First-Gen iPhones rise steadily in price
This Business Week article describes the rising demand for first generation iPhones. “Shelf prices” (using eBay values of virtual shelves) for the 16GB iPhone are currently at about $600, and $500 for 8GB models. In other words, the $250 AT&T refurb specials from March are now worth roughly double what you paid for them.
From easy-unlocking to contract-free usage to eco-consumerism, consumers are looking for those original units and paying premium prices to get them. A majority of phones are heading outside the US for resale while growing demand at home keeps resale prices high. [Read]
Popularity: 2% [?]
Oh, to have Apple’s cash problems
Not unlike this guy, Apple is going to need avalanche insurance for the mountain of cash that it’s sitting on.
According to BusinessWeek, Apple has amassed $20.8 billion in cash and short-term investments, adding nearly $1 billion each and every quarter. It’s not necessarily odd for a company to have a lot of cash (Microsoft, for example, has $23 billion socked away), but it’s beginning to irk the investors.
If Apple’s stock price continues to rise, everyone’s happy. But if it starts to dip, experts say Apple should consider investments like acquisitions (possibly in the music business) or raw materials and components.
Matt Asay of Cnet is suggesting something probably unpopular with the Cupertino crowd: tax it. Since Apple’s profit margins (as a percentage of sales) are higher than Exxon’s, Apple might fall prey to Congress’ plan to tax windfall profits, if it becomes law.
Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer said earlier this year that “Our preference is to maintain a strong balance sheet in order to preserve our flexibility.” Charles Wolf of Needham & Co. says the company doesn’t need more than $5 billion on hand, but he’d be more worried “if this was a sleepy company with no growth.”
“That’s not Apple,” Wolf said. [cnet]
Popularity: 15% [?]
Apple #2 on the BusinessWeek Infotech 100
BusinessWeek has ranked Apple #2 on its list of the Infotech 100. This list is designed to rank tech companies on their fundamental economic strength, taking into account “shareholder return, return on equity, total revenues, and revenue growth.”
Apple was up from 6th place last year and came in behind only Amazon.com. Microsoft is well back at #23; Google is #11, while HP is #30 and Dell did not even make the list. Apple’s winning spell just keeps on going.
[via electronista][Read]
Popularity: 6% [?]
Apple #2 on the BusinessWeek Infotech 100
BusinessWeek has ranked Apple #2 on its list of the Infotech 100. This list is designed to rank tech companies on their fundamental economic strength, taking into account “shareholder return, return on equity, total revenues, and revenue growth.”
Apple was up from 6th place last year and came in behind only Amazon.com. Microsoft is well back at #23; Google is #11, while HP is #30 and Dell did not even make the list. Apple’s winning spell just keeps on going.
[via electronista][Read]
Popularity: 5% [?]
