“KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has issued a new report that predicts Apple Pencil shipments will double this year,” Zac Hall reports for 9to5Mac. “Kuo believes it is possible the iPhone could eventually support Apple Pencil, but it’s more likely that the new 9.7-inch iPad expected to be unveiled next week will work with Apple Pencil.”
“As a result, Kuo forecasts Apple Pencil sales — which the company doesn’t specifically disclose — will double to 9-10 million this year from what Kuo estimates at 4-4.5 million last year,” Hall reports. “The whole premise of Apple doubling its Pencil shipments in 2018 over 2017 is around Apple adding support for its digital stylus to the lower-priced iPad due out next week.”
“Apple currently supports Pencil on the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, the 10.5-inch iPad Pro, and both versions of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro,” Hall reports. “KGI further predicts that the new 9.7-inch iPad will account for 70% of iPad sales across 2018.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Hopefully this is what happens. Why not sell more Apple Pencils when you obviously can?
Furthermore: ‘Twas readily discernible differentiation, and not just in screen size, but in camera hardware and features that has sold and continues to sell many Plus model iPhones. ProMotion – especially and naturally coupled with Apple Pencil support – would be a strong reason to choose iPhone X Plus, iPhone X Pro*, or whatever they name it.
*”Pro” means Apple Pencil support already, so it makes sense to use “Pro” for any iPhone with Apple Pencil support, too. – MacDailyNews, November 28, 2017
SEE ALSO:
New hardware on tap at Apple’s March 27th ‘field trip’ education event? – March 19, 2018
3 exclusive features Apple could deliver with a 6.5-inch ‘iPhone X Plus’ – February 20, 2018
2 ways Apple can improve upon the beautiful iPhone X – February 15, 2018
What Kuo is essentially talking about is a re-branded 9.7″ iPad Pro selling at a lower price.
Kids losing their student iPad Apple Pencil is gonna be a thing. Pestering Apple for replacements…
Build in an Apple Pencil homing beacon? A ‘Find My Apple Pencil’ Bluetooth feature with a built-in chirping speaker?
Bluetooth Finder, in the App Store, can do the job. It’s $3.99. However, it’s best to have a keeper, so that one doesn’t lose the thing in the first place. I made my own tether using a quarter-inch of surgical tubing, slipped over the pencil and earbuds and plugged into the audio port. My roommates ridiculed this inelegant solution so I paid Apple $129 for their leather sleeve, in taupe, which has a little pocket for the pencil.
Not to the target audience for this device they won’t. Lets see we need to lower the price of the iPad to to get schools to order them. But $100 for a pencil they’ll sell like hot cakes LOL.
“But $100 for a pencil they’ll sell like hot cakes LOL.”
Who cares? Ten million Apple Pencils at $99 each amounts to 0.038% of this years forecasted revenue. That’s less than a rounding error.
The new iPad will likely be a mix of an iPad Pro and even older components. Likely to be thicker than the iPad Pro 9.7 inch, and be powered by the A10. The likely purchase of an Apple Pencil with it will make up for a lower selling price. Base configuration will likely be 32GB, enticing people to purchase the 128GB version. Pretty smart on Apple’s part.
That makes near perfect sense to me. The 9.7 iPad Pro from 2016 with an A10 (not A10X), Maybe 329 for that? And then a real entry 9.7” with an A9X and iPad Air 2 laminated screen for 229? The Mini goes away. So the new product matrix would be: entry 9.7” iPad @ 229, iPad Pro/iPad E 9.7” 329, iPad Pro 10.5” 529, iPad Pro 12.9” 629. So a ~$100 price cut on the whole range and more power across the line. A price reduction of keyboards to 79 (9.7), 99 (10.5), 129 12.9) and Apple Pencil to $49. This seems like a logical pricing structure similar to the E focused iMac and eMac from years past. Also I think we’re going to see a lot of focus on classroom, swift playgrounds, and possibly a MacBook price cut to $899, MacBook Pro without touchbar to 1099, with touchbar to 1299, and 15” to 1699, 1999, 2399/2299 to bring that back into equilibrium and make room for a new high end MacBook Pro config. The Apple store app has already placed the MacBook at the entry level visually, which has presaged these types of changes previously; and the MacBook Air is probably either getting killed or drastically reduced to clear inventory ahead of a new product shakeup at WWDC.