Tag Archives: second quarter

Aug 03

Windows PC Sales Hit a Low as Tablet Sales Soar in ...

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Shipments of Windows laptops and desktops have hit new lows as tablet shipments continued to rise during the second quarter of this year, Canalys Research said in a study released on Tuesday.

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Combined shipments of tablets and PCs totaled 108.7 million units during the second quarter, growing by 11.7 percent compared to the second quarter last year, according to Canalys. the research firm classifies PC shipments as including both personal computers and tablets.

Tablet shipments totaled 24 million units, increasing by 75 percent compared to the second quarter last year, and forming 22 percent of all unit shipments. Tablets are biting into PCs shipments, and shipments of Windows PCs dropped to a new low of 73 percent of all devices accounted for in the survey, Canalys said.

PC shipments were disappointing, and a new category of thin-and-light laptops or ultrabooks have not helped boost the shipments. Ultrabooks have not hit low price points and have yet to excite large numbers of buyers, Canalys said in a statement. Ultrabooks are currently priced starting at around $650.

The lines between tablets and PCs are expected to blur with ultrabooks and Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 8 and RT operating systems, which have touch features and will be released on Oct. 26. many ultrabook models have touchscreens and can turn into tablets via detachable or flip screens. the tablet-laptop hybrid models are expected to become available in the coming quarters from companies including Lenovo, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Acer and Asustek Computer.

Microsoft is also entering the tablet space with its own Surface and Surface Pro tablets, which will start shipping on Oct. 26 with Windows OSes. the tablets are Microsoft’s first major attempt at building Windows hardware, but Canalys said high prices and a direct sales approach could hurt sales of the tablets.

Canalys also said that Microsoft is hurting PC makers with the decision to sell its own tablets. the research firm publicly recommended that Microsoft subsidize the development of Windows 8 devices much as Intel has done with the US$300 million it is pouring into companies developing ultrabook components and technology.

Apple continued to lead in the tablet market, with Samsung in second place and Asus in third. the iPad dominated tablet shipments, while Samsung was the top Android tablet vendor in the second quarter with its Galaxy Tab tablet, which doubled in shipments compared to the second quarter last year. Asus benefitted from the growth in Eee Pad/Transformer tablets.

A notable name missing from the list is Amazon.com, whose Kindle fire became available in September last year. Canalys estimated Kindle fire shipments in the second quarter to be below 500,000 units, a significant drop on previous quarters. Analysts have said Google’s new Nexus 7 tablet with the Android 4.1 OS will continue to hurt Kindle fire shipments, and Amazon is rumored to be launching successors to the tablet in different screen sizes.

Overall, Apple was the top vendor of PCs and tablets, Canalys said. the company shipped 21.6 million tablets and Macs combined, holding a 19.4 percent market share, and growing by 59.6 percent compared to the second quarter in the previous year. Hewlett-Packard, which sells only PCs, was second, shipping 13.55 million units, an 11.3 percent drop and a 12.5 percent market share. Tablet and PC vendors Lenovo and Acer were in third and fourth place respectively, with shipments growing by 27 percent and 4.3 percent respectively compared to the second quarter last year. Lenovo held a 12.1 percent market share, while Acer held a 9.8 percent market share.

Agam Shah covers PCs, tablets, servers, chips and semiconductors for IDG News Service. Follow Agam on Twitter at @agamsh. Agam’s e-mail address is agam_shah@idg.com

Windows PC Sales Hit a Low as Tablet Sales Soar in Q2, Canalys Says

Apr 11

Samsung Delays Galaxy Tab 2 Launch Until End of ...

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Samsung’s low-cost tablets, the Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) and Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1), have been delayed, and will now start shipping in the U.K at the end of April, the company said on Tuesday.

When Samsung announced the two products in February, it said they would arrive in U.K. stores in March, and then be rolled out globally. but the end of March came and went, and the tablets didn’t go on sale.

The reason for the delay is that Samsung and Google need some more time to work on Ice Cream Sandwich, according to a spokesman at Samsung, who didn’t want to elaborate on the details.

Both tablets will run the latest version of the Android OS. when it was launched, the Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) was expected to be the first Samsung tablet to get the latest version of Android.

