Yesterday we posted that Apple will today introduce an iMac refresh. Apple is now busy updating the App Store and probably to unveil the new iMacs. Its believed the new devices will have Thunderbolt and SandyBridge processors which are extremely likely with other enhancements to the camera and maybe the possibility of an SSD drive. lets wait and see Apple.
Citing sources “familiar with the matter,†a new report suggests Apple will launch its new lineup of iMacs tomorrow, May 3rd, featuring Intel’s newest family of Sandy Bridge processors, and the company’s high-speed Thunderbolt port in place of the current Mini DisplayPort.
According to cultofmac, Apple has recently been taking steps to ensure a smooth roll-out of the new iMacs, according to the same sources, who apparently continue to provide accurate information when it comes to Apple’s plans, says the AppleInsider report. One confirmed that a “visual night†is scheduled for the early morning hours of May 3rd, “so it is highly likely that whatever new product that is going to be refreshed or introduced will be done on [that day].â€
A “visual night†is when several Apple retail employees are called in to work throughout the evening and into the early hours of the morning to make changes to store layouts, often removing old products to make room for new ones.
Previous reports have already speculated that Apple was getting ready for the imminent launch of updated iMacs, and stock of the current generation all-in-one is slowly diminishing. The last time the iMac family was updated was some 9 months ago.
As reported earlier about the possibility of Apple planning a retina display for Mac, just like what we have on the iPhone 4. In addition to the beautiful and huge wallpaper, new icons with higher resolution have now been discovered as well.
MacMagazine.com.br has found several icons with resolution of 1024×1024 compared to what we now have in Snow Leopard – 512×512. Click the image above to see it in full resolution.
This is probably a first step towards Apple’s release of retina display in their desktop computers, when the hardware allows them to.
Apple on Wednesday reported its best second quarter ever, with $24.67 billion in revenue and $5.99 billion in profit, propelled by sales of 18.65 million iPhones. Following the news, Apple executives participated in a conference call with analysts and here are the highlights:
Apple’s iPhone sales in the second quarter of fiscal 2011 were an increase of 113 percent from a year ago. Mac sales also grew 28 percent to 3.76 million. Apple also sold 4.69 million iPads, a number that was below Wall Street expectations of about 6.2 million.
Apple’s regional business segments
- Apple’s revenue in America increased 87 percent in the second quarter of fiscal 2011.
- Apple’s greatest growth came from Asia, where profits increased by 151 percent.
- Japan also did well on the Mac for the quarter, and Cook said the U.S. had a “surprisingly” strong quarter for Mac sales.
- Market share is less outside the U.S. in most places. Cook sees it as an opportunity for even more growth in the future.
- “The momentum is still there. We seem to be the only guys that are focused on building innovative products in this space.”
Apple’s Mac business
- Mac sales during the quarter were 3.76 million, a 28 percent increase year over year.
- Greatest Mac sales ever for a March quarter.
- iPad has created a “halo effect” for the Mac, Cook said, driving sales in the enterprise.
Apple’s iPhone business
- iPhone sales grew an astounding 113 percent year over year, reaching 18.65 million for the quarter.
- All-time quarterly record for iPhone sales.
- Sales in America and Asia Pacific regions more than doubled year over year.
- Strong growth in the enterprise segment. 88 percent of Fortune 500 are testing or deploying the iPhone. Examples: Cisco, Prudential, Boston Scientific, General Motors, Deloitte, Xerox.
- Regarding the Japan earthquake, Cook said the economic impact “pales in comparison to the human impact.”
- Impact in Q2 was not major. Does not see a major impact in Q3, but Cook cautioned that the situation remains volatile, particularly with aftershocks and potential power outages.
- Apple employees have been working around the clock on contingency plans. Preference has been to remain with long-term partners in Japan. “They have displayed an incredible resilience that I’ve personally never seen before,” Cook said.
