It's been a five-year journey with $150 billion generated in revenues and still counting! iPhone, the undisputed smartphone titan can raise a toast to itself as it celebrates its fifth birthday on June 29, 2012. Its collars up for the smartphone wonder, that redefined our perception of mobile phones, as JP Morgan analyst Mark Moskowitz pitches iPhone to be the numero uno smartphone in 2013.
Moskowitz stated "We think that a combination of revolutionary hardware enhancements and software-driven services (i.e., Passbook, Maps, FaceTime over cellular) stand to reaffirm the iPhone as the leading smartphone in 2013."
Known for its business acumen and pioneering approaches, Apple - the largest company in the world - is expected to launch its much-awaited iPhone 5 later this year. Billed as the top dog, the buffed up iPhone 5 will offer support for 4G LTE and several feature upgrades, which will ensure that it continues to dictate the market even in 2013.
However, it may not be all smooth sailing for Apple and experts foretell a bumpy road ahead. JP Morgan lowered its calendar-year, second-quarter sales and earning estimates for Apple, citing "macroeconomic challenges". Paraphrased, its tough times ahead for hardware vendors. The firm also lowered the third-quarter sales projections for iPhone. However, experts concur that a slowdown in iPhone sales, prior to a new model launch, is normal. The anticipated iPhone 5 demand, in turn, has propelled JP Morgan's fourth-quarter sale estimates.
Market gurus also aver that the next five years may not be a cakewalk for Apple. Competition from other smartphone makers, more options for users of this segment, as well as mobile operators' concern over iPhone subsidies could sour Apple's golden run.
Compelling statistics like Apple sells more iPhones per day than there are babies born over the world, reinstates its popularity and is a clear indication that the company has come a long way since its 2007 launch. At the time, several eyebrows had been raised and concerns expressed. Doubting minds were silenced when Apple sold a million phones in just 74 days. Then and now, with over 218 million phones sold in a span of five years, the Apple success story is there for all to see.
Apple's poster-child status is evinced by its synonymity with smartphones. That no other brand can generate as much excitement and anticipation as Apple has become a given. Apple changed our perception of mobile phones, transformed it from being a device to a companion. It continues to astonish and enrapt us. Just when we think it can't get any better, Apple unleashes yet another winner!
