Monday, September 11,2006 @ 12:35pm
Analyst predicts up to 12m iPhone sales
Apple's anticipated mobile phone won't likely debut tomorrow, according to Piper Jaffray senior analyst Gene Munster, but the rumored device could sell between 8 and 12 million sales if it debuts at the Macworld Expo in 2007 and could raise the company's earnings-per-share in its calendar year 2007 by 6-10 percent. "While we do not expect Apple to announce a phone tomorrow, we continue to expect Apple will ship the 'iPhone' within the next 4-6 months," Munster wrote in a research note obtained by MacNN. "Assuming Apple ships the iPhone at Macworld 2007, our sensitivity analysis points to between 6-10 percent upside to Street calendar year earnings-per-share." The analyst admits to a lack of concrete evidence that the handset is near completion or launch, but cites several indications -- such as the registration of the domain name iPhone.org and the trademark name "Mobile Me" -- that Apple is planning to introduce the product.