Apple will soon reveal more details about its most recent quarter, and an analyst who has usually been highly accurate with predictions about unreleased Apple devices is out with a new research note that offers sales estimates for the past quarter and an insight into Apple’s next potential steps.
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KGI Securities Ming-Chi Kuo said in a note seen by MacRumors that Apple will launch cheaper “gold” Apple Watches, a new iPad mini, and a new iMac by the end of the year. The analyst also expects the iPhone 6s launch to see somewhat a slow start due to “low yield of Force Touch [hardware].”
Kuo said that Apple sold roughly 54.2 million iPhones during the second calendar quarter of the year, and he expects the company to sell 40.1 million units this quarter, as buyers are preparing for the upcoming iPhone 6s launch. Among other things, Kuo accurately predicted earlier this year Apple’s record-breaking 2014 Christmas quarter iPhone sales.
When it comes to the Apple Watch, Kuo said that Apple is preparing new color options for the Apple Watch Sport, which will match the colors of the iPhone 6s. The device will be available in yellow and rose gold colors though they won’t actually be made of gold. According to him, Apple has sold some 3.9 million Watches so far, but the company might not be able to reach Wall Street consensus estimates of 15 million smartwatch units by the end of the year.
Apple is also expected to launch an updated iPad mini 4 this year that’ll be in line with what the iPad Air 2 has to offer, both when it comes to design and features. The analyst did not say anything about an iPad Air 3 or iPad Pro 2015 launch. A recent report claimed Apple won’t make an iPad Air 3 this year so it can focus on its long rumored 12.2-inch model instead.
As for the Mac line, Kuo says that Apple might release new iMacs late in the third quarter of the year or early in the fourth quarter. The company may have sold as many as 5.3 million units last quarter, and could sell 5.8 million units this quarter.
