William Yang, an analyst at JPMorgan Chase, said in a new forecast that Apple, like last year, will release four models of the new line of smartphones. So far, sources indicate that the new lineup could be called the iPhone 12s or iPhone 13.
The analyst, citing his Apple supply chain informants, says that all new models will retain the same screen sizes as the iPhone 12 line, but Apple will reduce the notch and slightly increase the body thickness.
The increased thickness of the case indirectly indicates that Apple will finally increase the battery capacity of its smartphones. iPhone 12 users complain the most about the short battery life of smartphones, especially with the fifth-generation mobile networks. Apple seems to have heeded the criticism.
William Young noted that the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max models will feature OLED displays with a 120Hz refresh rate. He also added that the iPhone 13 / 12s will outpace the iPhone 12 in first-quarter shipments. The maximum target is set at 90 million smartphones.
The same analyst said Apple will stop manufacturing the iPhone 12 mini in the second quarter of 2021, while the company will make tangible changes to the iPhone 13 mini to make it more attractive and marketable.
Apple finally defeated Samsung in the global smartphone market
Apple overtook Samsung to become the world’s leading smartphone brand amid record sales of iPhone smartphones. The company showed a huge jump in the last quarter of last year, while Huawei‘s position weakened greatly.
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According to Counterpoint Research, shipments of iPhone smartphones increased 22% in the previous quarter. The surge is driven by the release of the iPhone 12 lineup, which supports fifth-generation networks. Also, sales of previous models did not fall, the demand for which is stable after the price decline.
The company has shipped 90 million smartphones and has more than 23% market share. Analysts note that Apple has strengthened its position in the premium segment of smartphones in China. According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, two of the top three selling premium smartphones in China are from Apple.
The second place in the quarter belongs to Samsung, which received about 19% of the market. The third place went to Xiaomi, followed by Oppo and Vivo, which took the fourth and fifth places, respectively. Huawei dropped to 6th place.
If we consider the results for the year, then Samsung is in the lead, Apple is second, Huawei is third, followed by Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo and Realme. The latter was the fastest growing brand in the past year.
Counterpoint Research’s data is broadly consistent with estimates by another analyst firm, IDC, which we have already published.