This is the second official setback for Samsung as it rolls out new devices based on Android 4.0 and upgrades existing products. Last month, the company said the upgrade for the original Galaxy Note would arrive during the second quarter, later than its original plan to begin the upgrade process during the first three months of 2012.

However, Samsung has started upgrading the Galaxy S II phone.

Other phones and tablets that will at some point be upgraded include the Galaxy S II LTE, Galaxy R, Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, 7.7, 8.9, 8.9 LTE and 10.1, according to Samsung.

When they eventually ship, the Galaxy Tab 2 models will be available in 3G and Wi-Fi versions. The Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) has a 7-inch screen with a 1024-by-600 pixel resolution and weighs 345 grams, while the Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1) has a 10.1-inch screen with a 1280-by-800 pixel resolution and weighs 588 grams.

Apart from their screen size and weight, the two tablets have a very similar hardware specification, including a 1GHz dual-core processor, two cameras, internal storage of up to 32GB and a MicroSD card slot for added capacity.

Send news tips and comments to mikael_ricknas@idg.com

Samsung Delays Galaxy Tab 2 Launch Until End of April

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Mar 14

Motorola confirms ICS upgrade to Razr handsets in ...

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In what marks the latest news on the Android 4.0 `Ice Cream Sandwich’ upgrade front, Motorola has recently confirmed that its Droid Razr handset will be upgraded to the latest Android version in the second quarter of the year.

According to the details forwarded by Motorola, the Android ICS upgrade will be made available for the users of the Razr handsets in Europe, Asia Pacific region, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, Korea, Japan, China and Canada, in the April-June quarter; while the users of the handset in the US may have to wait longer because the handset is probably in the “wait and see” stage in the country.

As such, though the Razr users in the US will eventually get the Android ICS update on their handsets, Motorola will probably push the move in the country towards the middle or end of summer, if not later.

However, the US owners of the Motorola Xoom Family Edition, as well as the owners of the esoteric MT917 and XT928, in China will seemingly get the ICS update on their devices in the second quarter.

Meanwhile, the users of Atrix, Atrix 2 and Photon 4G in the US will also seemingly get the ICS upgrade in the 2012 third quarter – July through September – when the update will also reportedly land on some of the other devices like the two versions of the Xoom 2 and the Xyboard, along with Verizon’s Droid Xyboards.

Motorola confirms ICS upgrade to Razr handsets in Q2, in countries other than US

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Feb 21

Forbes Earnings Preview: Dell

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Analysts foresee Dell (DELL) announcing decreased profits on Tuesday, February 21, 2012, when it reports its fourth quarter earnings. Despite this, they are generally optimistic about the stock.

What to Expect:

Analysts are expecting Dell to come in with earnings of 51 cents per share, 3.8% less than a year ago when it reported earnings of 53 cents per share.

Analysts are projecting earnings of $2.13 per share for the fiscal year.

Revenue is expected to be $15.93 billion for the quarter, 1.5% higher than the year-earlier total of $15.69 billion. For the year, revenue is expected to come in at $62.03 billion.

Trends to Watch For:

The company’s profit has been growing for the past three quarters. the 8.6% year-over-year growth in net income in the most recent quarter came after the 63.3% profit growth in the second quarter and the more than twofold rise in the first quarter.

Revenue dropped year-over-year in the third quarter, breaking the three-quarter streak of revenue growth. Revenue fell 0.2% in the third quarter and rose 0.8%in the second quarter, 1% in the first quarter and 5.3% in the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings:

The majority of analysts (55.6%) rate Dell as a buy. that percentage is still below the mean analyst rating of its nearest 10 competitors, which average 66.3% buys. Wall Street has warmed to the stock over the past three months, with the average analyst estimate increasing to moderate buy from hold. last quarter, 15 of 29 rated it a buy and two rated it a sell.

Competitors:

Dell produces a range of personal electronic items, such as desktop PCs, software and peripherals, servers, and storage. one of Dell’s main competitors in the computers and peripherals industry is Apple (AAPL). other competitors in the information technology sector include: Hewlett-Packard Company (HPQ), Silicon Graphics International (SGI), and Super Micro Computer (SMCI).

Forbes Earnings Preview: Dell

Feb 19

Motorola lays out Android 4 upgrades plans: Q2 at ...

