iPod delay worries expand

Apple shares hovered near six-month lows today after another analyst stated said that the company's new iPod nano could see delays of up to two months. Research analyst Tristan Gerra of Baird equity in a note to clients said spot pricing for 8GB NAND flash memory dropped 31 percent since last week, which he attributes entirely to delays in Apple's launch of the next iPod nano, according to a report from AppleInsider. "Our checks indicate this pricing decline was induced by a 2-month pushout in iPod nano-related orders, from June to August," Gerra wrote. "This suggests Apple's upcoming 6GB-8GB Nano will be on the shelves in November rather than September." Gerra also believes second quarter sales for a major NAND flash supplier fell below target, which suggests an inventory dump along with continued pricing pressures in the coming month.

In late June American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu voiced concerns that new versions of Apple's video iPod and iPod nano could be delayed by up to six months.

"We previously believed that new Nanos and the widescreen video iPod could ship in Q3 and Q4, respectively," Wu wrote in a research note. "However, we now believe that both could be delayed by a quarter or two."

by MacNN Staff