Are Apple Bytes Tasting Sweet To Investors Again?

Nasdaq Posting Stellar Gains

The Nasdaq stock exchange has had quite a year so far, with a massive 33 percent increase that is equal to a 1,000 point rise. In fact, the exchange topped the 4,000 mark just in time for Thanksgiving this year, and the holiday shopping season is only just begun.

The Nasdaq is powered mostly by tech stocks, which explains the big rise it has seen this year, as the tech market has expanded and grown exponentially. While the massive increase in the exchange’s overall value seems monumental – and it is – but it is so much more impressive because its number one company by value has not really pushed the numbers this year.

Apple Not Keeping Up With The Rest Of The World

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is the most valuable stock in the world. However, it has fallen far behind the pack this year, and has only risen 4.5 percent. Last September saw Apple Inc. touch its high water mark of $702, followed by a subsequent slide and recovery to its current level of $556.07 per share. The stock seemed to sour in the mouths of investors almost overnight, and it shed value by more than $200 per share before finally leveling out and making a comeback.

Apple Staging A Comeback

While it has seemed that shareholders in Apple have been left with sour cider for the last few months, it is possible that some sweet nectar may be just around the corner for the Cupertino company. We recently reported that Apple is projected to hit $600 per share by January of next year, and the company is climbing towards that mark each day.

While the stock gained $10.11 per share today and rose by 1.85 percent, the fact that it is inching towards that $600 mark could be a sign that investor confidence in the company is once again growing. The company is a conundrum of sorts, with analysts having multiple predictions regarding its future. However, the company has a huge cash pile, which Carl Icahn believes should be distributed through a massive share buyback program. The company also manufactures and sells the premier electronic devices of the day, with iPhone and iPad being household words in America and other thriving nations.

What Does The Future Hold?

Will Apple make a comeback to its glory days in the $700 price range? I think so, although I look for it to be somewhere in the fall of next year. I believe the iPhone 6 launch and possibility of an iWatch launch could be the catalysts to push the stock back to its stellar heights. In the meantime, buying shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) seems to be a great way to squeeze some juice from the sometimes bitter market.

Disclosure: Author holds no position in any stock mentioned at the time of this writing.

Apple Rumors: iWatch & A larger iPad On The Horizon

iWatch

The iWatch is a fabled product that Apple buffs have been hinting about for several years. The idea of a wearable piece of technology that can help your fitness routine, provide music, and allow you to check your email without ever causing you to lose track of time, is a tempting thought at the least. Now, there could be evidence that Apple truly is developing such a product.

According to a report by DigiTimes, Apple has tapped the services of Taiwan based Quanta computers to develop the iWatch and production pilots are already underway. The device has been pushed back from the first quarter of next year to the second according to the report because of low yields. Foxconn has also been invited into the project, but the split between the two companies is as of now undetermined.

Jumbo iPad

Quanta will also be responsible for building Apple’s new iPad, which is rumored to have a 12.9 inch screen.  According to the report, the company expects supplies of the larger scaled tablet to be limited due to the fact that components for a tablet of this size are not currently available in the mainstream market. This means there could be a supply constraint until the idea of larger tablets catches on with component manufacturers. The new larger iPad will most likely be used in the education and business fields, rather than for personal home use.

Read the entire report here.

Apple Confirms PrimeSense Deal

Well, Apple has finally made its acquisition of PrimeSense, the Israeli company that builds 3D vision sensors for machines like the X-Box Kinect. According to reports, the company was purchased for a price in the neighborhood of $360 million.

Krisitn Huguet, an Apple spokeswoman, confirmed the deal, but did not divulge what Apple plans to do with its new acquisition. She said, “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.” This answer is altogether typical of Apple Inc., as Tim Cook never likes to tip his hand in the middle of the game.

Apple could utilize the technology from PrimeSense in many different ways, as the company has moved away from its original sensor program that built large pieces, similar to the one in Kinect. The company’s new line of sensors, like the Capri, would work well for mobile devices.

PrimeSense is the perfect acquisition for the Cupertino company, as it will give Apple a direct line on motion sensitive sensors for its new products, which could include an Apple TV and an iWatch. I guess we will have to wait and see what the tech giant does with its new toy, although it’s highly likely that Tim Cook would like to find a way to use it to boot Samsung from the market for good.

iWatch Will Have To Out-Perform Samsung Galaxy Gear

Rumors of Apple being in the development stages of a wearable smart device, which has been labeled the iWatch, have been circulating for quite some time. Those rumors have grown considerably more popular in recent days.

