After Tuesday's earnings report, the investors of Apple once again swept their worries under the carpet. However, tech watchers were already eager to see Apple's next big thing. Also, shareholders called out for a response from the company regarding Google Inc.'s low-cost android devices.
"I don't subscribe to the common view that the higher-end, if you will, [of] the smartphone market has hit its peak," Chief Executive Tim Cook told experts on Tuesday. "I don't believe that, but we'll see, and we'll report our results as we go along."
"Some gains were in emerging markets thanks to the 4/4S, which reduced the ASP [average selling price] from $613 last quarter to $581 even before the mid-range phone ships," UBS analyst Steve Milunovich wrote on his note for Wednesday.
Analysts predicted that Apple would cut prices for iPhones by using plastic again instead of glass. Citigroup analyst Kevin Chang estimated the cost difference between the cheap iPhone and iPhone 5s to be merely US$50. Chang added that the company would already be able to maintain its gross margins in the range of 36%-37% of revenue with this price cut. Analysts also expected that Apple would make low-cost devices without making it seem inexpensive.
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