Info Tech
Apple set to report record holiday, but China doubts stay
NEW YORK – Apple Inc may notch its most successful holiday shopping season yet when it reports quarterly results on Monday, setting records for sales of its gift-friendly iPhones and iPads.
It will, however, continue to draw investor scrutiny over sales in ultra-competitive China, its No. 2 market but a drag on revenue and margins in recent quarters. The iPhone maker has been ceding ground to Samsung Electronics and other rivals there, but has now sealed a long-awaited deal to sell iPhones through China Mobile that could bear fruit in 2014.
Apple, which once routinely blew away Wall Street’s most bullish expectations, needs a superb quarter to galvanize the stock. Its shares are down about 3 percent this year.
Activist investor Carl Icahn, arguing that at 13 times forward earnings the stock is undervalued, is building up his stake and demanding the Cupertino, California, company share more of its $146 billion cash hoard.
Longer term, investors want to see what new gadgets Apple can pull out of its hat, a central issue about which Chief Executive Tim Cook has been cagey. Speculation revolves around a smartwatch, a larger-screened iPhone – a nod to Samsung’s hugely successful “phablets” – and persistent talk of a TV product.
“Beyond fiscal 2014, it is not a slam dunk that Apple’s net income will be higher in three to five years,” said Bernstein Research’s Toni Sacconaghi. “Without new product categories, we see Apple’s end markets as increasingly mature and competitive, which could pressure or limit revenue growth and gross margins.”
Samsung, reflecting how intensifying global competition is eroding smartphone profits and margins after years of explosive growth, on Friday reported its first quarterly profit decline in two years.
Sales-wise, Apple’s current line-up is still expected to enjoy a strong following despite stiff competition from Samsung and Amazon.com Inc’s Kindle Fire.
Wall Street analysts are expecting Apple to report sales of around 55 million iPhones and 26 million iPads, up from 48 million and 23 million respectively in the year-ago quarter.
Of that iPhone estimate, analysts expect good sales of the 5S due to pent up demand and limited supply around launch time, but remain less sanguine about a 5C that has so far failed to excite the cost-conscious consumers it targets.
A CHINA QUESTION
In the options market, traders were bracing for a move of about 5 percent to 6 percent in Apple’s shares after its announcement. The sentiment was more bullish than bearish with call volume outpacing put contracts: of 1.87 million contracts of open interest in options, 1.17 million were calls and 706,000 puts.
Apple’s stock is up 21.7 percent over the past 12 months, just ahead of a 20.4 percent rise in the Standard & Poor’s 500. Still, that has disappointed some investors after the shares increased five-fold in the last five years.
In a lengthy letter to shareholders on Thursday, Icahn urged shareholders to approve his proposal for a new $50 billion share buyback, arguing the company did not need so much cash on hand and that the stock was undervalued relative to the S&P 500.
Apple, which launched a massive share buyback last year, has urged shareholders to reject Icahn’s proposal, arguing that it needs sufficient reserves to tackle increasing competition in a fast-evolving mobile industry.
More fundamentally, investors worry about Apple’s performance in China, the world’s largest cellular market. Analysts say the high-end iPhone is struggling to make headway against cheaper local offerings from Huawei and Xiaomi, while Samsung continues to dominate the market.
Apple has been under siege from a growing coterie of Asian phonemakers over the past year. It ended the third quarter as the No. 2 player with 12.1 percent of the global smartphone market, but down from 14.3 percent a year ago and less than half of Samsung’s 32.1 percent currently. Lenovo, LG Electronics and Huawei all made gains, each holding about a 5 percent market share at present, according to Gartner data.
The picture is drastically different in China, where Samsung commanded a 21 percent share in the third quarter of 2013, with Apple trailing in fifth place with 6 percent, according to research firm Canalys.
But some analysts say the addition of China Mobile’s vast nationwide network to the iPhone’s stable could drive sales of four to five million iPhones in the March quarter.
“Inventory build and magnitude of China Mobile iPhone sales are a big X-factor for the March quarter,” Sacconaghi wrote on Friday.
– REUTERS
In efforts at spicing up the 2023 ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue, the management of ITREALMS Media has partnered with E-waste Producer Responsibility Organization of Nigeria (EPRON) membership organisations for a day-long collection scheme of small electronic waste on Friday, December 15, 2023.
The EPRON members aligning their partnership with 2023 ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue are EL-AS Tech Enterprises Limited and WEEE Eco-Friendly.
ITREALMS’ day-long collection scheme is part of the commemoration of 2023 international E-Waste Day (IEWD) within the ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue with the theme “You Can Recycle Anything with a plug, battery or cable” at Welcome Centre Hotels, International Airport Road, Lagos.
Revealing this collaboration, the Group Executive Editor, ITREALMS Media, the organisers of the 2023 ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue, Sir. Remmy Nweke, urged mobile device enthusiasts to come along with their devices that have reached their end-of-life to the venue for proper disposition by professionals who would also be on grounds to address some topical issues.
