New iPhone 13 touts faster 5G, sharper cameras to spur trade-ins

Apple Inc. unveiled the iPhone 13 and a new iPad mini on Tuesday, expanding 5G connectivity and showing off faster chips and sharper cameras without raising the phone's price.

The Cupertino, Calif.-based company did not announce any blockbuster features or products, but analysts expect customers hanging onto older models like the iPhone X will be eager to upgrade. To encourage trade-ins, participating wireless carriers are offering incentives ahead of the year-end holiday season that to make the new phones free to some customers. 

The iPhone 13 will have a new chip called the A15 Bionic that enables features, such as automatically translating text. The phone also has a better display, longer battery life and a Cinematic mode for automatically changing focus while taking videos. Apple said the iPhone 13 will have custom 5G antennas and radio components for faster speeds and will come in five colors. 

The phone will start at $699, and participating wireless carriers will offer up to $700 off for qualifying trade-ins. The iPhone 13 Pro starts at $999 and the Pro Max starts at $1,099, with trade-in offers of up to $1,000. All three models will be available Sept. 24.

The prices are unchanged from last year, but some carriers such as AT&T Inc will offer the devices for no additional if customers trade in a previous model and sign up for an installment plan.

Ben Bajarin, head of consumer technologies at Creative Strategies, said he expects those aggressive subsides and trade-in policies will increase as a way for Apple and carriers to hold on to customers.

"You don't have to put a down payment down and you keep paying what you were paying," Bajarin said. "That offer is unique to Apple, and it's a strength they have to keep these sales cycles going for them and for the carriers."

The iPhone is Apple's most important product, but Apple has rolled out a web of service and other products that are seen as locking customers into a system they enjoy -- and would find expensive to leave. 

The Series 7 smart watch will feature a larger display and faster charging. It will start at $399 and be available later this autumn.

The company also updated its iPad Mini with 5G connectivity and a reworked design that makes it look like the higher-end iPad Air and Pro models. Bob O'Donnell, head of TECHnalysis Research, said the small tablet was Apple's most surprising announcement of the day and could lure in customers who want a device with 5G that can handle more powerful apps than a phone.

"I don't think it replaces any other device, like we've seen Apple try to position some of the bigger iPads as PC replacements," O'Donnell said.

Apple also updated its base-model iPad with a new camera for working and learning from home. The base model iPad starts at $329, and the Mini starts at $499. Both will be available next week.

Apple shares were down 1.2%, a sharper fall than a slight downturn in broader markets.

"It seems like there's nothing really revolutionary announced, but of course, as usual, they announced enough improvements to at least generate some enthusiasm among consumers," said Rick Meckler, partner at family investment office Cherry Lane Investments. 

Apple's biggest product launch of the year comes as some of the shine has come off its stock as business practices such as charging software developers commissions on in-app payments have come under regulatory scrutiny.

Apple shares were up about 11.6% year to date as of Tuesday's close, trailing the Nasdaq Composite Index, which was up 16.7% over the same period.

Kim Forrest, founder and chief investment officer at Bokeh Capital, said she was not concerned by the lack of splashy, unexpected products, since Apple's upgrades would keep customers. "I think the consumer, once it gets the Apple chip in its head, it's very hard to dislodge," she said.

The Apple Watch has become a cornerstone of its $30.6 billion accessories segment, which was up 25% in Apple's most recent fiscal year even as its iPhone revenue declined slightly. Analysts widely believe that Apple users who buy more than one product - such as an Apple Watch and iPhone - are more likely to stick with the brand and spend on the company's apps and services.

Apple focused on fitness features such as improving how the watch tracks bicycling workouts and dust protection for hiking. The watch is paired tightly with Apple Fitness+, a paid service offering guided workouts with Apple instructors. The company added pilates and skiing-oriented workouts, and a group workouts function designed to let users work out together. The company also bundled three months of free service with its watch devices.

Shares of exercise bike and online training company Peloton were down about 1.6%.

