With Apple rumored to launch a mobile e-wallet in the coming years, potentially as soon as this year, one analysis has noted that the iPhone maker could have a leg up on previous efforts, like Google Wallet, because of the fact that Apple already has hundreds of millions of users' credit card numbers tied to their iTunes accounts.
The iPhone's position as America's best-selling smartphone and Apple's dominance of the tablet segment have led to a big lead iOS in mobile web traffic generation in the United States, and that lead continues to grow.
Noted AAPL bull Gene Munster has softened his outlook for the company through the first half of 2013, though he expects that Apple will rebound and return to growth to close out the year.
After a disappointing holiday quarter, signs continue to show that Mac sales are on the rebound, with the latest data from the NPD Group revealing a 14% year over year increase in January and February.
The recent media trend of negative news on Apple is just a phase that will pass according to analyst Gene Munster and pundit MG Siegler, both of whom agree that the coming months will see Apple getting its groove back with a refresh in its product lines, as well as perhaps some new products.
Though it was heavily hyped, Samsung's largely iterative Galaxy S4 flagship handset is not seen by market watchers as a device that will shake up the smartphone market or have a significant effect on Apple.
The latest data from the NPD Group shows U.S. Mac sales in the month of January were up 31 percent year over year, suggesting Apple began to catch up with demand for its new all-in-one iMac.
Although a recent rumor that Apple was preparing to host a developer-related television event next month was almost instantly shot down, investment research firm Piper Jaffray says a review of years past indicates the company is still likely to host an event by the end of April, which could see the introduction of redesigned iPads.
Apple is still growing, but not at the tremendous pace investors have become accustomed to over the last decade, which has prompted analysts to lower their price targets for the company's stock.
While Apple currently competes in the high-end smartphone market, a low-cost iPhone would allow the company to address the 65 percent of the market it does not currently serve.
A rumored contract-free, low-cost iPhone geared toward emerging markets could net Apple $6.5 billion in revenue this year, one analyst believes.
The 2012 holiday season was a record setting span for AT&T with 10 million total smartphones sold — at least 8 million of which are expected to be Apple iPhones.
While Apple probably won't get into the watch making business in the immediate future, one analyst believes that wearable computers could ultimately replace the iPhone in the long term, much like the iPhone has replaced the iPod.
Tests with Apple's voice-driven personal assistant, Siri, have found that the service turns to Google for an answer in iOS 6 half as much as it did in iOS 5.
With the overall smartphone market now outgrowing the iPhone, one prominent analyst believes Apple will be pushed to release a lower-priced device.
A new survey of more than 800 U.S .consumers found that more than half of those planning to buy a smartphone in the next three months say they will buy Apple's new iPhone 5.
With shares of Apple stock dropping more than 5.5 percent during trading Wednesday, a handful of potential factors have been blamed, including a misinterpreted news story on iPhone sales. But one analyst believes the losses have created another buying opportunity for prospective investors.
A comparison of Apple and Microsoft retail stores on Black Friday found that nearly 5 times as many items were purchased per hour at the Apple Store.
Supply of the iPhone 5 at Apple's U.S. retail stores has almost completely caught up with demand, just in time for the bustling holiday shopping season.
Domestic sales figures from the first month of Apple's holiday quarter have signaled the company is on track to sell 4.8 million Macs in the three-month period, representing a decrease from last year.
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Neil Hughes
Kevin Bostic
Katie Marsal
Brian Marder
AppleInsider Staff
