It has been almost two weeks since a Nomura analyst reported the dropped phone calls due to faulty chips were a significant problem for Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) 3G iPhone customers.

The mainstream press has been slow in reporting the trouble, but the FT made it a major story today. According to the paper, "Over the past few weeks, customers have flocked to Apple's online support forums to complain about weak or fluctuating signals leading to dropped calls and long download times."

Since the FT prides itself on being early to market with important news, what happened?

The media, in general, seems reluctant to take on Apple's image as an almost flawless designer, manufacturer, and marketer of PCs and consumer electronics devices. The company's customers are vocal defenders of the Apple's blue chip reputation and are rabid about attacking media that try to undermine that.

Apple's obsessive need to present itself as "perfect" is beginning to backfire because of problems with its newest product, the 3G iPhone. It would be better to come clean about the troubles and offer a way to fix them

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

Apple iPhone: Undermining an image of perfection originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 18 Aug 2008 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Apple (AAPL) getting $325 for each 3G iPhone sold to AT&T?

Apple (AAPL) getting $325 for each 3G iPhone sold to AT&T? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• The Wall Street Journal reported that executives from Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) informed plant managers and union representatives that they intend to reduce overtime and that additional buyouts of union workers were necessary to cut costs.
• The Wall Street Journal also reported that federal prosecutors are preparing to file criminal charges against Ralph Cioffi and Matthew Tannin, two hedge fund managers at Bear Stearns, now part of JP Morgan Chase & Co (NYSE: JPM), with securities fraud.
• Investors who helped U.S. financial companies raise capital are currently losing nearly $10B on paper, according to an analysis by the Financial Times.

• Fortune reported that the materials used to build Apple Inc's (NASDAQ: AAPL) new 3G iPhone could cost as little as $100, while the components of the old iPhone cost $170, according to analysis by Portelligent, an Austin, Texas-based teardown specialist.
• Steve Jobs appeared to be extremely thin during the unveiling of Apple's new iPhone last Monday, causing speculation by observers. Fortune speculated that Jobs' weight loss over the years is being caused by a complex operation he underwent in 2004, in order to treat a rare type of pancreatic cancer.

Newspaper wrap-up: New iPhone materials are cheaper, firm says originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 16 Jun 2008 08:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Apple announces 3G iPhone, AAPL declines 3%

Apple announces 3G iPhone, AAPL declines 3% originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 09 Jun 2008 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• In part two of a series to help explain the reasons why The Bear Stearns Companies Inc (NYSE: BSC) collapsed, the Wall Street Journal said that executives believed they were about to turn a corner, but fear and rumors sent lenders, trading partners and clients running.
• The Wall Street Journal also reported that a host of factors could derail InBev NV from bidding for Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc (NYSE: BUD), including the cultural differences between the two, protests by politicians over foreign ownership of a U.S. company during an election year and possible unrest from Anheuser distributors and employees.
• Following the recent indictment of one of the bank's former senior executives, the Financial Times reported that UBS AG (NYSE: UBS) told members of its former private banking team not to travel to America. The restrictions suggest UBS is concerned investigations by the SEC may widen.

• The latest set of photos that supposedly show parts of Apple Inc's (NASDAQ: AAPL) 3G iPhone, released by Dutch website iPhoneclub.nl, look identical to the previously released pictures that were supposedly photos of the 3G iPhone, Engadget reported.

Newspaper wrap-up: Host of factors could stop InBev from bidding for Anheuser originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 28 May 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is trading at $173.15 at 10 am, up a bit more than 1%.

Steve Jobs is expected to introduce the Apple 3G iPhone with pricing in early 2008, and AAPL is expected to report EPS in mid-January. Macworld will be held January 14-18 in San Francisco.

AAPL January and February option implied volatility of 68 is above its 26-week average of 48 according to Track Data, suggesting larger risk.

Options Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com

Options update: Apple volatility elevated into 3G iPhone, Macworld, EPS originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 09 Jan 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) closed at $191.81 Thursday.

Steve Jobs is expected to introduce the Apple 3G iPhone with pricing in early 2008. Macworld will be held January 14-18 in San Francisco. International CES will be held January 7-10 in Las Vegas. AAPL is expected to report EPS in mid-January. AAPL December 190 straddle is prices at $9. AAPL January option implied volatility of 50 is above its 26-week average of 45 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price risk.

Options Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com

Options update 12-14-07: AAPL volatility up into 3G iPhone, other events originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 14 Dec 2007 10:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The head of AT&T (NYSE: T) is saying that Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) will launch a 3G iPhone next year and the big phone company is anxious to start selling it. Barron's quotes AT&T's CEO as saying, "The 3G iPhone, when? You will have it next year."

Although the iPhone has sold extraordinarily well in the U.S., one of its only drawbacks is that it runs on AT&T's 2.5G network. The phone does not have the capacity to run on the company's faster 3G network, but the handset is obviously being adapted.

An iPhone on a faster network is likely to encourage people to use the phone more for web surfing and data downloads. AT&T makes money off of usage fees, so this should increase its revenue from iPhone customers. It is widely assumed that Apple gets a piece of these usage fees, so its income-per-phone could go up as well.

Customers waiting for a 3G version of the phone will probably flood AT&T stores when the new version hits the market. It could look like the original launch all over again.

Douglas A. McIntyre is a partner at 247wallst.com.

3G iPhone coming in 2008, AT&T chief says originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 29 Nov 2007 09:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.