Apple investors have been urged to “quit worrying” by one analyst, who insists the “short-lived” iPhone 8 delay won’t impact stock price.
Robert Cihra from Guggenheim doesn’t deny that iPhone 8 will launch late, but he’s confident fans will wait, rather than jump ship.
You might as well forget getting an iPhone 8 this September. Every report we’ve seen in recent weeks warns that its launch will be delayed. One claims mass-production won’t begin until November or even December, and only small quantities will be available initially.
But Cihra insists it’s nothing to worry about. He expects a delay just like everyone else, but he says it will be “short-lived,” and ultimately won’t have a negative impact on Apple stock. Any demand will stay with the iPhone 8 into 2018, well beyond the holiday season.
He’s also confident that Apple’s fiscal 2018 will still be “its biggest in three years,” according to a note obtained by AppleInsider. It’s expected that around 40 percent of the current iPhone install base — which exceeds 700 million — are ready to upgrade.
What’s more, Cihra believes the upgrade cycle will extend beyond 2018, with OLED displays and other new features rolling out to the entire iPhone lineup — not just the most expensive model — over the next three years. And that’s good news for those on a budget.
Guggenheim expects the selling price of the iPhone 8 to exceed that of the iPhone 7s by up to $400. That’s a huge premium to pay for the new OLED screen, though we expect iPhone 8 to bring other new features, too — including facial recognition and new AR capabilities.
