is already a “billion dollar business.”
    $350 x 3,000,000 unit sales = $1,050,000,000 or $1B
    edited February 2018 Solirandominternetperson
  • Reply 19 of 59
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    k2kw said:
    Soli said:
    theLedger said:
    I doubt the veracity of this article. Apple has staked out the high quality sound end of the market with Siri functionality. Creating a smaller version would require a very different strategy and approach. Amazon sells cheap Echos because they want people to leverage Amazon services. However, after a few weeks of the novelty wearing off, most people use these devices to listen to music and get the weather. 

    I also doubt that a stylus will be made for the iPhone. The stylus makes sense for the iPad Pro because the advanced functionality for writing, notes, drawing, etc. demand a high precision device. You don't need it for pointers and writing on a phone sized screen is not easy or natural. 

    Just because the market is doing something doesn't mean that Apple is going to follow. There has to be real world functional use cases, not just features in search of a solution. 
    Name a product category where Apple hasn't started at a higher end for a given market and then worked their way down into the more accessible tiers? Even this article mentions the iPhone SE.
    I would say that AppleHomepod  is already at the low end (price wise) of quality audio.   (don’t take that the wrong way because it does sound like HomePod is incredible). I would say Apple should make a HomePodMax or HomePodPro that would be about 50% bigger with 12 tweets of the size the have in them now. 6 mid size tweeters that are 75% bigger in size.  The 4 inch woofer they currently have and a bigger 6 inch woofer along with the 6 microphones.   It would also come with an Auxilary line in and Ethernet port.
    There is certanly room to scale up and down.
    tmay
  • Reply 20 of 59
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    tmay said:
    Soli said:
    tmay said:
    Soli said:
    gatorguy said:
    Soli said:
    theLedger said:
    I doubt the veracity of this article. Apple has staked out the high quality sound end of the market with Siri functionality. Creating a smaller version would require a very different strategy and approach. Amazon sells cheap Echos because they want people to leverage Amazon services. However, after a few weeks of the novelty wearing off, most people use these devices to listen to music and get the weather. 

    I also doubt that a stylus will be made for the iPhone. The stylus makes sense for the iPad Pro because the advanced functionality for writing, notes, drawing, etc. demand a high precision device. You don't need it for pointers and writing on a phone sized screen is not easy or natural. 

    Just because the market is doing something doesn't mean that Apple is going to follow. There has to be real world functional use cases, not just features in search of a solution. 
    Name a product category where Apple hasn't started at a higher end for a given market and then worked their way down into the more accessible tiers? Even this article mentions the iPhone SE.
    ....and I believe a HomePod Mini will rear its head before another year goes by. 
    1) But Apple has never used "mini" to describe a more affordable product. /s

    2) I'd love for the kitchen, bathrooms, and bedrooms to be able to replace the Amazon Echos and Echo Dots, but that's not going to happen if Siri is still anemic when these products eventually launch. $200 is still a high for an alarm clock, "clock radio," and white noise machine in the bedroom, but it's doable. Even those the HomePod will seem tiny to most at fist glance, it's still huge for a nightstand. In the kitchen, if it can't do more than one timer at a time and you can't name the timers it's not a kitchen option, despite the reviews showing it being used in that environment. I'm hoping that we only have to wait for WWDC 2018 for a proper App Store (PodKit?). 
    HomePod will be a billion dollar business in a year, no matter the anemic Siri. Building off of that makes the same amount of sense as anything that Google or Amazon are doing, and all three benefit from native streaming music.

    Selling two HomePod Mini's for $400, also known as "the stereo bundle", would be an easy sell.

    Just read that Sonos responded to the HomePod with an ad; that's not a good call.
    Did you run the numbers? That’s not even 300k units. I wouldn’t surprised if launch day is already a “billion dollar business.”
    $350 x 3,000,000 unit sales = $1,050,000,000 or $1B
    Thanks. I “ran the numbers,” but I was off by a decimal place. 3M does seem to high for first day sales, but I can picture a million at the upper end.
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