By targeting the mid-market, Apple has struck gold with the $329 iPad

iPad sales have been declining for so long now that it was almost a jolt to finally see some good news for the tablet in Apple’s numbers.   In the past quarter, iPad sales were not only up, but by a substantial margin: up 15% year-on-year. The stock market sent Apple shares soaring to new highs based at least partly on the news.

The company doesn’t provide any breakdown of models, but as analysts have noted, there was rather a large clue …

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Google Earth app update adds 64-bit support in time for iOS 11 cutoff, new 3D views

The Google Earth app is incredibly popular on iOS, with hundreds of thousands of reviews on the App Store, and the company has finally updated it to support 64-bit iPhone and iPad CPUs. This means the app can now run on iOS 11, which does not launch any 32-bit-only apps.

As well as much needed architectural compatibility, the update brings a redesign and several flagship new features, including Flyover-esque 3D views of major cities and ‘Voyager’ guided tours.

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Comment: Apple’s guidance suggests iPhone 8 will go on sale in September, with constrained supply

I wrote yesterday that Apple’s Q4 guidance would give a big clue about iPhone 8 timing, but that it might not be easy to decode.

I said that one of the three possible scenarios would give the clearest steer: a guidance range significantly higher than normal for a ‘tock’ year. In that event, it would send a clear message that the iPhone 8 will go on sale in September, with at least enough availability to show up in the financials.

And that’s where I think we’re at, even if the numbers are not high enough to absolutely guarantee it …

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AAPL’s Q3 call ‘one of the most bullish,’ say analysts, as stock hits $158 in pre-market

Apple’s Q3 financials seem to have been well-received, with AAPL stock sitting at $158 in pre-market trading at the time of writing – up more than 5% on yesterday’s close. The company reported revenue of $45.4b and sales of 41m iPhones, 11.4m iPads and 4.29m Macs.

Most analysts also seem pleased, with Macquarie describing the earnings call as “one of its most bullish in recent memory” – even if Barclays did sound a sour note …

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