(Reporting by Stephen Nellis in San Francisco; Additional reporting by Caroline Valetkevitch in New York and Nivedita Balu, Nishara Karuvalli Pathikkal, Ashwini Raj and Taru Jain in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Henderson and Lisa Shumaker)

-reuters-

Apple announces new iPad Air, iPad Mini

MANILA -- Apple quietly announced on its website on Tuesday a pair of iPads, including a 10.5 slate that packs most of the features of the top end models but at roughly half the price.

The 10.5-inch iPad Air will cost P29,990 when it is released. It's screen is smaller that the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, which costs at least P64,490, according to Apple's website.

The iPad Air also has larger top and bottom bezels compared to the Pro and lacks facial recognition, retaining the Touch ID fingerprint sensor.

Apple also refreshed the 7.9-inch iPad Mini. Like the iPad Air, the Mini comes with an LCD Retina display and the A12 series processor found on the iPhone XS and iPad Pro lines.

The iPad Air and iPad Mini retain much of the dimensions of older models, but with more powerful internals. Apple has largely kept the 9.7-inch iPad (simply called iPad) largely the same for years, save for upgrades in processor speed.

There was no immediate word on local availability for the new iPad Air and iPad Mini.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

A 'perfect' bag for your iPad arrives in PH

MANILA - When it comes to portable technology like the iPad Mini, finding a comfortable and practical way of carrying it around can be troublesome.

Booq, a new line of bags that recently arrived in the Philippines, may just save you the hassle.


Based in California, Booq boasts bags of varying sizes to fit each one's "personality and style," as well as several of Apple's current offerings.

Made from polyurethane-backed ballistic nylon, each bag is designed to be water-repellent and to stay completely dry even during heavy rainfall.

The line also features a metal tag dubbed Terralinq, which can be used to locate lost bags through an online database system.

Booq currently has five specific line of bags available to Filipinos, namely: Boa, Cobra, Mamba, Taipan, and Viper.

Dubbed as the "heavy duty travel partner," Boa is the biggest of the bunch, whose backpack line can fit a 17-inch MacBook easily, as well as one's DSLR camera.

Cobra, which is the smallest, is a compact shoulder bag that can carry any 10-inch iPad model, while the Mamba, Taipan and Viper can fit pretty much any device in between the two previously mentioned.

Booq can be found in select Power Mac Center, iStudio, and Switch outlets. It is also available online through Lazada

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Globe to offer iPad Air, iPad Mini

MANILA - Globe Telecom Inc. announced on Monday that it will start selling two of Apple's newest iPad tablet computers this Christmas season.

In a statement, Globe said it will offer the iPad Air and the iPad Mini will retina display starting December 19.

The devices will come with data plans that will let customers connect to Globe's Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, it added.

The iPad Air and the iPad Mini with retina display were launched in the United States last October 23 and November 12, respectively.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Beware of scammers on online selling sites

MANILA, Philippines – Bayan Patroller “Sher” wanted to buy an iPad Mini at a discounted price, so when she saw the advertisement posted in online selling site Sulit.com.ph, she grabbed the opportunity.

"Nagtext-text na kami tapos nagpakilala siyang ng doktora, sabi niya you can check my name with PRC," she said.

She sent P13,500 to the seller but no gadget was delivered.

The same thing happened to Kim and Jeff (not their real names). After the deal was closed and they sent their payment, the same seller suddenly could no longer be reached.

Thus, they decided to report the incident to the police.

Bayan Mo, iPatrol Mo (BMPM) was able to contact the supposed seller who is a doctor by profession.

But she said she was not involved in any of those transactions and somebody used her name and photo.

"Definitely natakot ako…Somebody used my name for a scam," said Dra. Mildred Tayag.

According to the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, many have been victimized by this type of scam.

They urge people to report such incidents immediately.

“Usually ang sinasampa natin dito is Article 315, estafa, or kung hindi sila totoong iyon at ginagamit lang ang pangalan, kakasuhan din natin ng Article 178, concealing true name and identity," said fraud investigator PO3 Ronnie del Rosario.

Meanwhile, Sulit.com sent a written statement saying they are now investigating suspicious ads that flow into their website.

“All transactions happen between the buyer and the seller only so we highly encourage the buyers to go the extra mile - check the seller's feedback, ask for actual photos, and choose to do a meet-up, to avoid being scammed,” said Jean Magboo, PR supervisor of Sulit.com.ph

They also plan to screen the ads first before posting in order to prevent scammers from using their website.

