Apple Inc (AAPL.O) on Tuesday announced a line of new computers, a paid podcasting service and lost property retrieval devices, signaling the continued expansion of its once simple product line into more and more corners of customers’ lives .
The new $ 30 AirTags, small devices that can be attached to items such as keys and wallets to locate them when lost, have been hailed by analysts as a likely hot-seller that will also serve the company’s more than 1 billion customers. locked up in its products.
A new iPad Pro tablet, using the same Apple-designed processor that powers the company’s more recent Mac computers, has keyboard and trackpad options that make it a full-fledged alternative to traditional laptops and desktops.
And a refresh to the Mac desktop line offers seven color options, harking back to the famous candy-colored Macs that helped Steve Jobs revive the company in the 1990s.
The announcements show how the iPhone maker is accelerating the expansion of its product portfolio and working to keep customers committed to its family of devices, even as the government increasingly looks to the power and reach of major technology companies.
Most product introductions had been received by telegraph prior to the presentation, which did not cause any major surprises. Apple shares fell 1.3%, slightly more than the 1% decline in the Nasdaq index.
The new iMacs, which start at $ 1,299, have a higher quality front-facing camera and microphone, in response to consumer complaints during the pandemic that the computer’s cameras had not kept up with iPhones and iPads during an era of ubiquitous video calls.
“Apple cameras in their computers are frankly awful. They finally have a reasonable camera in the iMac,” said Bob O’Donnell, head of TECHnalysis Research, adding that the new colors are likely to stand out in a market dominated by black, white and silver machines. “For now it feels fresh and new.”
The new iPad Pros, starting at $ 799, use the same M1 chip as Apple’s other computers, instead of the upgraded version of iPhone chips from earlier models. The tablets also have additional ports for connecting monitors and 5G connectivity, while having a higher quality display than the company’s laptops. (Image: https://tmsnrt.rs/3duRDcD)
Analysts said the new iPad Pro models coupled with Apple’s keyboard and trackpad accessories could be an attractive laptop replacement, especially for content creators or business travelers. But those accessories also push the price to nearly $ 1,100 – more than Apple’s cheapest laptop, the $ 1,000 MacBook Air.
Ben Bajarin, chief consumer market intelligence analyst at Creative Strategies, said the devices are unlikely to be volume sellers, but target the niche of consumers who value versatility.
“If you want to shift the gamut of mobile production, content consumption and / or creativity, that’s the device that does it,” he said.
Apple has also announced podcast subscription services that will compete with rival Spotify Technology SA (SPOT.N), a step to regain ground in a market that popularized it years ago but never made money.
Apple shares are up nearly 95% over the past year, ahead of the 63% rise in the Nasdaq Composite Index (.IXIC), thanks to record sales of $ 274.5 billion for fiscal 2020 as consumers have seen a stocked up on electronics.
The AirTags announcement could result in a new set of complaints to lawmakers that Apple is hurting smaller rivals. Tile, a privately held company that has sold a competitive tracker for nearly a decade, testified before the U.S. House of Representatives last year that Apple’s App Store rules had made it more difficult to use Tile’s products and will go ahead for the Wednesday United States Senate to be called to testify. .
Apple has said it subjects all apps, including its own, to the same App Store rating rules, and has recently given third-party developers access to the same systems as its AirTags.
In a research note, Raymond James analysts Chris Caso and Melissa Fairbanks said AirTags “could grow into a $ 10 billion opportunity, on par with AirPods.”
But Creative Strategies’ Bajarin said iPhone owners who are going to use the tags to track everyday items are likely to stick with Apple’s brand for a longer period of time.
“The more you buy for just one hardware product, the less likely you are to ever leave,” said Bajarin.
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