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Apple Inc launched its next-generation iPhone 12 on Oct. 13, with 5G connectivity faster than the Cupertino, California company expects it to spur a wave of updates and keep sales booming through the end of the year.
The core of the line, the iPhone 12 with a 6.1-inch screen, will sell for US $ 799 (RM3,309), while a ‘Mini’ version with a 5.4-inch screen will be a bit cheaper at US $ 699. (RM2,895). A ‘Pro’ version with three cameras and a new 3D lidar sensor starts at $ 999 (RM4,138), with the largest ‘Pro Max’ starting at $ 1,099 (RM4,552) and goes up to $ 1,399. (RM5, 794).
The new products will test whether Apple can harness a wave of consumer excitement around 5G wireless data networks, whose faster variants exceed the data speeds of their predecessors by several times.
But whether iPhone buyers see a dramatic speed increase will largely depend on where they are and which carrier they use, what Bob O’Donnell, head of TECHnalysis Research, called “a lot of annoying little details that get in the way of fulfill the promise of 5G ”.
He said Apple may be disappointing some customers when the phones ship out, but it offers only modest speed increases until carriers build networks.
“I don’t feel like Apple clarified that as much as they could have,” O’Donnell said.
Apple said that all iPhone 12 models in the United States will support 5G millimeter wave, the fastest variant of the technology, as well as low-frequency bands.
However, outside the United States, iPhones will lack millimeter wave support, even in countries like Australia and South Korea, where carriers plan to implement versions of millimeter wave technology. Like some cheaper Android devices, iPhone 12 models in those countries will only support lower-frequency 5G versions.
Apple said it had tested 5G in more than 800 carriers in 30 regions globally.
Verizon Communications Inc CEO Hans Vestberg appeared at Apple’s live broadcast presentation to announce that the phones would be powered by the operator’s ‘ultra-wideband’ 5G network, designed to alleviate bottlenecks in major cities such as New York and Los Angeles, as well as in crowded areas like NFL stadiums. .
The devices will arrive about a month later than usual for Apple’s annual launches. Pre-orders for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro in the United States, Great Britain, China, and some other countries begin on October 16 and deliveries begin on October 23. The iPhone Mini and Pro Max will be available for pre-order on November 6 and in stores November 13.
Apple may face a tepid holiday season due to the coronavirus pandemic, said Jake Dollarhide, chief executive of Longbow Asset Management in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
“Since the convergence of flu season with Covid and the colder weather forces everyone to be indoors, I think it will be more difficult to sell iPhones this Christmas. As much as Apple is a technology company, it is not known for its online sales, it is known for its experience in the store, “said Dollarhide.
Apple shares fell more than 3% during the event, erasing US $ 77 billion (RM318.93 billion) in stock market value.
Users of the Chinese social media platform Weibo complained that the live broadcast of Apple’s event on the online platforms Tencent and Bilibili Inc had been canceled, but said they could still view it on Apple’s website. Tencent and Bilibili did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Homepod Mini
Apple also announced a HomePod Mini smart speaker that will cost US $ 99 (RM410) and will ship from November 16. Many of the features serve to catch up with similar offerings from Amazon.com Inc and Google from Alphabet Inc.
But Ben Bajarin, a senior consumer market intelligence analyst at research firm Creative Strategies, said Apple had developed its vision for how its devices could interact more directly with their own speakers than rivals. For example, Apple customers can talk on their iPhone or iPad to use the HomePod Minis as an intercom system.
“That is not something that Google or Amazon, particularly Amazon, can do so neatly,” Bajarin said. “The advantage that Apple has on which they pressed is that a good part of those customers (of Google and Amazon) have iPhones. They took advantage of the fact that they own the pocket. “- Reuters
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