Submitted by Jon Reed on
Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) had a relatively uneventful week on the trading floor last week. Share prices started the week at $123.09 and closing on Friday at $121.30 for about a 1.5 percent loss on the week. A weekly high of $123.91 was reached on Tuesday and the low of $120.91 came during trading on Friday. Despite the lackluster stock performance, there were several positive items regarding Apple last week.
iPhone 6s production continues to ramp up. Taiwanese publication DigiTimes reported last week that Apple's supply chain is increasing production of Force Touch modules. According to the report, sources within the supply chain expect Apple to ship 36 - 40 million next generation iPhones in the 3rd quarter and another 50 million in Q4.
Apple may finally unveil the long awaited next generation Apple TV at its fall media event next month. It was supposed to be announced in June but was postponed. According to BuzzFeed, sources familiar with Apple's plans say the company will announce the new Apple TV in September, at the same event that it typically announces new iPhones. The new TV will have upgraded hardware, a new remote, Siri voice control, a dedicated App Store and possibly the streaming TV product that Apple has been working on for the past year.
IBM could become Apple's biggest customer in the near future. An internal memo revealed that the company plans to purchase 50,000 MacBooks for its employees by the end of 2015, and then 150,000 - 200,000 annually going forward. The company's employees currently use Lenovo ThinkPads.Best Buy will carry the Apple Watch beginning this month. 100 stores will be involved in the initial rollout, which will include the Apple Watch Sport and stainless steel models, plus replacement bands and other accessories. That number should increase to 300 outlets by the holidays.
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A report last week from sources within the industry indicated that over 10 million subscribers have signed up for Apple Music in its first four weeks of existence.
Apple is increasing its presence in India, which is a huge source of potential customers. The company plans to launch 500 "Authorized Mobility Reseller" locations in 12 different cities across the subcontinent.
In one of the few disappointing news items last week, Apple has lost market share in the tablet market. It still controls the majority share with 24.5%, but that is down from 27.7% at the same point last year. Its biggest competitor, Samsung, lost a percentage point, while Lenovo, Huawei and LG all gained considerably.