Amidst iOS 7 Hiccups, Apple Will Sell 34M+ iPhones on Q3 2013, 8M iPhone 5S/5C on Release Date Weekend – Analysts
Think the vaunted Apple stature is flagging? Think again as analysts are upbeat on the tech giant's prospects, firmly convinced that the company is all set to clear out 8 million units of iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C within their release date weekend.
Ming-chi Kuo of KGI Securities has predicted this week that Apple will push out around eight million freshly-minted iPhones by the time the week is over, capping another successful gadget launch for the iPhone maker.
Mr Kuo's take, according to Apple Insider, improves the earlier projection coming from Piper Jaffray that both the 5S and 5C will attract a maximum of six million buyers at the close of the gadgets' launch week.
In his note, the KGI analyst pointed to the 5C as the better performer, likely securing 65 per cent of the total iPhone sales that Apple will register in the same period. The 5S, on the other hand, is seen to capture 45 per cent.
The assessment came out as Apple remains mum on the new handsets' pre-order numbers, which reports said were not that overwhelming compared to the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 debuts in the past two year.
And with the figures being kept under wraps, the market is reacting negatively, leading to further slips on Apple's shares value.
However, Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray views the matter as more of a supply issue for Apple and not of consumers becoming disappointed with the fresh batches of iOS smartphone builds.
Mr Munster conceded that should weak figures come next week, supply constraint will be the main culprit.
"If the iPhone 5S sells out early in the weekend, it means demand is healthy and supply is short, but if 5S supply lasts through the weekend, it could mean that demand is weaker than expected," Mr Munster told CNET.
Nonetheless, the analyst expects Apple to sell six million iPhones on the first week of the devices' availability. But unlike Mr Kuo, he offered no details on which model will perform better.
As for Katy Huberty of Morgan Stanley, Apple will close out the September 2013 quarter on a solid note, packing 34.5 million in total sales before proceeding to the current year's more lucrative holiday period.
Ms Huberty's forecast, per reports by CNET, improves from the earlier readings by Morgan Stanley, putting Apple's iPhone sales for the same period at only 31 million units at the maximum.
Apple started rolling out the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C on Sept 20, giving the new iOS 7 devices roughly 10 days - from their release date through the quarter closing - to contribute big numbers to the company's supposed record results.