"To ensure the quality of ads being posted on our website, we will be implementing a screening procedure soon wherein ads that will be posted under our Buy and Sell category will be reviewed by our team first before it gets approved for posting,” said Magboo. -- Report from ANC

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

New iPad Mini faces delays

TAIPEI/TOKYO - Apple Inc will be unable to widely roll out a new version of the iPad Mini with a high-resolution "retina" display this month, people who work in the company's supply chain said, leaving the gadget without the sharper screen found on rival tablets from Google Inc and Amazon.com Inc.

Apple's supply chain is only now gearing up to make retina displays for the iPad Mini, which means the gadgets could be available in only limited quantities this year, if at all, and the company may miss the chance to cash in on the year-end holiday shopping season, the sources said.

Cupertino, California-based Apple has come under pressure to preserve market share and bolster sales against rivals that are rapidly raising specifications and lowering prices.

It remains unclear exactly what new features and modifications could find their way into the next iPad Mini, which the sources said was due to be unveiled this month.

But higher-resolution screens and cameras, as well as thinner and lighter dimensions, are among the improvements users have come to expect with updated smartphones and tablets.

"If they don't put in retina ... there will be howls," said Frank Gillett, an analyst with Forrester.

Apple declined to comment about any product launches and the sources at companies in Apple's supply chain declined to be identified due to the confidentiality of the matter.

DISPLAY DISAPPOINTMENT

Apple defines retina display as resolution that is detailed enough that the human eye can't detect pixelation.

The feature is available on some full-sized iPads, and similar resolutions are available on iPad Mini competitors such as Google's Nexus 7, as well as Amazon's seven-inch Kindle Fire HDX due to go on sale this month.

The reason behind the delays in manufacturing the retina display screens for the iPad Mini were unclear. One source at a supplier said there were delays in Apple's certification of panel producers, which were given strict power-saving requirements.

LG Display Co Ltd, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd's display unit and Sharp Corp all vied to manufacture the panels, supply chain sources said.

The three display makers declined to comment.

Given the time required to ramp up screen production, a retina display-equipped iPad Mini would not be available in large volumes until early next year, the sources said.

The sources expected Apple to either wait until early next year for a full-fledged launch of a retina display iPad Mini, or to make a retina version only available in limited quantities before the end of the year.

Apple has also told suppliers to reduce costs, two of the sources said, with one person saying the U.S. firm is looking at rolling out an iPad Mini with a smaller 8 gigabytes of memory.

Less memory may allow Apple to lower the price of the Mini to boost sales in emerging markets like China where cheaper tablets, many of them running Google's Android operating system, are gaining market share.

"Right now the iPad Mini is more expensive than everyone else in the 7- to 8-inch tablet segment," said Arthur Liao, an analyst for Fubon Securities in Taipei. "If it could reduce its price by even just $50, it would appeal to more consumers."

The iPad's total market share almost halved to 32.5 percent in the second quarter from a year ago, while Android devices, including Samsung's Galaxy series, gained nearly a quarter to 62.6 percent, a survey by tech research company IDC showed.

Amazon's new 7-inch Kindle Fire is priced from $229 for 16GB wifi-only models, while Google's second-generation Nexus 7 offers a similar screen size and storage capacity at the same price. By comparison, the cheapest model in Apple's current 7.9-inch iPad Mini lineup with 16GB storage size starts at $329.

Anyone expecting Apple to dramatically cut prices is likely to be disappointed, analysts said, pointing to the higher-than-expected price tag for the iPhone 5C unveiled this month.

"Don't expect the prices to be significantly lower," said one of the sources. "Even though Apple aims to cut down on component costs, it still ends up around the same as the current Mini because the new Mini will have upgraded specifications."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Apple iPad mini makes low key debut

TOKYO - The iPad mini got off to a low-key start Friday, with little of the hype-fuelled razzmatazz of earlier Apple launches, as analysts said the costly creation may have come too late to the 7-inch market.

