Tuesday, October 28, 2014

The iPad Air 2 has the powerful A8X chip, revolutionary Touch ID,


 We’ve made the iPad mini even mightier.
 It not only has the powerful A7 chip
and brilliant Retina display,
but it also comes with the versatile
 Apple SIM, and now,
for the first time ever, the revolutionary Touch

     

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Apple Reports Fourth-Quarter Results


Apple Reports Fourth Quarter Results

Strong iPhone, Mac & App Store Sales Drive Record September Quarter Revenue & Earnings

CUPERTINO, California—October 20, 2014—Apple® today announced financial results for its fiscal 2014 fourth quarter ended September 27, 2014. The Company posted quarterly revenue of $42.1 billion and quarterly net profit of $8.5 billion, or $1.42 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $37.5 billion and net profit of $7.5 billion, or $1.18 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 38 percent compared to 37 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 60 percent of the quarter’s revenue.

Apple’s board of directors has declared a cash dividend of $.47 per share of the Company’s common stock. The dividend is payable on November 13, 2014, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on November 10, 2014.

“Our fiscal 2014 was one for the record books, including the biggest iPhone launch ever with iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “With amazing innovations in our new iPhones, iPads and Macs, as well as iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, we are heading into the holidays with Apple’s strongest product lineup ever. We are also incredibly excited about Apple Watch and other great products and services in the pipeline for 2015.” 

“Our strong business performance drove EPS growth of 20 percent and a record $13.3 billion in cash flow from operations in the September quarter,” said Luca Maestri, Apple’s CFO. “We continued to execute aggressively against our capital return program, spending over $20 billion in the quarter and bringing cumulative returns to $94 billion.”

Apple is providing the following guidance for its fiscal 2015 first quarter:
  • revenue between $63.5 billion and $66.5 billion
  • gross margin between 37.5 percent and 38.5 percent
  • operating expenses between $5.4 billion and $5.5 billion
  • other income/(expense) of $325 million
  • tax rate of 26.5 percent

Apple will provide live streaming of its Q4 2014 financial results conference call beginning at 2:00 p.m. PDT on October 20, 2014 at www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/earningsq414. This webcast will also be available for replay for approximately two weeks thereafter.

This press release contains forward-looking statements including without limitation those about the Company’s estimated revenue, gross margin, operating expenses, other income/(expense), and tax rate. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ. Risks and uncertainties include without limitation the effect of competitive and economic factors, and the Company’s reaction to those factors, on consumer and business buying decisions with respect to the Company’s products; continued competitive pressures in the marketplace; the ability of the Company to deliver to the marketplace and stimulate customer demand for new programs, products, and technological innovations on a timely basis; the effect that product introductions and transitions, changes in product pricing or mix, and/or increases in component costs could have on the Company’s gross margin; the inventory risk associated with the Company’s need to order or commit to order product components in advance of customer orders; the continued availability on acceptable terms, or at all, of certain components and services essential to the Company’s business currently obtained by the Company from sole or limited sources; the effect that the Company’s dependency on manufacturing and logistics services provided by third parties may have on the quality, quantity or cost of products manufactured or services rendered; risks associated with the Company’s international operations; the Company’s reliance on third-party intellectual property and digital content; the potential impact of a finding that the Company has infringed on the intellectual property rights of others; the Company’s dependency on the performance of distributors, carriers and other resellers of the Company’s products; the effect that product and service quality problems could have on the Company’s sales and operating profits; the continued service and availability of key executives and employees; war, terrorism, public health issues, natural disasters, and other circumstances that could disrupt supply, delivery, or demand of products; and unfavorable results of other legal proceedings. More information on potential factors that could affect the Company’s financial results is included from time to time in the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of the Company’s public reports filed with the SEC, including the Company’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 28, 2013, its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended December 28, 2013, its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 29, 2014, its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 28, 2014, and its Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 27, 2014 to be filed with the SEC. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements or information, which speak as of their respective dates.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.

