New iPhones aren't selling in Asia, says analyst, but new products later in 2018 could boost Apple
- "We are not surprised with the quick cooldown of iPhone X sales," Rosenblatt Securities' Jun Zhang wrote.
- Zhang wrote that Apple could sell 6 million to 8 million iPad Pro units with more advanced 3-D sensing, as well as new phones in the fall.
- A red iPhone model and a lower-end iPhones and a lower-priced HomePod might also be in the works, Zhang said.
Apple's iPhone X may not have wooed Asian consumers during the Lunar New Year holiday — but the company has some new products in the pipeline, according to Rosenblatt Securities' Jun Zhang.
Zhang chopped 5.5 million units off expectations for iPhone X sales for the first half of this year in a Wednesday research note. But with sales of high-end smartphones shrinking, Apple could offset lower iPhone sales with new products.
"We are not surprised with the quick cooldown of iPhone X sales following Chinese New Year," Zhang wrote. "Further iPhone X cuts, in our view, suggest the high-end smartphone market upgrade cycle continues to extend. We are seeing similar issues for Samsung's S9 model since our research suggests that preorders are weak."
Apple and Samsung, like many tech companies, and rarely release data on new products or unit sales outside of quarterly reports or launch events. But, Zhang wrote, Apple could sell 6 million to 8 million iPad Pro units with more advanced 3-D sensing, as well as new phones in the fall.
A new red iPhone model, lower-end iPhones and a lower-priced HomePod might also be in the works, Zhang said. (Apple has had a partnership with HIV/AIDS organization (RED) for over a decade, and often sells red-colored products to support AIDS research and prevention.)
"Since we expect the overall smartphone market to be flat this year, particularly in the mid-to-high end markets, Apple's upcoming lower priced iPhone model could drive Apple's unit growth," Zhang wrote.