Around 300 people queued up outside Apple's flagship store in Tokyo, some wearing fancy dress, to get their hands on a device the company insists is more than just a shrunken version of its popular tablet.

At least 20 people spent the night outside the shop in the upmarket Ginza area, but the launch was missing some of the pizzazz of earlier offerings, with the queue quickly dissipating after an initial rush.

In tech-mad Singapore numbers were well down on previous launches -- that have seen several hundred fans camp out -- while in Hong Kong around 30 people queued to pick up their pre-ordered devices before the Apple store opened.

It was a similar story in Sydney where there was nothing like the days-long queues for the new generation iPhone 5.

"Looks like most ordered it online," one person in the small queue told reporters.

Nevertheless, acolytes declared themselves impressed by the physical charms of the 7.9 inch (20-centimetre) touchscreen device.

"It's completely different (from the regular iPad)," said Ayano in Tokyo, who did not give her surname.

"It is thinner and very light. Look, you can hold it in one hand."

Around three dozen markets in Asia and Europe, as well as the United States, were due to see launches of the Wi-Fi only version on Friday.

In Seoul a 200-strong queue, some of whom had camped out overnight, had their patience rewarded from 8am, with one man telling AFP Apple was a better buy for his 4-year-old daughter.

"I prefer iPad to Android devices because it has more content for children like my daughter," he said.

Die-hard fans noted there was less of a fanfare this time around.

"It's not surprising people wait for hours to be the first to get new Apple devices, but now the hype doesn't seem to be as big as before," said Kim Tae-Min.

Ahead of the launch analysts had warned the starting price of $329 might seem steep to budget-minded shoppers who can buy Google Nexus or Amazon Kindle tablets for $199.

"Devotion to Apple products has been compared to a religion," said an analyst from the US-based firm Gartner.

"But, I don't think Apple will be as dominant in the seven-inch tablet space because they let the Kindle Fire and the Nexus get a foothold in the market at a considerably lower price."

Mark Ranson, associate analyst at global technology research firm Ovum, said the iPad mini marked something of a departure because it was an instance of Apple following the crowd, rather than setting the pace.

"This reactive nature of the iPad mini launch was largely the cause of the more muted public response," he said.

Ranson said increasing competition was squeezing Apple.

"It has become very difficult to create new form factors in the smart device market and increasingly we are seeing incremental changes in device specifications (rather) than new product categories altogether.

"Samsung's continued growth, Google's further push into the device market with its Nexus line of products and the strong performance of Amazon's Kindle Fire, are all conspiring to bridge the gap between Apple and its competitors."

Apple's senior vice president for marketing Phil Schiller helped unveil the iPad mini last week, saying that it was an entirely new design and not "just a shrunken down iPad".

Schiller said the iPad mini weighs 308 grams (0.68 pounds), less than half the original, and is 7.2 mm (less than a third of an inch) thick.

Like later versions of the original iPad, the new Apple tablet also features rear- and front-facing cameras. It also has stereo speakers.

The launch came after British judges told Apple it had to re-write an "inaccurate" statement relating to its patent dispute with South Korean rival Samsung.

The company was told last month to post a message on its website saying Samsung's Galaxy tablet computers had not infringed iPad designs.

But Samsung complained that the message did not comply with the court order because it included comments on other rulings in Germany and the United States which had favoured Apple.

source: abs-cbnnews.com

Slimmed-down iMac seen to boost Apple

SAN FRANCISCO - Amid the fanfare accompanying the noisy launch of the iPad mini this week, Apple Inc also took the wraps off new Mac computers.

The facelift may help revitalize an important lineup that -- while seeing growth tail off in the early part of 2012 -- yields 14 percent of revenue and still racks up sales growth numbers that are the envy of a flagging PC world.

On Tuesday, Apple took the lid off a slimmed-down iMac and a 13-inch laptop with a vastly improved screen, setting the stage for a potential revival in sales even as Hewlett-Packard and Dell Inc struggle just to stay level.




Earlier this year, Apple had also launched an updated MacBook Air - a product analysts say spawned over 20 touch-enabled designs from rivals called "Ultrabooks," which run Microsoft Corp's upcoming Windows 8 software.

