According to analysts, wireless carriers eager to attract new subscribers to their 5G cellular networks are heavily promoting Apple’s iPhone 12 smartphones, which is likely to provide a lift to Apple’s December-quarter sales.
Patrick Seitz for Investor’s Business Daily:
Piper Sandler analyst Harsh Kumar raised his iPhone unit sales estimates on Thursday to account for the promotional activity.
He now expects Apple to sell 73 million iPhones in the December quarter, up from his previous target of 65 million units. The additional 8 million iPhones will mean an extra $7 billion in revenue for Apple’s holiday sales quarter, he said in a note to clients.
“The heavy carrier promotions will drive significant upgrades for the iPhone 12 series,” Kumar said. “The iPhone 12 launch has become a subscription battleground for carriers, as they are all offering sizable promotions to keep or add new customers.”
Elsewhere on Wall Street, D.A. Davidson analyst Tom Forte maintained his buy rating on Apple stock ahead of the company’s September-quarter earnings report, due Oct. 29. In a note to clients Thursday, Forte also cited carrier support for iPhone 12 as a positive sign.
MacDailyNews Take: We’ve war-gamed it. In the carrier wars there is one clear winner of every possible outcome: Apple.
Prepare for very strong iPhone 12 sales!