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Motorola has laid bare the Android 4 upgrade plans for all of its recent phones, and many devices won’t get the upgrade until the third quarter of this year. Some, like the Motorola Xoom and the international version of the Motorola Droid Razr, will get the upgrades in the second quarter, and some phones under two years old may languish with Android 2.3 Gingerbread or 2.2 Froyo.

An unusual selection of devices have concrete Android 4 upgrade trajectories: the Atrix 2, Photon 4G, and Xoom 2 are all scheduled for third-quarter updates, while the higher-profile Droid Bionic, Droid Razr, and Droid Razr Maxx are still in the “evaluation and planning” stages. Given how recently these phones were released, they will definitely make the Android 4 cut; it’s just a matter of when. the year-old Atrix 4G, on the other hand, may be on the bubble, as it is now over a year old and also listed as being the “planning” stages.

Some of the company’s phones from summer 2010 seem like they will not make the cut. the Droid 2, Defy, and Droid X don’t appear to have made it to evaluation and planning considerations, but instead are listed alongside the most recent upgrade currently available (2.2 or 2.3). of course, by the time the rest of Motorola’s devices finally receive Android 4, those phones will have release dates over two years in the past, which means it will be hardware upgrade time for most conventional owners. 

Motorola did not respond immediately to requests for comment.

Motorola lays out Android 4 upgrades plans: Q2 at earliest, if at all

Feb 17

Taiwan market: ViewSonic to launch Windows 8 ...

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Taiwan market: ViewSonic to launch Windows 8 tablet PCs in 2Q12 Max Wang, Taipei; Steve Shen, DIGITIMES [Wednesday 15 February 2012]

ViewSonic plans to launch Windows 8-based tablet PCs in the Taiwan market in the second quarter of 2012 at the earliest, according to Max Liu, product marketing director of ViewSonic Asia Pacific.

The Windows 8 model will come with a 10-inch display with high resolution initially, Liu noted.

ViewSonic offers a complete lineup of tablet PCs in the Taiwan market, with its ViewPad 10 being the first model supporting both Windows 7 and Android in the local market, Liu claimed.

An Android-based model, the ViewPad 10e, which comes with a 9.7-inch IPS panel and supports Wi-Fi, is currently available at NT$8,990 (US$304), compared to a range of NT$14,000-15,000 for comparable models offered by rival vendors, Liu indicated.

The company plans to roll a 3G-version of ViewPad 10e in March with prices ranging NT$11,900-13,900, Liu revealed, adding that 2-3 new tablets will be launched in the second quarter, including those operating on Android 4.0.

ViewSonic shipped about 6,000 tablet PCs a month in the Taiwan market in 2011 and took the third-rank title in the segment. Buoyed by the launch of new models, Liu expects ViewSonic’s share in the local market to continue to expand in 2012.

Taiwan market: ViewSonic to launch Windows 8 tablet PCs in 2Q12

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Dec 16

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Research in Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ:RIMM) is slated to release its third quarter 2012 results on Thursday, December 15, after the closing bell. the current Zacks Consensus Estimate for the third quarter is pegged at $1.22, representing an annualized negative growth of 29.66%.

With respect to earnings surprise over the trailing four quarters, Research in Motion has outperformed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three quarters of the last four quarters. the average earnings surprise was negative 0.39%.

Second-Quarter Recap

Total revenue in the reported quarter was $4,168 million, down 9.8% year over year and was also below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4,522 million.

Net income in the second quarter of 2012 was $329 million or 63 cents per share compared with $797 million or $1.46 per share in the prior-year quarter. Adjusted EPS (excluding cost optimization program expense) of 80 cents also missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 89 cents.

Gross margin in the reported quarter was 38.7% compared with 44.5% in the year-ago quarter and 43.9% in the previous quarter. during quarter, Research in Motion shipped around 10.6 million BlackBerry smartphones and around 200,000 BlackBerry Playbook tablets.

Agreement of Estimate Revisions

In the last 30 days, out of the 26 analysts covering the stock, EPS estimate was increased by seven analysts for the third quarter of 2012 while 12 moved it downward. For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012, out of the 33 analysts covering the stock, none increased their EPS estimates but 21 reduced the same.