Apple remains No. 3 in U.S. market share behind HP and Dell. But the Mac's premium pricing, at $1,000 and above, and its subsequent outsized margins mean a spike in revenue growth can give its bottom line a significant boost.

"The pricing and feature set of the refreshed iMac present an attractive combination, and I would not be surprised to see the new iMac stimulate desktop sales in the December quarter and beyond," Barclays analyst Ben Reitzes said.

The decades-old Macintosh line that helped set a stumbling computer company back on its feet -- today overshadowed in both revenue and media appeal by the popular iPhone and iPad -- saw growth drop to single-digit percentages in the first two quarters of 2012 for the first time since 2009.

Yet sales outgrew the PC market, overall, by more than seven times over the 12 months to June, according to CEO Tim Cook, and has outpaced PC growth over the last six years.

Apple reports fiscal fourth quarter results on Thursday. The company will likely have sold 5.1 million Macs in the October quarter, up just 5 percent, Piper Jaffray & Co analyst Gene Munster estimates.

HALO EFFECT

On Tuesday, Apple Marketing Chief Phil Schiller called the Mac "what began it all," and he claimed the Mac was America's No. 1 laptop and desktop among individual models. Research houses Gartner and IDC figures place Apple third in the United States with a market share of about 13 percent.

Regardless where it places, at prices starting at $1,000 for its MacBook Air and going all the way close to $4,000 and growth -- while well off the 30-percent range of 2010 -- still defying the market, the Mac has proven a consistent money-spinner for the company even during troubled times for the traditional PC.

Intel Corp, HP and other stalwarts of the PC industry are now fighting to sustain growth as tablet computers eat into their PC-related businesses.

While the Mac line has not completely side-stepped PC market trends, it has held up better partly because it is targeted at a higher-spending clientele that values its consistency, vis-a-vis the often fragmented PC, where multiple vendors supply different components that don't always work seamlessly.

But it also owes its success in large part to a so-called halo effect stemming from consumers' experiences with the iPhone and iPad, said Loren Loverde, analyst with research firm IDC.

"They are on the positive end of halo effect both in terms of traffic and brand image," Loverde said, adding that Apple also has yet to fully realize the international growth opportunities for Mac, and expects the new products to see good demand during the holiday quarter.

Late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs introduced the Macintosh in 1984, and it became the first successful computer to feature a mouse and a graphical user interface -- a model that has stayed intact through the succeeding decades. The desktop Mac itself stuck to that interface but has radically shifted in design over the years, to today's slim, all-in-one form.

Analysts say the redesigned Macs may give Apple's December quarter an extra lift, but the quarter will hinge mostly on how many consumers bought iPads and iPhones, which combined accounts for 72 percent of the company's revenue.

Cook and other executives are likely to be questioned on the smartphone's supply issues and the ramp-up of the new "iPad mini," available in stores on Nov. 2.

"The bigger question is likely the company's ability to ramp supply to meet the strong demand," Baird Equity Research analyst William Power said. Recent investor concerns regarding Apple have included "perceived slowing iPhone innovation, the lack of a strong developing market strategy for iPhone and current iPhone supply constraints."

Apple's stock has reflected some of those concerns. While the stock is up 52 percent this year, it is down 12 percent from its record high of $705 on Sept. 21. Despite the pullback, Apple is trading at 11.6 times next year's estimated earnings, same as the S&P 500 and far lower than some rivals like Amazon.com Inc , which trades at 100 times estimated 2013 earnings.

Investors will focus initially on the headline shipment numbers during the fiscal third quarter on Thursday. It is estimated to have sold between 24 million and 26 million iPhones in the July-September period.

And Apple said on Tuesday that it sold its 100 millionth iPad two weeks ago, which means that the company sold under 16 million last quarter. This is below the 17 million to 18 million some analysts had forecast.

Longer term, Apple could also face margin pressure as smartphones pass the 50 penetration rate in major developed markets, said BGC analyst Colin Gillis.

"The next stage of smart phone growth could be more focused on mid-to-lower priced offerings," Gillis said. "Apple may find it difficult to maintain margin while growing massive scale, particularly as the overall market for smartphones slows."

source: abs-cbnnews.com