JP Morgan’s Mark Moskowitz today reiterates an Overweight rating on Apple (AAPL) stock after concluding that the tablet computer market remains “Apple’s party.”
Moskowitz writes that his “latest research” indicates Apple will not release a new iPad, the “iPad 3,” as it has been called, this year. That’s pretty much what others have concluded as well, at this point.
But there’s “no rush,” he thinks, because the competitors have “stumbled.” He notes that Motorola Mobility’s (MMI) “Xoom” tablet, based on Google’s (GOOG) “Android” software has “not exhibited much in the way of meaningful market penetration” and that Research in Motion (RIMM) last night said it shipped 200,000 “PlayBook” tablets in the August-ending fiscal Q2, fewer than analysts were expecting. RIM has said it will step up “promotions” of the device, and content and application availability, but Moskowitz is skeptical.
“There are prototypes [of the iPad 3] in the supply chain related to the next-generation device, but our conversations with industry participants suggest that a new device will not be available until sometime in C2012.”
Amazon.com (AMZN) may be a contender, he thinks. It is rumored to be introducing a tablet this year.
Lastly, he’s underwhelmed by Sony’s (SNE) introduction of its “Tablet S,” which goes on sale today:
We had the opportunity to demo a tablet from Sony before today�s official launch. We were not impressed. To us, Sony�s tablet lacks the refined, sleek feel of the iPad and its bezel-like back is not user-friendly. Lastly, the Sony tablet runs on the Android O/S, which has failed to garner as much interest in tablets as it has in smartphones.
In contrast, Walt Mossberg with The Wall Street Journal today writes that he likes the Tablet S, and that it may be a good alternative to the iPad “from a trusted company.”
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