Press Contact:
Kristin Huguet
Apple
khuguet@apple.com
(408) 974-2414

Investor Relations Contacts:
Nancy Paxton
Apple
paxton1@apple.com
(408) 974-5420

Joan Hoover
Apple
hoover1@apple.com
(408) 974-4570





Friday, October 10, 2014

Apple: "The end of the golden age"...


                                                                             

&nbsp ;Apple products * are not so differentiating, says Benedict Flamingo, director Fourpoints Investment Managers, for whom the Apple brand is under threat of commoditization.
The most popular TV series often reach their peak audience in the sixth season, few exceed eight seasons. The iPhone is in the sixth and the buzz is at its maximum. However, with hindsight, many questions arise.

First round, the smartphone market is becoming commonplace quickly. By dint of copying, devices and user interfaces have come to resemble: it is no longer a differentiator. As for the evolution towards ever larger screens, it very likely to stop there unless the size of the pockets will undergo a major genetic mutation.

This lack of differentiation is reflected in the figures for market share. Those of the iPhone declined since 2012 from 25% to 12% while Android reached 85%. The average price of a smartphone down too: it is $ 314 in 2014 and even less than $ 250 in emerging markets. At 657 dollars, the iPhone 6 is already twice as expensive.

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This price difference is it still justifiable, while the portfolio of applications is now provided in Android, a critical element as the value of a smartphone is defined by the wealth of applications? Worse, the "apps" are either Apple launched too fast or unfinished (Maps, iCloud) or substitutability (iTunes leaving room for subscription music streaming).

This is where Apple Watch intervenes. It only works with the iPhone and strengthens the Apple ecosystem. This is also the rub. Beyond the battery problem that requires reloading his watch every day, the touch interface of the smartphone proved awkward on a watch.

Apple has had to add two buttons to zoom, select an application ... A peak when one remembers that the stroke of genius of the iPhone was ... there was only one button. And if the ideal interface for such a watch was the voice? Only Siri is not yet accurate enough. The "killer application" that will make a purchase remains obvious to find.

That leaves Apple Pay, Apple's mobile payment system, another tool to strengthen its ecosystem. A bet that will take time to reveal itself as only a 6 iPhone owners can use and only a few percent of payment terminals are compatible, in the United States alone.

Eventually as the years go by, Apple is a business like any other. So, Apple, how many seasons?

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

APPLE - New iPad: all that will change on October 16



TABLET - For the keynote of October, Apple is expected to introduce the new generation of its iPad. MetroNews reviewed the latest of these tablets.  After the smartphone, the tablet. After the iPhone, the iPad. About a month after introducing the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus (remember, it was on September 9), Apple should take in the month a new keynote. The date of Thursday, October 16 has been advanced but not yet official. Anyway, it should be less impressive than the last. Apple has also provided a keynote in a less broad place: Town Hall Auditorium in Cupertino (California). Meanwhile, here's what should change in the new iPad: 

► What name? 
6 iPad or iPad 2 Air? No one knows yet for now the final name of the new iPad. Whatever it is, one thing is certain: it will be for Apple to the sixth generation of the iPad and the third for the iPad mini. 

► A new chip 
Like every year, after the integration of a new processor in the smartphone, it is added to the latest generation iPad. The house A8 processor, integrated into the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, should be announced as the new nerve center of the new Apple tablet. Unless this is a model boosted, called A8X, which would be installed on a brand new version Large, iPad Pro (see below "Two sizes, two screens?"). 

► The Touch ID 
Type the code is so old generation ... Like the iPhone 5s and the last two smartphones Cupertino, it will now show their credentials to unlock the machine. The new tablets are expected to be in effect with the Touch ID button that identifies the footprints of his or its owners (up 5 fingers). 

► A screen with anti-glare filter? 
Nothing certain but here it was mentioned the possibility of adding an antiglare screen on the tablet. A very good idea that would use the iPad even in bright conditions. Moreover, it will be a real comfort to watch videos and movies. 