The collection of small electronic wastes especially mobile phones and like-devices, would be carried out by EPRON member organisation, EL-AS Tech Enterprises Limited as facilitated by ITREALMS Media group as part of this year’s ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue on Friday, December 15, he added.
He disclosed that the exercise would commence at Welcome Centre Hotel by 9am till close of work hours the same day.
Nweke pointed out that the collection of small e-waste items would include mobile phones, pointers mouse, earpieces, rechargeable torches, phone chargers, to name a few.
Further, he said, that this initiative has become time-serving because some people may have missed any other opportunity before now for the year-long campaign, hence this awareness on e-Waste has to be continuous, “ITREALMS came up with this scheme.”
Nweke beckoned on Nigerians, especially mobile phone users, to leverage the opportunity in disposing of their mobile devices they no longer use, of course in exchange for a voucher or gift item.
In her reaction to this year’s day-long small waste collection, EPRON Executive Secretary, Mrs. Ibukun Faluyi, described the initiative as commendable, expressing confidence it would intensify the collection of end-of-life devices for proper disposition.
Mrs. Faluyi, also urged Nigerians to take advantage of this day-long collection of small wastes courtesy of ITREALMS Media.
Recalling for instance that in October 2022, EPRON had partnered SLOT alongside some UN agencies for collection of small e-waste items in Lagos, including the United Nations Information Centres (UNIC), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), International Labour Organisation (ILO), Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA).
This is even as the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Dr. Aminu Maida and Director-General, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Prof. Aliyu Jauro, would both lead speakers at the 2023 ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue slated for this Friday, December 15, in Lagos.
Today, September 12, the tech corporation Apple will introduce the iPhone 15, their newest iPhone model.
According to a Forbes story, this model, which will be introduced at the company’s “Wanderlust” event in Cupertino, California, will be available in four variations: the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Here are five things you should know about the new iPhone 15 model.
1. The new model is made of titaniu, not stainless steel as some other Apple smartphone models, Senior research analyst at DIGITIMES, Luke Lin reports.
2. The Pro Max model will feature double the optical zoom on the iPhone 14 as it comes with a newly-introduced ‘periscope lens upgrade, performing 5-6x optical zoom.’
3. The Pro models will carry an A17 bionic chip expected to make it perform faster.
4. The iPhone 15 model will feature a USB-C charging port, the same port featured on some Android phone models.
5. Due to its titanium shell, the new model is anticipated to be more expensive to purchase. The following is the speculated price list, as reported by Forbes:
The iPhone 15 starts at $799, the iPhone 15 Plus at $899, the iPhone 15 Pro at $1,099 ($100 increase), and the iPhone 15 Pro Max at $1,299 ($200 increase).
In an effort to reduce the exorbitant cost of Premium Motor Spirit, better known as petrol, the Infrastructure Bank Plc announced its collaboration with FEMADEC Group on Monday to offer 500 buses powered by autogas (Compressed Natural Gas).
Partners in the agreement claimed that the project was created to provide citizens with dependable, affordable, and environmentally friendly travel options, taking into account the negative effects of the nationwide increase in PMS costs.
Under Decree No. 51 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s 1992 Constitution, the Infrastructure Bank, originally known as the Urban Development Bank of Nigeria Plc, was founded in 1992 to promote the quick development of infrastructure throughout the nation.
In a statement issued in Abuja on its partnership with FEMADEC, the bank said, “The preliminary offer extended by TIB lays a solid foundation for the expansion of FEMADEC Group’s CNG bus fleet.
“With plans to introduce 500 CNG buses within the next five years, commencing with an initial batch of 50 buses in the forthcoming year, this proposal stands poised to instigate significant change.
“The acceptance of this proposition by FEMADEC Group, notably championed by Fola Akinnola, the Group Chief Executive Officer, is a testament to their zeal and dedication to this alliance.”
The bank described the partnership as a “pivotal endeavour that is primed to redefine Nigeria’s public transportation landscape, offering dependable, cost-effective, and ecologically conscious travel alternatives for citizens, while harmonising with the nation’s broader sustainability ambitions.”
“This partnership represents a remarkable stride towards a more ecologically aware future for Nigeria’s transportation sector, highlighting the shared commitment of both TIB and FEMADEC Group to sustainable advancement and progress.”
It said FEMADEC Group’s strides in operating Compressed Natural Gas buses, including the existing fleet of 20 CNG buses under LAMATA, underscored their unwavering dedication to ecologically sound solutions, a commitment predating the fuel subsidy removal.
“Their leadership within the CNG value chain is undeniable, and the new alliance with TIB underscores their foresight.
“This partnership seamlessly aligns with TIB’s sustainability objectives, echoing their resolute endorsement of the government’s net-zero and climate change agenda.
“The bank’s aspiration to champion Nigeria’s infrastructure progress is evident in its endorsement of pivotal initiatives like this, yielding expansive positive impacts on both the environment and society,” the bank stated.
The bank added that it would continue to make a significant contribution to the country’s growth as a leading financial institution committed to advancing effective and long-lasting infrastructure projects.
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