Apple That

Despite the fact that the Samsung Galaxy is the world’s best selling smartphone, demand for the iPhone 4SXL, I mean iPhone 5, is still through the roof. Demand was so high, as a matter of fact, that Apple’s production plants, specifically Foxconn, were unable to keep up with the demand, severely angering Apple. Thankfully (for Foxconn employees at least) it only took about two months for Apple to almost catch up with iPhone 5 demand.

One of the top Apple analysts for Piper Jaffray, Gene Munster, has been tracking iPhone 5 availability at 100 Apple Stores around the United States for the past month. In that time, Munster has reported that there have been significant improvements in the past 10 days.

As of Tuesday, iPhone 5 smartphones running on AT&T were in stock at 82% of Apple stores with 72% of Verizon stores having the device in stock and 92% of Sprint stores having the newest Apple handset. In addition to that, shipping times for customers ordering online have decreased to about two weeks after having been stuck at three to four weeks since the phone launched on September 21.

According to Munster, Apple is “nearing full availability” for the iPhone 5 just in time for the holidays. The iPhone 5 debuted exactly two months ago to much fanfare, despite it essentially being the iPhone 4S with a larger screen and 4G LTE connectivity.

However, opening weekend sales were lower than expected due to supply constraints. Since then, Apple’s stock of the phone has been hit by concerns that the company’s manufacturing partners are unable to produce the latest iPhone fast enough to keep up with consumer demand.

The biggest question that Apple is facing now is whether or not the increased availability of the iPhone is due to an increased productivity from Apple’s manufacturing plants or a decreased demand for the phone which, to be honest, wasn’t as revolutionary as people expected it to be.

Source: Mashable – Apple is Finally Catching Up to iPhone 5 Demand

While the tablet world has rapidly expanded over the past year with many new companies and manufacturers jumping into the game, one thing is clear, the iPad is still king. Apple announced Monday that they sold 3 million new iPad and iPad mini models in the first three days of release. The sales figures were record numbers for Apple, who in March sold 1.5 million iPads in the first three days.

The first of the two new iPad models is the “traditional” iPad. While Apple released a new, retina display iPad just a few months ago in March, they decided to release a new and improved retina display iPad just a few months later. The new(er) iPad contains some modest hardware improvements such as a new A6X chip that makes performance twice as fast, has expanded LTE coverage,  faster wi-fi, and the new lightning dock connector. The display remains the same, however, on the new(er) iPad, as it is identical to the “Retina” display on the 3rd generation iPad. The price point is also unchanged as the starting price for a wi-fi only model is $499.

The other, and quite honestly bigger, news is the release of an all new product, the iPad mini. The iPad mini is essentially Apple’s response to new tablets such as Google’s Nexus 7 and Amazon’s Kindle Fire. It is a 7.9 inch tablet, which is bigger than all the other “7-inch class” tablets. While it costs considerably more than the other tablets in its class, with a starting price of $329, it offers quite a few features. Some include a large 7.9-inch screen, a very fast A5 chip for processing power, a 5 Mega-pixel camera, and LTE model options. While it does not have a “Retina” display like its bigger brother, the iPad mini does have the same resolution display as the iPad 2. While this may disappoint some consumers, the fact that it is the same number of pixels on a smaller screen means it has a higher resolution.

While the iPad mini comes in at a higher price point than other tablets in its category, it is undoubtedly the best. While there are great 7-inch tablets such as the Nexus 7 and the Kindle Fire that are in fact cheaper, the iPad mini is truly a step above. A few key features that set it apart are the larger screen, optional LTE connectivity, and the over 250,000 tablet exclusive apps available in the App Store. While early sales figures indicate a good future for the iPad mini, it remains to be seen how the higher price tag will affect the sales over the holiday season. If early sales figures continue, however, Apple will have a very, merry Christmas.

Source: LA Times – http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-ipad-sales-20121105,0,1843110.story

Foxconn, Apple’s controversial manufacturer of almost all things with the prefix “i” isn’t producing as many iPhones as Apple wants, nor are they producing them fast enough according to the company’s chairman. Foxconn is arguably the biggest supplier of parts and construction for Apple’s iPhone, iPad, iPod, etc…

According to Foxconn Chief Terry Gou in a recent interview with Reuters, “It’s not easy to make the iPhones. We are falling short of meeting the huge demand.” In addition to that, Gou was unable to say which iPhones are actually difficult to produce as Apple is still currently selling three different models: the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and iPhone 5.

Despite not revealing the product, it is presumed that Gou was referring to the latest iPhone 5. An unidentified Foxconn official told The Wall Street Journal last month that producing the iPhone 5 is “very complicated”, causing supply issues. The official went on to say that the smartphone is “the most difficult device that Foxconn has ever assembled.”

Apple’s iPhone 5 is thinner and taller than its predecessors and also comes with a few improvements over the 4S, including 4G LTE support and a new, smaller Lightning port. That means that Foxconn’s workers are putting a lot of components into an increasingly smaller shell.

Apple is definitely displeased. The iPhone 5 is scheduled to ship in three to four weeks for people who order it now with customers who are actually going to the store to buy one facing similar wait times. Apple is all about getting its technology into as many hands as possible as fast as possible, so set backs like this are almost inexcusable, especially with other smartphones on the market, like the Galaxy S III, being highly favorable replacements to the iPhone.

Source: CNET – Foxconn chief: We can’t keep up with iPhone demand