Thursday Apple Rumors: iPhone Rises to 42% of U.S. Smartphones

by Christopher Freeburn | January 16, 2014 12:55 pm

[1]Here are your Apple rumors[2] and AAPL news items for today:

Gaining: A report from an industry research firm says that Apple (AAPL[3]) has increased its share of the domestic smartphone market[4], AppleInsider notes. During the fourth quarter of 2013, iPhones accounted for 42% of all smartphones in the U.S., according to NPD Group. That was up from 35% during the final quarter of 2012. By contrast, in 4Q 2013, Samsung held 26% of the U.S. smartphone market. Apple and Samsung now hold a combined 68% of the U.S. smartphone market. NPD notes that the launch of the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c in September helped boost Apple’s U.S. market share. While Apple and Samsung are enjoying market gains in the U.S., other manufacturers aren’t so lucky. Google’s (GOOG[5]) Motorola, BlackBerry (BBRY[6]) and HTC all saw their market shares declined year-over-year during the fourth quarter. Only LG saw its market share edge up. Smartphones now comprise about 60% of all mobile phones in the U.S.

Guidance: The man who penned a popular biography of Apple’s late co-founder Steve Jobs[7] has some advice for his successor, 9to5Mac notes. Appearing on CNBC, Walter Isaacson said that Apple had fallen behind Google in terms of innovation. He cited Google’s recent acquisition of smart thermostat-maker Nest and its movement into “Internet of Everything” devices, noting the Nest-founder Tony Faddell and formerly helped developed Apple’s iPod. Isaacson noted that Apple’s board is still composed largely of people appointed by Jobs. He said current CEO Tim Cook should be considering putting his own people on Apple’s board. He also noted that Cook needed to focus on launching new market-disrupting products. “We ought to see, in 2014, Apple do something huge,” he said. Apple is widely expected to debut a new smartwatch — commonly referred to as the iWatch — along with a larger screen iPhone this year.

Moving Forward: Despite early stumbles, the Los Angeles Board of Education is sticking with a plan to put iPads in the hands of all students in the district[8], the Los Angeles Times notes. LA schools began handing out iPads last year, but halted the program after some students were found to have easily evaded Internet restrictions placed on the devices. An oversight panel had recommended cutting back on iPad purchases, but on Tuesday, the board overrode the recommendations. The district will expand iPad distribution to 38 additional schools. It also approved $115 million to fund additional iPad purchases.

For more about the company, check out our previous Apple Rumors[9] stories.

Source URL: https://investorplace.com/2014/01/thursday-apple-rumors-iphone-rises-42-u-s-smartphones/

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