For fiscal 2012, in the last 30 days, out of the 36 analysts covering the stock, only two analysts increased their EPS estimates while 22 analysts moved in the opposite direction. Similarly, for fiscal 2013, out of the 39 analysts covering the stock, only one analyst increased the EPS estimate while 24 reduced their EPS estimates.

In synergy with the downward revision, we believe that stiff competition from Apple Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone/tablets and Google’s Android-based smartphones, coupled with tepid response for their much-hyped PlayBook tablets will act as headwinds for the company going forward.

Moreover, the company’s recent announcement of providing $485 million for losses relating to the inventory backlog of PlayBook tablets in the third quarter of 2012 is another blow to its future growth prospects.

Magnitude of Estimate Revisions

During the last 30 days, for the third quarter of 2012, the current Zacks estimates remained flat with the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.22. For the fourth quarter of 2012, the current estimates were 24 cents short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.42. For fiscal 2012, the current estimates were 30 cents below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.71. while for fiscal 2013, the current estimates were 73 cents short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.70.

Earning Surprises

In the previous quarter, Research in Motion Ltd. reported EPS of 80 cents, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 9 cents. the current Zacks Consensus Estimate for the ongoing quarter contains 0.80% downside potential while for the upcoming quarter, it reflects an 8.48% downside potential (essentially a proxy for future earning surprises). Similarly, for fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2013, the Zacks Consensus Estimates downside potentials are 1.59% and 6.55%, respectively.

Our Recommendation

We believe stiff competition from Android-based smartphones and tablets coupled with Apple’siPads and newly launched iPhone 4S will result in loss of market share for the company. Moreover, Research in Motion is also giving away $100 applications free of cost to its offended customers, which in turn will put further pressure on EPS, in our view.

However, we believe that the launch of BB7-based handsets coupled with reduced tablet prices during this holiday season will certainly boost sales in the near term. Moreover, the company plans to launch their first QNX-based smartphones in the middle of 2012, which we believe will be accretive to the company’s revenue and will also help them regain market share.

We, thus, maintain our long-term Neutral recommendation on Research in Motion Ltd. Currently, the company has a Zacks #3 Rank, implying a short-term Hold rating on the stock.

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Nov 22

Lenovo’s Q3 profit grow 88%

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IDG News Service – Lenovo’s profit for the third quarter nearly doubled year on year as the company continued its fast-paced growth, beating Dell to become the world’s second-largest PC vendor.

For the quarter ending Sept. 30, Lenovo reported profit of $144 million, up 88% from the $77 million in the same period a year ago. Revenue in the quarter was $7.78 billion, an increase of 35% year on year.

Lenovo’s PC market share in the quarter reached 13.5%, surpassing Dell, according to research firm Gartner. In the second quarter, Lenovo took the third spot, ahead of Acer.

Despite global PC sales slumping due to weak spending and rising demand for tablets, Lenovo has continued to post double-digit growth in shipments for the last quarters, making it the fastest-growing PC vendor among the top five companies.

Lenovo has credited this to protecting its home turf in China, which in the second quarter exceeded the U.S. in PC shipments and sales. Lenovo leads in China with a 31.5% market share, according to the company.

Lenovo has also been targeting emerging markets. Lenovo’s Russian and Indian business have reported fast growth, with their market share growing in both nations by more than 3 percentage points for the last quarter.

In mature markets including the U.S., consumer spending has been weak, said Lenovo CEO Yang Yuanqing during a conference call on Wednesday. “But in emerging markets including China, we believe it will continue to keep double digit year on year growth,” he said. “We are very confident we will continue to outgrow the market.”

Along with PCs, Lenovo has also been seeking a larger share of the tablet and smartphone market. In the last quarter, Lenovo’s smartphone shipments grew by 335% year over year, much of the growth driven by the company’s LePhone A60 handset sold in China. Lenovo has also risen to become the second-largest tablet vendor in China, with an 8.4% market share, according to the company.

Lenovo plans to create tablets and smartphones for the high, middle and low-end markets in China, Yang said. Lenovo sold 160,000 tablets in China in the last quarter, almost double sales in the previous quarter, he said.

