Is Apple’s product pipeline too full of home runs to fail? The release of the iPhone 5, a second entry-level iPhone, the next iPad and even next year’s 4G LTE-powered iPhone will help Apple maintain its series of “monster” quarters according to Wedbush analyst Scott Sutherland. He expects Apple to ship 26 million iPhones during the first quarter of next year, up from 23 million during the first quarter of this year. New product launches are the special sauce to Apple’s success, Sutherland says. “While the iPhone 4 appears to be selling well due to existing market demand and new markets, we expect a bump up from the iPhone 5 this October, and a lower end iPhone geared towards emerging markets,” he wrote in a research note. “With the introductions ahead of the holidays, we expect a monster FQ1 from Apple. Furthermore, in 1H12, we expect the introduction of a 4G LTE iPhone with a materially improved user interface and the iPad 3.” Sutherland also said Apple will revamp its Mac and iPod products in the future, as it always does, and he believes rumors that Apple will enter the connected TV market. Apple’s new iCloud service may contribute to additional media and app sales, further propelling Apple’s quarterly success, Sutherland said.
