Analysts generally upbeat on WWDC keynote
updated 10:05 am EDT, Tue June 9, 2009
Analysts on WWDC keynote
Major financial analysts have taken a generally positive view of Apple's WWDC keynote. Kaufman's Shaw Wu observes that it was unexpected for Steve Jobs to make no appearance whatsoever, despite being on medical leave until the end of the month. The CEO has typically made every major Apple announcement since returning in the late '90s; WWDC 2009 may signify that "the management transition is complete," according to Wu, meaning that Jobs' philosophy has been burned into his fellow executives. Kaufman has correspondingly raised its price target for Apple stock from $160 to $176.
Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster notes that Apple's new prices -- in terms of Snow Leopard, the iPhone 3G and MacBook Pro -- are unusually aggressive, and should help to spur sales. Third-quarter Mac shipments are forecast to be 2.2 million, and may be followed by another 2.4 million in the fourth quarter. The $29 upgrade price for Snow Leopard could theoretically affect profits, but Munster comments that whereas Leopard had a potential user base of 23 million on launch, Snow Leopard will have as much as 75 million or more. Such a figure may be a distortion based on combined Mac OS and iPhone OS numbers.
UBS' Maynard Um notes that the $99 and $149 versions of the iPhone 3G should help stimulate some demand, but are ultimately limited by high (and unchanged) data plan costs. Apple appears to be betting, adds Needham's Charlie Wolf, that iPhone 3.0 and its corresponding applications should continue to drive expansion into the smartphone market. Needham and UBS estimates remain unchanged.
I loved everything, but..
06/09, 11:19am reply
AT&T being late to the party AGAIN!!
when can we get T-Mobile US to carry the iPhone?! Fair Competition is always the best.
I will be upgrading to SL at launch, but will hold off on my iPhone upgrade for a bit.
MiMiC
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Joined: Jun 2007
AT&T on probation
06/09, 12:36pm reply
I wouldn't be surprised if AT&T's failure to keep pace with the iPhone (MMS and tethering) gives leverage to Apple to renegotiate the terms of their partnership.
The fact that Schiller had the liberty (and probably green-light from Jobs) to take a couple jabs at AT&T's expense speaks volumes about what must be going on behind the scenes between Apple and AT&T.
I'm going out on a limb and guessing that those comments were either warning shots - or residual tension from unresolved talks between them.
c4rlob
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Joined: May 2009
or...
06/09, 12:39pm reply
WWDC 2009 may signify that "the management transition is complete," according to Wu, meaning that Jobs' philosophy has been burned into his fellow executives.
Or, perhaps, Jobs' brain has finally been placed into Phil Schiller's body. Bwahahahahahahahaha!
testudo
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Joined: Aug 2001
Re: ATT on probation
06/09, 05:04pm (1 reply) reply
I wouldn't be surprised if AT&T's failure to keep pace with the iPhone (MMS and tethering)
Are we actually sure these are being held up because of ATT? Because I guess I just assumed you could do MMS on any other ATT phone as well. If that is the case, it would seem more of an iPhone issue.
And lest we forget it took apple over a year to get their push technology they promoted for v2.0 in, and it took 2 years to get something as simple as copy/paste (which I would have loved yesterday when I was trying to copy a phone number from one email to send in another).
testudo
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Joined: Aug 2001
@testudo
06/10, 12:48pm reply
That's easy to test. Either other carriers in other regions will have MMS working on the iPhone, or they don't. If other regions have MMS enabled on the iPhone, and it's only AT&T that doesn't, it's hard to blame it on the iPhone despite the fact that AT&T has other phones with working MMS.
It might not be technical at all. AT&T may just be trying to figure out how to levy an additional charge for MMS in the US. Looks like tethering is going to be an additional fee, despite the fact that we already pay for data. MMS might go the way of text messaging (from Edge iPhone to 3G) where it's an added feature/added cost.
akulavolk
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Joined: Oct 2007