Lenovo also announced on Wednesday that its chairman, Liu Chuanzhi, will step down from. Liu, the founder of Lenovo, will focus on his work with the company’s parent Legend Holdings, which invests in different industries.

Lenovo’s Q3 profit grow 88%

Nov 09

Xplore Reports Q2’12 Results & Growth in ...

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AUSTIN, Texas, Nov 08, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) –Xplore Technologies Corp. (otcqb:XLRT) (“Xplore” or the “Company”), a manufacturer of award-winning rugged tablet PCs, today reported results for the second quarter of fiscal 2012. Revenue for the three and six months ended September 30, 2011 was $5,100,000 and $7,778,000, respectively, as compared to $4,328,000 and $9,406,000 for the three and six months ended September 30, 2010, respectively. the increase in revenue of approximately 18% for the three months ended September 30, 2011 as compared to the three months ended September 30, 2010 and the decrease in revenue of approximately 17% for the six months ended September 30, 2011 as compared to September 30, 2010 were attributable to the Company’s current transition to its new product line, the iX104C5, which was introduced near the end of the first fiscal quarter of fiscal 2012. the Company believes that the six month revenue comparison is skewed by the Company’s decreased revenue caused by the aforementioned transition in the first quarter of fiscal 2012, while the three month revenue comparison provides evidence of the iX104C5′s traction with customers and of the transition effects subsiding.

“We are pleased with the increase in revenue for our second quarter of approximately 90% over our first quarter and of approximately 18% over the same quarter in the prior year, and believe it positively reflects an initial favorable acceptance of our new C5 in the markets we serve,” said mark Holleran, President and Chief Operating Officer of Xplore. “Our C5 selling efforts only commenced late in our first fiscal quarter and our markets tend to have a long sales cycle. we believe the second quarter C5 revenue ramp should continue and we expect growth in revenue from the C5 product launch in our remaining quarters of fiscal 2012 ending December 2011 and March 2012. we believe the year to date revenue decline reflects the previously reported delay in the launch of our iX104C5 product family and the market desire to wait for our new and improved line of products.”

Gross profit for the three months ended September 30, 2011 was $1,629,000 (approximately 31.9% of revenue) as compared to $1,526,000 (approximately 35.3% of revenue) for the three months ended September 30, 2010. the increase in gross profit for the three months ended September 30, 2011 was due primarily to the increase in revenue while the decline in the gross profit percentage was attributable to a larger product mix of earlier generation products sold at discounted prices. Gross profit for the six months ended September 30, 2011 was $2,202,000 (approximately 28.3% of revenue) as compared to $3,171,000 (approximately 33.7% of revenue) for the six months ended September 30, 2010. the decrease in gross profit for the six months ended September 30, 2011 was due primarily to the decline in revenue and shift in product mix, as well as charges for tooling amortization of $110,000 and obsolete inventory components of $59,000, which were not incurred in the six months ended September 30, 2010. These factors, combined with the impact of indirect labor and logistics costs, which are predominately fixed in nature, when spread over less revenue, contributed to the gross profit percentage decline.

Operating expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010 were approximately $2,224,000 and $2,090,000, respectively, an increase of $134,000 or approximately 6%. Operating expenses for the six months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010 were approximately $4,211,000 and $3,693,000, respectively, an increase of $518,000 or approximately 14%. the increases were primarily attributable to an increase in sales, marketing and support expenses associated with the launch of our next generation iX104C5 family of products which included increases in headcount related costs and expenses related to customer demonstration units.

the net loss for the three months ended September 30, 2011 was $669,000 as compared to a net loss of $2,172,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2010, and decrease of $1,503,000. the net loss for the six months ended September 30, 2011 was $2,132,000 as compared to a net loss of $2,839,000 for the six months ended September 30, 2010, a decrease of $707,000.

