Neil Hughes
Apple will get more aggressive on pricing its all-in-one iMac desktop in 2014, with a new "budget" model apparently slated to launch next year, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities.
Kuo, who has earned a positive reputation for accurately predicting Apple's future product plans, revealed in a research note on Saturday that new lower-cost version of its iMac desktop in the works.
He believes the lower pricing will boost overall iMac shipments by between 10 and 20 percent year over year in 2014. Currently, Apple's most affordable 21.5-inch iMac retails for $1,299.
According to Kuo, fewer-than-expected iMacs were shipped worldwide after the desktop was updated with a redesign in late 2012. He believes the price was set too high, which has prompted the company to work on a new "budget iMac model" that will help drive shipments in non-U.S. markets.
Apple surprised with a refresh to its iMac lineup late last month. The latest desktops feature Intel's Haswell CPUs, 802.11ac W-Fi, and GeForce 700-series graphics.
Also mentioned by Kuo on Saturday is was a third-generation iPad mini, unsurprisingly said to be in the works for a 2014 launch. Few details were offered on the new model, as the second-generation iPad mini has yet to be announced.
Kuo reiterated on Saturday that the second-generation iPad mini, which Apple is expected to officially unveil at an event on Oct. 22, will feature a high-resolution Retina display. He expects the third-generation iPad mini penned to launch in 2014 to feature the same resolution as the second-generation model, though he does believe Apple will increase the resolution on a sixth-generation full-size iPad next year.
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200 Comments
In order to appeal to the school market, I'd say Apple needs a $799 iMac or a Mac mini plus display combination for the same or less.
But apple doesn't cater to the low end, and that tends to be what schools buy. So unless it is a machine with last year's or older specs, it will have to be crippled in some way (display, memory, HDD, etc.) for Apple to hold their margins.
Everytime they come out with a budget model, folks buy the nicer ones. So many 5c's in stock right now.
@Rob In stock because they can. 5c is 2nd best selling phone at ATT / Sprint.. beating out the Galaxy S4 of all things. 3rd at Verizon and T-Mobile.. so ANY statements that it's not selling well are simply false.. They ramped up for stock for coming holiday, then ramp down unless demand calls for more.. standard manufacturing.. companies do this all the time.. All I'm hearing is same gloom and doom, in spite of awesome sales numbers from cell companies, that don't seem to be dropping.. The price drops from Walmart, BBY, and others are standard op.. They did this almost right away with the Galaxy S4.. you didn't hear it wasn't selling well. We are in the holiday season for buying.. TONS of specials going on and ramping up.. pfff.. They will practically be giving away nearly all phones soon in ramp up for black friday. Maybe all phones are doomed then! !!!! ;p
Why don’t idiots understand what the Mac Mini is? Is it the shape that throws them off?
Let me guess, to lower the price, Apple will replace the aluminum case of the iMac with 5 colored plastic options with last years internals ...