iPhone Market Expected to Triple

Posted by Jody Mitoma on May 12, 2008 at 1:09 pm

“Last week was busy for new carrier agreements,” analyst Shaw Wu wrote in a note to clients on Monday. “Vodafone, Telecom Italia, America Movil and Roger Wireless now expect to launch iPhone later this year.”

The analyst said the arrangements should more than triple Apple’s wireless subscriber opportunity from about 150 million potential customers today to approximately 470 million around the time the handset maker unveils its 3G iPhone. That’s just under half a billion. How big is that, you ask?.. Oh, only 1/13th of the entire world population, folks. Wow!

As a result, Wu bumped his price target on Apple shares for the second time in two weeks to $220, and also raised his forecast for cumulative iPhone shipments by the end of 2008 to 14.6 million from 11 million units. - Apple Insider. Analysts expect Apple to sell over 17 million iPhones in 2009.

“We continue to expect a 3G iPhone to be launched in mid-June. Given the channels are running dry of the current models (8GB and 16GB), the limited availability is one of several indications that the release of a new model is imminent,” Piper Jaffray writes.

We expect the second-generation iPhone to be slightly redesigned with 3G mobile data and true GPS. WWDC08, set to take place on June 9th, is a likely event at which Apple could announce the design and features of the new device.

Munster stated that while the limited availability of iPhones at the online Apple Store and in some retail stores puts pressure on iPhone unit expectations in the June quarter, he believes the release of a new model in June will make up for any loss of sales within the next couple of weeks.

(Source: AppleInsider)