“Apple suppliers had a particularly strong month of April, suggesting that shipments to the iPhone maker may have been stronger than their traditional seasonal average as the company ramps up for new product introductions, new data shows,” Neil Hughes reports for AppleInsider.
“Analyst Brian White of Cantor Fitzgerald keeps tabs on Apple’s supply chain with his monthly ‘Apple Barometer,'” Hughes reports. “With preliminary April sales for 97% of tracked Apple suppliers now reported, White found that sales were up 7 percent month over month, he said in a note to investors Wednesday.”
“Over the last 9 years, Apple suppliers have seen their sales fall 1 percent month over month in April,” Hughes reports. “White said his data shows this year may have been close to a record for suppliers’ month-to-month growth in April.”
Read more in the full article here.
yup, been noticing iPhone 5s being sold for $99 with contract… and other discounts when bought up front…
No way Apple let’s this next quarter go without milking the 5s as their flagship… all those waiting might rather buy a 5s and trade/sell a well-cared 5s if they think the 6 is something that adds value to them.
The iPhone 5s was released in mid-September of last year. It’s a bit premature to say that, in April, Apple was “ramping up” for the next model. The iPhone 5s has a lot of life left.
In fact, as the “S” model, it should stay in the iPhone line-up for a full THREE years (like the 3gs and 4s). That is why Apple can keep pushing it, and even start to offer discounts, because that will roll nicely into the 5s becoming the $99 with contract option in next year’s lineup. The 5c then becomes the FREE with contract option.