Here are your Apple rumors and AAPL news items for today.
Apple Holding “Strange” Event Before iPad 3 Release in March: Japanese blog Macotakara is back at its favorite game: spinning weird rumors about Apple’s future product releases. Weird in this case seems to be the operative word, though. A Thursday report posted on the site (via Apple Insider) followed up on Macotakara‘s Jan. 18 claim that Apple would host a media event in early February to formally announce the iPad 3. The new report says that while Apple will hold an event in February, it will be a “strange” event and likely won’t include a new product reveal. The company will then hold an event in March to announce the iPad 3 before releasing it shortly thereafter. This release plan for the iPad 3 seems accurate, as it mirrors exactly the 2011 release of the iPad 2. As to what the “strange” February event may be, it’s anyone’s guess. Maybe Apple will hold a press conference where CEO Tim Cook just rolls around on a giant pile of money and invites spectators to join him.
Apple Now World’s Third Leading Mobile Phone Manufacturer: Leading the smartphone market is one thing. Leading the entire mobile phone market, old school feature phones and all, is another thing altogether. While Nokia (NYSE:NOK) is the biggest mobile phone manufacturer in the world by number of phones shipped each quarter, research firm IDC’s report on the industry’s fourth quarter found Apple making impressive gains. The popularity of the iPhone has won Apple third place among the world’s biggest mobile-phone makers. The company shipped 37 million iPhones last quarter, a year-over-year increase of more than 128%, helping the company breeze pass former third-stringer LG (PINK:LGEAF). Apple has miles to go before catching the market leaders, though. Nokia shipped 113.5 million phones during the fourth quarter of 2011, while runner up Samsung (PINK:SSNLF) shipped out 97.6 million.
Microsoft Xbox Live Head Joins Apple iTunes Team: Robin Burrowes handled Microsoft‘s (NASDAQ:MSFT) Xbox Live—the online platform and subscription video game service—in the Middle East, Africa, and Europe for seven years. No longer. According to his LinkedIn (NYSE:LNKD) profile, Burrowes has joined Apple and will now head the company’s App Store marketing as part of iTunes Europe. What’s intriguing about this particular hire is that it follows hints that Microsoft is interested in bringing its Xbox Live games and services to devices other than the Xbox 360 video game console and Windows phones. With Burrowes at the App Store helm in Europe, the process of brining Xbox Live to the iPhone may be eased significantly.
As of this writing, Anthony John Agnello did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned stocks. Follow him on Twitter at @ajohnagnello and become a fan of InvestorPlace on Facebook. For more from the company, check out our previous Apple Rumors stories.