Additional financial information regarding Xplore’s operating results for the fiscal 2012 first quarter is available in the Company’s Form 10-Q filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission and is available at www.sec.gov .

about Xplore Technologies(R)

Xplore ( www.xploretech.com ) is engaged in the business of developing integrating and marketing mobile wireless PC computing systems. the Company’s products enable the extension of traditional computing systems to a range of field and on-site personnel, regardless of location or environment. Using a range of wireless communication mediums together with the Company’s rugged computing products, the Company’s end-users are able to receive, collect, analyze, manipulate and transmit information in a variety of environments not suited to traditional non-rugged computing devices. the Company’s end-users are in markets that include utility, warehousing/logistics, public safety, field service, transportation, manufacturing, route delivery, military and homeland security.

this news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made. when used in this document, the words “may,” “would,” “could,” “will,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect Xplore’s current views with respect to future events and are subject to such risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made including those factors detailed from time to time in filings made by Xplore with securities regulatory authorities. should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated or expected. Xplore does not intend and does not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

SOURCE: Xplore Technologies Corp.

Xplore: for Media or U.S. Investor Information Contact: Martin Janis & Company, Inc. Beverly Jedynak, (312) 943-1123 (Direct) bjedynak@janispr.com

Copyright Business Wire 2011

Xplore Reports Q2’12 Results & Growth in Q2 Revenue

Oct 11

Apple iPhone 5 Rumored to Arrive in 2012; What ...

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There were reports that Apple was unhappy with the first generation LTE chipsets from Qualcomm that would make phones bulkier.

In April, Apple’s then stand-in Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Tim Cook, said the first generation LTE chipsets forced a lot of design compromises with the handset and that the company was not willing to make those compromises.

According to a chip expert Anand Shimpi of Anandtech, iPhone 4′s printed circuit board is not big enough to carry an extra chip to enable LTE without shrinking the size of the battery. he said a Qualcomm chip called the MDM9615, which will be capable of LTE voice and data that would fit Apple’s phone specifications, is likely to come out in the second quarter of 2012.

Additionally, Wedbush Securities analyst Scott Sutherland expects the 4G iPhone 5 and the iPad 3 to arrive next year. Jefferies analyst Peter Misek also expects an iPad 3 launch in calendar first quarter and an LTE iPhone in the first half of calendar 2012.

Analyst Keith Bachman of BMO Capital Markets said in June that the all-new iPhone 5 would arrive only in 2012. “We believe the iPhone 5 will launch in mid-2012,” Bachman had written in a note.

So with these basic details from analysts fans could expect that Apple is preparing a phone branded as the “iPhone 5″, which will sport 4G LTE technology.

But what specifications could go into iPhone 5 as whatever was rumored before the “Let’s talk iPhone” event came into the iPhone 4S.

The features of Apple’s iPhone 4S include the latest iOS 5 operating system, iCloud, an A5 dual-core processor found in the iPad 2, a much-improved 8-megapixel LED flash camera with 1080p HD video recording, secondary VGA camera for video chat, alternating antennae for better call reception, world phone with CDMA and GSM support, retina display, a smart personal assistant called Siri, and Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology.

Just take a look at the fresh rumored specifications of iPhone 5.

Operating System: Apple’s iPhone 4S, which is heading for an Oct. 14 launch, has iOS 5 that was announced at the WWDC 2011 keynote address on June 6. the iOS 5 comes with 200 new features that will include Improved Notifications System, Newsstand and iMessage. It will also feature new applications, such as the Reminders app and Newsstand, an application resembling Folders and iBooks.

It is to be seen whether Apple is bringing out its next OS, presumably called iOS 6, at the WWDC in June 2012 along with iPhone 5. the next OS is likely to come with more than 200 new features apart from the current ones.

But Misek expects that Apple is looking to merge iOS (iPhone/iPad) and OS X (Macintosh) into a single platform for apps and cloud services starting in 2012-13 and complete in 2016.

Users will be willing to pick up any iPhone, iPad, or Mac (or turn on their iTV) and have content move seamlessly between them and be optimized for the user and the device currently being used. Misek believes this will be difficult to implement if iOS and OS X are kept separate.

Hardware: The iPhone 4S will come with iPad 2′s A5 chipset. the phone will be powered by 1 GHz dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 CPUwith NEON SIMD accelerator and a dual core PowerVR SGX543MP2 GPU. Apple lists the A5 to be clocked at 1 GHz on iPad 2′s technical specifications page, though it can dynamically adjust its frequency to save battery life.

The Apple A5 is a package on package system-on-a-chip designed by Apple and manufactured by Samsung to replace the Apple A4. Apple stated that the CPU is twice as powerful and the GPU up to seven times as powerful as its predecessor – the Apple A4. the A5 package contains 512 MB of low-power DDR2 RAM clocked at 533 MHz.

