Apple likely to announce major software updates in JuneMay 5, 2011 - 13:15 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Fresh off a meeting with senior executives at Apple, Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty said the company sees product cycles as being driven by software rather than hardware and is expected to announce major software updates at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June. Though Huberty said Thursday, May 5, that Apple did not confirm during the meeting whether an iPhone hardware refresh was in place for later this year, she did address investor concerns that a delayed refresh would affect profits. Since Apple sees itself as software focused, major feature updates in iOS 5 and Mac OS X 10.7 Lion are expected to drive sales. Huberty also took away from her meeting with the company's executives the message that Apple has several "potential tailwinds" that could better the company's margins, such as improved product costs, lower warranty expense and higher iPad ASPs, AppleInsider reports. Apple is confident that the iPhone has room to grow, according to the analyst. Given that Apple sells the device in just 90 countries and approximately 185 carriers, compared to over 175 countries and more than 575 carriers for competitors, iPhone shipments are expected to continue to grow in a "natural expansion." The iPhone maker also communicated to Huberty that, based on "daily or weekly data from partners," it remains confident in the smartphone's inventory levels. Huberty also reported that the company "plans to expand current retail stores and build larger new stores (up to 50/yr)" and will free up space for product set-up services to reduce product returns and increase overall transaction size. Apple Retail has seen phenomenal growth as of late. Earlier this week, one analyst predicted that revenues from brick-and-mortar stores would "continue on a roll" as visitors flocked to the stores to try out the iPad. The first Apple Stores celebrate their 10th anniversary on May 19. Top stories Yerevan will host the 2024 edition of the World Congress On Information Technology (WCIT). Rustam Badasyan said due to the lack of such regulation, the state budget is deprived of VAT revenues. Krisp’s smart noise suppression tech silences ambient sounds and isolates your voice for calls. Gurgen Khachatryan claimed that the "illegalities have been taking place in 2020." Partner news Most popular in the section | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. |