- Cook: iPhone sales were “off the charts” in the U.S., with 155 percent year over year growth, thanks in part to Verizon. Also noted that AT&T did “extremely well.”
- “We continued to be on a tear in China. Greater China saw iPhone sales being up over three times, almost 250 percent,” Cook said.
- Cook said the $49 iPhone 3GS was “very popular, it did very well.”
- “We are constantly looking at where we should bring on incremental partners,” Cook said. Apple brought on three large partners this quarter, particularly Verizon in the U.S.
- iPhone focus has been on China. Overall sales in China was just less than $5 billion, or 10 percent of Apple. Cook said it’s a “sea change.”
- Cook said Apple employees see Chief Executive Steve Jobs on a regular basis. He also said that Jobs wants to be back at work full-time as soon as he can be.
- Cook said Samsung is a valuable partner in supplying components for devices.
- “We felt the mobile communication division of Samsung ahd crossed the line, and after trying for some time to work out the issue, we decided we needed to rely on the courts.”
Apple’s iPad business
- Apple sold 4.69 million iPads during its second fiscal quarter of 2011, as the company struggled to keep up with demand for the iPad 2.
- Oppenheimer said the company is “thrilled” with momentum for the iPad.
- “We sold every iPad 2 that we could make during the quarter, and would have liked to end the quarter with more channel inventory,” Oppenheimer said.
- Corporate demand for iPad is strong. 75 percent of Fortune 500 are testing or deploying iPad within their enterprises. Include companies: Xerox, AutoNation, ADP, Boston Scientific, Estee Lauder, Disney, Rite Aid.
- Combining iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, Apple reached just under 189 million iOS devices sold.
- On iPad 2 constraints: Cook called the demand “staggering.” Said the company is “heavily backlogged” in the face of demand.
- “We are shipping to an additional 13 countries next week, and we’re planning to add even more countries through the quarter,” Cook said. He’s confident that the company will produce “a very large number of iPads” in the quarter.
- Cook: Product transitions are never simple. Apple drew the channel down on the first-generation iPad by 570k units during the quarter, and added, at the end of the quarter, 170k of the new iPad 2s, although most of it was in transit.
- Sell-through was about 5 million for the quarter. “This has to be planned quite a ways in the future.”
- Won’t say breakdown of iPad 2 vs. iPad 1 sales for the quarter due to competitive reasons. But Cook said he wishes Apple could have produced a lot more iPad 2s.
- Cook: iPad 2 is “the mother of all backlogs.”
Apple’s iPod business
- iPod sales were 9.02 million for the quarter, a 17 percent decline from the same period in 2010.
- Total iPod sales were ahead of Apple’s expectations. iPod touch accounts for more than half of all iPods sold.
- Apple’s share of MP3 players remain north of 70 percent. Still the top media player in most countries.
- Revenue of almost $1.1 billion in iTunes. Best quarter ever.
Apple’s retail business
- Retail sales were up 32 percent in the second quarter of fiscal 2011, and in-store revenue from Mac sales was up 90 percent.
- 10th anniversary of Apple retail stores is on May 19.
- In the coming days, Apple will host its 1 billionth retail visitor.
- About half of Macs sold in stores were to customers who never owned a Mac before.
- In March quarter, Apple stores set up more than 1 million products.
- Revenue from retail stores was $3.19 billion, an increase of 90 percent.
- 323 stores in the quarter, with average revenue of $9.9 million, an increase of 67 percent.
- International retail store volume exceeds average U.S. store volume.
- Anticipate opening 40 new stores in fiscal 2011, nearly three-quarters outside of the U.S., including a fifth store in China.
Apple’s next (Q3 2011) fiscal quarter
- Apple provided guidance of about $23 billion in revenue and diluted earnings per share of $5.03 for its third fiscal quarter of 2011.
- Projected gross margin of 41.4 percent. Expect the tax rate to be about 25 percent.
- Guidance of $23 billion is a 7 percent sequential decline, uncharacteristic for Apple.
[collected via: appleinsider]