Recently, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing co., Ltd. (TSMC) is believed to have quietly secured Apple’s contract, and even succeeded in extending the deal to cover the manufacture for the A6′s successor, according to a DigiTimes report.

“We caution that this is an unconfirmed story and that Digitimes has in the past been inaccurate. even if true, we estimate an Apple A6 order win would drive a modest 0.6 percent upside to earnings estimates in 2012 and 2.6 percent in 2013. Hence we do not see a confirmed Apple win as a re-rating catalyst,” said Robert Lea, an analyst at Jefferies.

“Apple’s next iPad will be faster and more power-efficient thanks to its new, quad-core A6 processor, but the new tablet may not be ready to ship until next June,” Linley Gwennap, founder and principal analyst at the Linley Group told PCWorld.

The A6 should bring more performance to Apple devices while preserving battery life. Many of the improvements will come from TSMC’s 28-nanometer manufacturing process, said Gwennap. the process will shrink the circuitry compared to the A5, which is manufactured on a 40-nanometer process, making the A6 smaller and faster.

The A6 will likely be based on ARM’s Cortex-A9 processor, which is the same design used in the A5. ARM has announced an upcoming Cortex-A15 processor, but the first devices based on that design won’t ship until late next year or early 2013, said Gwennap.

It is expected that the iPhone 5 will integrate a fast 1.2-to-1.5 GHz quad-core A6 chip, with probably 1GB or more of RAM.

Design: Best known for their beautiful design, Apple is expected to adopt a teardrop design for iPhone 5 that is supposed to be slimmer and lighter than previous iPhone models. the new smartphone will come with an aluminum plate casing rather than the current glass backing.

Rumors suggest a more uniform design across all of Apple’s mobile devices than ever before, as aluminum may be the consistent material used in the upcoming iPad 3 and iPod lineups as well.

Display: Apple’s iPhone 4S is just an upgrade of its previous versions with 3.5-inch multi-touch retina display. It is expected that iPhone 5 will have a larger edge-to-edge display possibly with 3.7-inch to 4.0-inch screen. with major smartphone manufacturers opting for 4.3 inches as the ideal screen for their phones, it will be interesting to see what comes out on the new iPhone 5.

According to rumors, Apple and Samsung were collaborating to introduce the AMOLED screen technology onto the device. but recent legal battle between the companies has dimmed that hopeful speculation.

The Quantum Dot LED technology could be a possible delivery for the iPhone 5. the new technology needs less power consumption while delivering the same quality of an OLED screen. It does not degrade the quality like OLED thanks to how its nanoparticles emit light.

Rumors of a curved glass display on iPhone 5 have been doing the rounds ever since DigiTimes reported in may that Apple had placed an order for glass cutting machines which are capable of making curved glass covers.

Camera: iPhone 4S comes with an 8-megapixel LED flash camera and a secondary VGA one for video chat. It is rumored that iPhone 5 will come with the same or 12-megapixel or more. Added to that, iPhone 5 is expected to have a dual-LED flash and the flash unit will be separated from the camera sensor. along with the rear-facing, iPhone 5 is also expected to have a 2-megapixel front-facing camera for video chatting.

Another speculation indicated that iPhone 5 will have a 3D camera. Apple has filed a patent application related to 3D picture taking to the US Patent and Trademark Office later in March, according to an AppleInsider report. the filing described a system that would be capable of capturing, processing and rendering 3D images with the additional dual-camera hardware.

Home Button: One rumor that gets repeatedly mentioned is that Steve Jobs didn’t want any physical buttons on the iPhone from the start. It is expected that iPhone 5 will have no physical buttons. however, a speculation suggest that the iPhone 5 may have a rectangular button compared to the circular one found in iPhone 4S.

iCloud: the iPhone 4S is featuring the new iCloud service for operating iTunes, providing wireless remote access of music from all computers and mobile devices. the iCloud will also store photos, apps, calendars and documents without using the phone’s memory storag capacity.

The cloud will form the center of Apple’s strategy, allowing users to effectively keep their identity and content profiles in the cloud, Misek believes. Users will log on to a device where the profile, content and apps will be customized and optimized for the device.