Galaxy Gear Is A Flop

Apple’s arch-enemy, Samsung, released its version of an iWatch in September. The Galaxy Gear was launched amid fanfare and advertising, which led many to believe the device would be a popular piece on consumer shopping lists. However, as of now, the device is a flop as far as sales are concerned.

Since the device debuted at the end of September, it has recorded approximately 50,000 sales. This number is well below what the company expected to sell, and everyone knows it. BusinessKorea said on Monday that the daily sales of the Galaxy Gear are in the 800 to 900 unit range. The publication notes that this is “far below initial expectations.”

Part of the reason for low sales is the fact that many of the initial reviews of the product slammed it pretty hard. The major faults noted in reviews were the high price of $300, the short battery life, and the initial limitation of connectivity with only the Galaxy Note 3. The last issue was later resolved, with support for the Galaxy S3, S4, and Note 2 being added to the device.

Apple’s Plans

According to the rumor mill, Apple will be releasing an iWatch next year. The difference between Apple’s product and the Galaxy Gear is that Apple’s product is rumored to center around the physical health of its owner. With special biometric sensors, the iWatch may be able to offer valuable feedback regarding the medical conditions of the wearer.

All of this is still conjecture at this point, as Apple has not yet conceded that an iWatch is in development. However, the rumor mill, although sometimes missing the mark, is for the most part a fairly reliable source.  If the rumors do prove true, then Apple will have to make sure the iWatch outperforms the Galaxy Gear, or the company could end up with time on its hands.

Tiny AppleBytes will keep you updated as we learn more about the iWatch.

Apple May Release The iWatch In Two Screen Sizes

According to DisplaySearch, a supply chain analysis firm, Apple Inc. is planning to release an “iWatch.” David Hsieh, an analyst at the firm, says that Apple will be releasing the new product with two screen options to choose from. According to Hsieh, the iWatch will sport an OLED display and will come in a 1.7 inch screen size for men and a 1.3 inch screen size for women.

If Apple Inc. is truly working on an iWatch, and all indications are that this is the case, then branching into wearable computers is a whole new market. This will be the first time Apple has gone beyond making accessories that compliment consumers’ clothing choices, and actually added something to the wardrobe.

iWatch Rumor Mill

iWatch rumors have been making the rounds for quite some time. However, up until now, there has been no indication that the company was actually planning to launch such a product. According to Apple Insider these rumors have “picked up significantly in 2013.” The report goes on to say that Apple has “a team of more than 100 employees working on the project and has snapped up industry experts in fashion, wearable devices, and fitness throughout the year.”

It appears that the iWatch will be more than just a watch, or a wearable iPod. The smartwatch will feature a full arsenal of biometric sensors, and it is even possible that the iWatch will function as a standalone product, rather than requiring it to be linked to something else. This watch will be a direct competitor of the Samsung Galaxy Gear, a smartwatch manufactured by Apple’s biggest competitor in the mobile device world.

iWatch Benches Apple TV

Last year rumors of Apple Inc. attempting to work out a deal with cable companies to market its Apple TV as a standalone product were making the rounds. While it was apparently true that Apple was trying to create such a deal, it appears that all of that has been put on hold in lieu of the iWatch project.

According to Paul Gagnon, another display search analyst, the choice to focus on the iWatch is the best one due to consumer interest waning in a television product. He said, “Indeed, the existing Apple TV box may be an impediment to Apple’s success with a smart TV product, which as a category, is not growing in the U.S. as man had hoped for. Our most recent smart TV forecast is that they will only account for about a quarter of TV shipments in 2013, and grow very slowly from there, with the focus on low-end premium models.”

iWatch Is Coming

iWatch will most likely be announced early next year, and then launched later on. For now, Apple Inc. has yet to confirm the development of the product, but we all know that just because the Cupertino tech giant doesn’t admit to having something, doesn’t mean they don’t. Until the iWatch is announced by Apple, we will have to simply keep checking the rumors out. Some will be true, and some will not, but that is why the anticipation builds to such a frenzy with each new Apple product.