Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives expects Apple’s new iPhone SE 3 to ship an estimated 30 million units in the first year after its debut in the spring. Apple is scheduled to hold a special event called “High Energy Transmission” at 2:00 a.m. Beijing time on March 9. This is about an hour from now. In a report to investors, Ives said that the “highlight” it is most concerned about is the new iPhone SE. The phone, which is expected to cost $399, is powered by the A15 Bionic chip and supports 5G capabilities.
“We don’t expect major changes in hardware design…Apple’s chip upgrades and the addition of 5G support will be the biggest highlights of the event…this is a massive iPhone 13-dominated product cycle,” Ives wrote.
The analyst predicts that iPhone SE 3 shipments may exceed 30 million units in the first year after launch due to previously pent-up demand. What’s more, Ives called the figure “pretty conservative.”
iPhone SE 2 sold about 24 million units in its first year
Still, the number is higher than the projected first-year sales of the 2020 iPhone SE (second generation). Apple no longer provides data on device sales but estimates 2020 iPhone SE sales are around 24 million.
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That’s because the device’s low price point and specs provide consumers with “better value,” especially compared to rival devices. Ives believes the iPhone SE could help Apple take more market share from its Android rivals.
In addition to the upgraded iPhone SE, Ives also expects Apple will launch a new iPad Air 5 with an A15 chip. There should also be at least one new Mac model. Ives believes that the new Mac model will be a 13-inch MacBook Pro with an updated M2 chipset.
The analyst added that other Mac models are more likely to be unveiled at WWDC 2022, while “Apple Glass” could be available by the fall.
Ives maintained his “outperform” stock rating on Apple, as well as his $200 price target over the next 12 months. Apple shares closed at $159.3 a share on Monday, down 2.37%. As of this writing, the stock was down another 0.36% in after-hours trading and is currently trading at $158.73 per share.
Back to the iPhone SE 3, this device will be very attracted mostly because of its price. Also, there are a small group of people who still love small-screen devices. Thus, this smartphone still has a market. Furthermore, this smartphone may increase its storage capacity and add more camera features. These could turn out to be selling points for this device in addition to the A15 Bionic SoC.
