This thread is for general discussion about AAPL stock.
1 Like
WWDC
What?
WWDC will be returning as an online only event June 6 to 10. This will mark the third all-virtual version of the show, which has traditionally been held in-person at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose.
As ever, the opening of the event will serve as a launching pad for the latest versions of Apple’s operating systems, iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS. The event has traditionally been a bit hit and miss on the hardware front, though many expect the company to announce a new version of the Mac Pro and a possible announcement of a new MacBook Air.
When?
The main keynote event is set to take place on Monday, June 6 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time.
Expectations
WWDC 2022 will see the unveiling of iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS 13, tvOS 16, and watchOS 9, plus there is a chance we could see hardware, including a new MacBook Air.
Apple’s iOS 16 said to include a revamped lockscreen with widgets, updated Messages and Health apps
The MacBook Air is Apple’s most popular laptop, and for good reason. It’s thin and light, performs very well, and is the most affordable laptop Apple sells. At the end of 2020, it got its first major revision in a long time as one of the first Mac models to be powered by Apple Silicon which has been very well recieved. The new Airs are also rumored to launch in a range of colors matching their iMacs.
The MacBook Air 2022 is tipped to feature a new Apple M2 chip, which is said to have an 8-core CPU. There could be four efficiency and high-performance cores, plus a 10-core GPU; the previous Apple M1 chip had an 8-core GPU.
The new MacBook Air will likely feature a 13.6-inch display, which would be up slightly from the current 13.3-inch model. There could be a 14.2-inch version, however this is highly speculatory.
The M1 Air launced with the same lackluster webcam (though with much better processing), the same silver clamshell aluminum body, the same keyboard, the same USB-C ports, even the battery size is the same - Apple just gets more life out of it with its extremely efficient processor. These are areas to look to for improvement in the new Air. We have not heard much about the webcam for the MacBook Air 2022, but assuming we will see Apple upgrade the sensor to 1080p.
It is however important that with all these possible upgrades to the design that it remains affordable.
It’s also important to remember that we already ‘know’ a lot of this news already and will likely see the pricing in of this over the coming week before the event, if not already somewhat priced in.
Tech
The WWDC event will likely introduce new infrastructure that already is in Mac with the M1 chip. An M1 is 16.8% neural network capabilities that really aren’t being used yet, likely we will see at WWDC why this is so important to Apple.
Similarly, the M1 Mac also has an Ultra Wide Band chip in it. This is a new mesh network that has lots of new capabilities. Again, likely we will see at WWDC why this is significant.
These features are not likely to move the price all that much as they won’t require new hardware to see the benefits.
Surprises
There are two (maybe three) possible surprises we might see at WWDC next week, the most boring of which and most likely to be priced in is the iPhone 14 as we have already seen many leaks regarding the design and it’s features.
The second more interesting theory getting some small news right now, and I think would be a big deal - Apple Might Announce New Search Engine Next Week At Worldwide Developers Conference
Reminder: In 2020, The New York Times reported that Apple receives an estimated $8-12 billion per year in exchange for making Google the default search on its devices. According to one analyst, Google paid Apple $15 billion in 2021 to be the default search engine on Apple Safari, if Apple launches its own search engine this deal would likely cease. Because of this deal, I honestly have no idea how this will affect the stock price if announced, but Apple launching their own search engine to compete with Google and Microsoft would probably be a pretty big news item.
And the third least likely surprise could be more information about Apple’s augmented reality headset, however Apple is unlikely to announce its rumored mixed reality headset or its new AR/VR operating system at next week’s WWDC with mass production of the device still some ways off.
Price movement
What does all this mean for the stock price? Well… it’s worth noting that the stock price doesn’t typically do all that much during Apple events. Despite the amount of fanfare leading up to these big presentations, as was the case preceding the iPhone X announcement, Wall Street doesn’t overreact. Why? Because they’ve seen it all before, they know what’s coming. Plus, all the press leading up to the event usually takes away any opportunity for a true surprise.
What can happen however is that Apple has the ability to rock other boats, as we learned during its 2018 hardware event that kneecapped the value of Fitbit after the Apple Watch Series 4 was announced. Fitbit stock sinking following Apple Watch announcement | TechCrunch So keep an eye on any Apple competitors during / after the event.
My thoughts - I am optimistic that in this market at its current price this will at least be an overall positive move for the stock and not a negative one, however we could see this in the week running up to the event, and a lackluster move during / after.
1 Like
This thread has interesting discussion points. Skimmed it before but will read again later, and sharing it to the forum for others to digest if they are interested.
2 Likes
Just saw this article on CNBC talking about Apple’s launch event next week.
“Expect Apple to show four new iPhones and an updated Apple Watch next week”
Interesting article about apple making new iPhone 14 in India to diversify its production away from china. But more importantly in my opinion is to gain more market share of iPhones in India. Currently had 3.8% market share in India so smart move.
Regardless not sure how bullish to be in coming weeks or months ahead and I don’t play apple stock but thought interesting and just sharing.
Cheers