X

iPad 5, iPhone 5S to drive Apple's holiday season -- report

The iPhone 5S is outselling the iPhone 5C at a ratio of 2.5-to-1, according to one analyst, and that pace should continue through the rest of the year.

Don Reisinger
CNET contributor Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has covered everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Besides his work with CNET, Don's work has been featured in a variety of other publications including PC World and a host of Ziff-Davis publications.
Don Reisinger
2 min read
Apple

Apple's iPhone 5S is significantly outpacing the iPhone 5C in sales, and at least one analyst believes that trend will continue into the holiday season.

The iPhone 5S is outselling the iPhone 5C at a ratio of 2.5-to-1, Canaccord Genuity analyst Michael Walkley wrote in a note to investors on Wednesday. That news is obviously good for Apple, which generates more revenue on the iPhone 5S than iPhone 5C, but it also cements Walkley's belief that Apple will sell 52.5 million iPhones during the last quarter of the year.

The first quarter of 2014 should also be bolstered by China Mobile, Walkley said. The crown jewel in Apple's wireless plans should finally start shipping the iPhone early next year to its more than 750 million subscribers, which could add over 10 million iPhone unit sales to Apple's financials, Walkley said.

The iPad 5 could also be a winner for Apple through the rest of the year. Walkley believes Apple will announce a major iPad 5 redesign at its special event on October 22 that will spur increased sales. Walkley is also unsure when the iPad Mini with Retina display might hit store shelves, further complicating sales forecasts on that device. Therefore, in the short-term, Apple could expect the iPad 5 to drive its tablet sales.

"We are modeling iPad 5 and iPad Mini units at 12.9M/11.5M for the December quarter," Walkley wrote to investors. "We anticipate this sales mix will reverse to 8.4M/14.4M in the March quarter driven by the delayed launch of a refreshed iPad Mini with Retina display and increased iPad Mini demand from international markets, particularly in China around Chinese New Year."

One other tidbit from the Walkley report: he expects Apple to launch its long-awaited smartwatch and television at some point in its 2015 fiscal year, which starts in October of 2014.

Walkley has reiterated his "buy" recommendation on Apple shares and has upped his 12-month price target to $580.