A preview of a beta version of iCloud shows the merger of iOS and OS X is happening with syncing across platforms. Misek said his preliminary view was that Apple could use a 32-bit ARM architecture to address the vast majority of the OS X ecosystem’s needs in 2012-13 except for high-end professional devices.

4G: Apple’s iPhone 4S does not feature 4G LTE technology, but analysts believe Apple has saved LTE for the iPhone 5. LTE, which stands for “Long-Term Evolution,” provides significantly higher download and upload speeds compared to 3G technologies.

From very early on, industry experts were skeptical about Apple’s chances of rolling out an LTE version this year. One reason was chipset supply issues and another was a worldwide lacunae in the implementation of the LTE network, which is seen as the standard for mobile communications in future.

Also, there were reports that Apple was unhappy with the first generation LTE chipsets from Qualcomm that would make phones bulkier. Analysts have said an iPhone-friendly LTE chipset would probably only come in 2012.

Apple’s then stand-in Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook, had said in April that the first generation LTE chipsets forced a lot of design compromises with the handset and that the company was not willing to make those compromises.

Luckily for Cook, Qualcomm is reportedly developing a new, thinner LTE chipset. the chip, dubbed the MDM9615, will likely be a 28-nanometer process, which is considerably smaller than current LTE chipsets’ 45nm designs. the new LTE chip is expected to debut in the second or third quarter next year.

“Phones based on the MDM9615 will likely increase LTE battery life to reasonable levels rather than what we’ve seen from the first generation of devices,” said Anand Shimpi, a chip expert and CEO of Anandtech.

Misek stated that Apple will likely launch the LTE iPhone in Summer 2012, though it could come earlier. this is because Qualcomm’s LTE chipsets, which Apple would have used, were not reaching the yields that Apple expects for its iPhone 4S.

Scott Sutherland said consumers could expect an LTE iPhone in with a “materially improved user interface” in 2012, without explaining any further. If 4G is included, iPhone may be physically larger. 4G requires a large amount of battery power and Apple has always been careful about battery life.

Near Field Communication (NFC): NFC allows for simplified transactions, data exchange, and connections with a touch. A smartphone or tablet with an NFC chip could make a credit card payment or serve as keycard or ID card. Globally, 100 million people use mobile payment outside the U.S., but only 3.5 million use the technology in the U.S.

Apple is testing an iPhone that incorporates Near Field Communication technology. Users can simply pay for goods by waving their iPhone in front of a contactless payment scanner.

Wireless Charging: A revolutionary way of charging mobile devices may see iPhone 5 gain mass appeal. the inductive wireless charging technology for the iPhone could juice up its battery without the use of cables or plugs. By utilizing a charging dock, the iPhone can charge its battery as well as share, sync or back up data at the same time.

In July, the Wall Street Journal reported that Apple was experimenting with “a new way of charging” the 2012 iPhone. It is unclear exactly what charging mechanisms Apple is exploring, but it is possible that the company is considering using induction charging or some other similar wireless system that would negate the need to plug in a cable. Combined with wireless syncing coming in iOS 5, wireless charging could truly make the iPhone a cable-free device.

Fire-proof iPhone: Another rumor is that iPhone 5 will be a fire-proof phone. Apple has filed a patent application for an advanced halogen-free flame retardant material which could be used in future Apple products.

Rumors suggested that the new material will be integrated into the manufacturing of Apple products like keyboards, mice, iPods, the iPad, cabling and more. Apple’s invention provides for a halogen free resin composition that includes at least one thermoplastic polymer, an inorganic filler and a flame retardant additive that is described as being “self-fire extinguishable.”

Battery: iPhone 4S, which has a Li-Po 1420 mAh battery, gets up to 8 hours of talk time on 3G and up to 14 hours on 2G (GSM). the latest iPhone also has a standby time of up to 200 hours, much lower than iPhone 4′s 300 hours standby.

It is expected that iPhone 5 will come with a better battery matching Samsung Galaxy S2 Epic 4G Touch’s Li-Ion 1800 mAh. Galaxy S2′s battery life is not the best on the face of the planet, but it easily lasts a day with good use and can stretch out to two days with mostly calls and texting.

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