► New Color 
To comply with the trio of the iPhone, the iPad should be submitted either in two but three colors. Gold entered. We must therefore rely this year on the sidereal gray version (with black face), silver (with white face) and, for the first time, gold (with white face). 

► Two sizes, two screens? 
And if Apple offered two models of its iPad Air? In addition to the 9.7-inch version (and the iPad mini with a screen of 7.9 inches) for the Apple brand could launch a new model bigger. This would measure 12.9 inch (32.8 cm) from one edge to the other and would be called "iPad Pro" or "6 iPad Plus". In addition, this new model would be available in two screen resolutions: 2K and 4K (that is to say four times HD resolution). However, there is nothing to confirm this rumor. 

► From WiFi boosted 
As with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, we hope that Apple will have thought about giving a boost to the WiFi iPad, thanks to the 802.11ac standard. 

► No new Retina iPad mini? 
At least not right away. From a strategic point of view, this is understandable. Due to the size close between an iPhone 6 Plus (5.5 inches) and a retina iPad mini (7.9 inches), Apple could decide to delay the release of the new model of this device early next year (March 2015?). So as not to overshadow his phablette.

iPhone 6 & iPhone 6 Plus Available in China on Friday, October 17


iPhone 6 & iPhone 6 Plus Available in China on Friday, October 17

Pre-orders Begin Friday, October 10

BEIJING—September 30, 2014—Apple® today announced that iPhone® 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, the biggest advancements in iPhone history, will be available in China beginning Friday, October 17 from the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores, and an expansive network of retail stores through all three major carriers and Apple Authorized Resellers. With support for TD-LTE and FDD-LTE, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus provide customers access to 4G/LTE networks from China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom across mainland China. Customers can pre-order iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus from the Apple Online Store beginning Friday, October 10. Beginning Tuesday, October 14, customers can reserve the new iPhones for in-store pick-up starting Friday, October 17.

“We are thrilled to bring iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus to our customers in China on all three carriers at launch,” said Apple’s CEO Tim Cook. “With support for TD-LTE and FDD-LTE, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus customers will have access to high-speed mobile networks from China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom for an incredible experience.”

iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are the biggest advancements in iPhone history, featuring two new models with stunning 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch Retina® HD displays, and packed with innovative technologies in an all-new dramatically thin and seamless design that is still comfortable to hold and easy to use. Both models are better in every way and include: the Apple-designed A8 chip with second generation 64-bit desktop-class architecture for blazing fast performance and power efficiency; advanced iSight® and FaceTime® HD cameras; and ultrafast wireless technologies.

The new iPhones include iOS 8, the biggest release since the App Store℠, featuring a simpler, faster and more intuitive user experience with new Messages and Photos features, predictive typing for Apple’s QuickType™ keyboard and Family Sharing. iOS 8 also includes the new Health app, giving you a clear overview of your health and fitness data and iCloud Drive℠, so you can store files and access them from anywhere. 

Pricing & Availability
iPhone 6 comes in gold, silver or space gray, and is available in China for a suggested retail price of 5,288 (RMB) for the 16GB model, 6,088 (RMB) for the 64GB model and, for the first time, a new 128GB model for 6,888 (RMB). iPhone 6 Plus comes in gold, silver or space gray, and is available in China for a suggested retail price of 6,088 (RMB) for the 16GB model, 6,888 (RMB) for the 64GB model and 7,788 (RMB) for the new 128GB model. Both models are available in China from the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), by reservation only from Apple’s retail stores, and through China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom and Apple Authorized Resellers beginning Friday, October 17. Customers can pre-order iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus from the Apple Online Store beginning Friday, October 10. Beginning Tuesday, October 14, customers can reserve the new iPhones for in-store pick-up starting Friday, October 17.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.

