iPhone 5S, 5C Release Date Aftermath: Apple Tipped to Sell 35M iOS 7-Powered iPhones Next Year in China & Japan Alone
Immediately after the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C release date, pegged for Sept 20, Apple is seen by analysts to post record sales thanks to the tandem of the tech giant's new 2013 flagship and its more affordable sibling.
Apple should easily clear around 35 million new buys or even more in 2014, according to Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Whitmore, given the tech giant is able to secure sweet deals with China Mobile of China and NTT DoCoMo of Japan.
Mr Whitmore told Apple Insider that with a solid presence in China, Apple can potentially tapped into a customer base numbering to more than 700 million subscribers, which is the reported reach of China Mobile's network infrastructure.
Realistically, Deutsche Bank is looking into China Mobile's 3G customers, seen by analyst to expand into 138 million by next year and from which Apple can possibly 35 million new iPhone buyers.
It is predicted that new iPhone users in China will rush to get the 5C due to its reported cheaper price. Unlocked, the handset should sell no more than $400 but with telco subsidy, the 5C can go as low as $100, analysts said.
It remains unclear though if China Mobile or other Chinese network service providers would offer the budget iPhone with discount. Handset subsidies are uncommon in most Asian market.
In Japan, the new iPhones, specifically the iPhone 5S, are projected to attract some 10 million new buyers in 2014, further boosting Apple's financial haul in the year, Mr Whitmore said.
The iPhone 5 successor will retail in China starting at $550, the analyst said, still Japanese buyers will snap up the mobile phone in big numbers, likely defeating its Android rivals in the country. Japan is the traditional stronghold of Sony and Samsung.
Overall, Apple is about to lure some 200 million new followers in China and Japan alone, that is if the iPhone maker plays its cards well and seal agreements with the two countries' leading telcos, Mr Whitmore said.
His fresh take echoes earlier assessments that with the iPhone 5S and 5C rollout, Apple is all set up to push out 10 to 13 million handsets at the end of Sept 2013. The projection somehow belies fears aired previously that the introduction of iPhone 5C could decrease the profits margins the company has been realising on its smartphone business, which to date remains its most prolific revenue generator.
On Sept 10 (a few hours from now), Apple will hold a media event in San Francisco, California (to be followed by a similar even in China on Sept 11), purportedly to formally announce the new iOS 7 and the new mobile phones it will power.
By Sept 20, the iPhone 5S and 5C release date will happen and buyers in the United States, China and Japan will get a first crack on the devices' upgraded components and killer features.