Here are your Apple rumors and news items for Tuesday. The latest Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) stock news and rumors for include a delay for the iPad 2, a new iMac and a “secret” meeting for Apple Store employees.
iPad 2 Delayed Until Q3 2011: Previous rumors about the impending release of a second-generation iPad have indicated that Apple would begin selling the device approximately one year after the original tablet’s release in April 2011. The iPad 2 — a thinner tablet with an improved screen and longer battery life complimented by front- and rear-facing cameras — would then be followed by a third-generation model and a smaller “Nano” version of the tablet in the fall. A Tuesday Bloomberg report, however, says that Apple may have a new timeline for its new iPads. Yuanta Securities Co. analysts Vincent Chen and Alison Chen issued a note that Apple will delay the April release of the iPad 2 until June to resolve production problems. “Our checks suggest new issues are being encountered with the new production and it is taking time to resolve them,” said Chen. The analysts see the delay as a window of opportunity for Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) tablets like the Motorola (NYSE: MMI) Xoom. If the iPad 2 is released in June, it is possible that Apple will also delay the expected release of the iPhone 5. The annual model upgrades to the iPhone line have traditionally released in June.
Apple May Release New iMac Alongside New MacBook Pro: Evidence came out this past weekend suggesting that Apple has already started shipping a new models of MacBook Pro laptops to retailers. On Tuesday morning, a report from DigiTimes claims that Apple will be refreshing its line of desktop computers in addition to its laptops. Citing its supply chain sources, the Taiwanese paper said that the updated iMac all-in-one desktop will feature a modified screen. DigiTimes reported last December that a new iMac would be released at “a price point for the mainstream market” in 2011. The new report does not say whether or not this new desktop will be the much-rumored touch screen iMac described in a number of recently published Apple patents.
Secret Apple Retail Employee Meeting Coming This Week: AppleInsider reported on Tuesday morning that Apple is asking employees at its retail outlets to sign non-disclosure agreements in advance of an “all hands” meeting this week. The employee meeting is said to come ahead of a media event later in the week to announce a number of a new products including the refreshed MacBook Pro laptop line. MacRumors ran a follow up report citing sources that say the employee gathering is just a routine quarterly meeting. This does not, however, rule out the likelihood that retail employees will be briefed on new products hitting the store in the coming weeks.
As of this writing, Anthony John Agnello did not own a position in any of the stocks named here.