Press Contacts:
Tiffany Yang
Apple
tiffany_yang@apple.com
+86 108 525 5785

Teresa Brewer
Apple
tbrewer@apple.com
+1 (408) 974-6851


Download iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus images

Monday, October 6, 2014

Apple said to host second fall event for iPad on October 16


                                                                         

Apple said to host second fall event for iPad on October 16

The reported event follows a splashy affair a month ago, when Apple showed off its newest iPhones and the Apple Watch. But it'll be more low-key, says Recode.It's time for Apple product launch No. 2.
According to a new report from Recode, Apple plans to hold an event October 16 to introduce its newest iPads and Macs. The site said the launch will be "a more laid-back affair" compared with the iPhone launch in September. Recode correctly reported the date for that earlier event.
Apple declined to comment.
The launch would come about a month after Apple showed off its newest iPhones and its first wearable, the Apple Watch. The company introduced the products during a splashy, star-studded event at the Flint Performing Arts Center down the road from its headquarters. The venue on the De Anza College campus was the same place former CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the first Macintosh computer in 1984, and guests such as band U2 helped Apple usher in its latest products.
This time around, Apple has opted to hold its event at its Town Hall Auditorium at its headquarters, Recode said. It launched the iPad Air, iPad Mini with Retina Display and Mac Pro last year at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco. The year before, Apple held two iPad events, one in October at the California Theatre in San Jose, Calif., and one in March at the Yerba Buena Center.  
                                                  
 

Apple this year is expected to show off new iPads and its Mac OS X Yosemite software for computers, which the company revealed at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June. Apple also could introduce new Mac computers, including new iMacs. Recent reports say the iPad could include a gold option, as well as the Touch ID fingerprint sensor found on iPhones since last year's 5S.
Apple's iPad, first released in 2010, changed the computing market and spawned scores of copycat devices. Even Microsoft, Apple's longtime rival in the PC market, produced a tablet, introducing the Surface in 2012. Since unveiling the iPad, Apple has dominated the tablet market, most recently ranking No. 1 with 27 percent tablet share globally. The iPad is Apple's second-biggest moneymaker after the iPhone, with about 15 percent of total revenue coming from the tablet.
But the company now needs to find a way to revitalize iPad sales. Apple's tablethasn't been selling as well as it used to. Sales of the iPad have declined year-over-year and fallen short of analyst expectations for two straight quarters. In the period ended June 28, Apple sold 13.3 million iPads, down 9 percent from the previous year and below the 14.4 million expected by analysts. Apple has attributed the weak iPad sales to a couple of factors -- softer demand and an issue with the number of devices held in channel inventory (which means they're either sitting in stores or on trucks).
                                                                


In reality, Apple likely has been hurt by a few factors that could continue to plague iPad sales. It's easy for people to pass older tablets to relatives or friends when they upgrade. People also don't have the two-year upgrade incentive that smartphones get from wireless carriers, and Apple hasn't made big enough changes to the iPad to compel even its most ardent fans to immediately buy the newest model.
In addition, most people who crave a tablet likely already have one, and Apple is going up against dozens of new, inexpensive devices that run Google's rivalAndroid mobile operating system. Consumers also now have the option to buy bigger screen iPhones, such as the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, rather than buying one of Apple's iPads -- which currently come in 9.7-inch models for the iPad Air and 7.9-inch models for the iPad Mini.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said in July that he's "bullish" about Apple's prospects in the tablet market. "We still feel the category as a whole is in its early days, and there's still significant innovation that can be brought to the iPad and we can do that," he said.
Cook expects Apple's new partnership with IBM, announced in mid July, to boost iPad sales. Already, most of the Fortune 500 companies use Apple products, but there are still a lot of ways the company could generate more money from business users. Apple and IBM will work together on pushing Apple devices and iOS apps with business users, and IBM's cloud computing services -- such as device management, security and analytics -- will be optimized for iOS.
Tune back to CNET for full coverage of Apple's upcoming event.  


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