Apple in the lead: Vision Pro rules, iPhone 16 surprises

New information from analysts shows that Apple is not only keeping the competition at bay, but even exceeding expectations. At the forefront are two key products - the Vision Pro and the iPhone 16. While Meta has unveiled a new prototype of its Orion AR glasses, Apple continues to maintain its lead with its Vision Pro. In addition, surveys suggest that iPhone 16 sales could beat pessimistic market expectations, mainly due to new AI features.

Apple Vision Pro versus Meta Orion

Although Meta unveiled its new Orion AR glasses prototype on Wednesday, it doesn't yet look like it could become a serious competitor to Apple's Vision Pro, according to analysts at Oppenheimer. Although Orion boasts a lightweight design (only 100 grams) and a wide field of view (70 degrees), the main issues holding back its commercial success are cost and technological maturity.

Oppenheimer points out that the materials used in the Orion significantly increase its price, which exceeds $3,000 per pair, while the Vision Pro costs around $2,000. A significant part of the cost is the use of silicon carbide (SiC), which is key to Orion's wide field of view but also drives up the cost, limiting its availability to the general public.

In addition, although Meta Orion scores points in weight and field of view, it falls short in other key areas such as display resolution and refresh rate, which are as important to the user experience as lightness and width of field of view.

Surprisingly high interest in iPhone 16

In addition to the success of the Vision Pro, Apple is seeing positive developments in its smartphone business. Analyst firm Evercore ISI released the results of its recent survey, which revealed unexpectedly high interest in the new iPhone 16. The survey of 3,500 respondents found that 63% of them plan to upgrade their iPhone this year, the highest percentage in five years.

An interesting trend is that the main reason for upgrading this time is not better batteries, but the new AI features that Apple has integrated into the iPhone 16. 42% of respondents said that these new technologies were their main motivation for buying a new phone.

Another interesting fact is the slight increase in average selling price (ASP), suggesting that more customers are opting for the more expensive Pro Max model. Analysts now expect the average price for an iPhone to reach $1,000, an increase from initial expectations.

Disclaimer: You will find a lot of inspiration on Bulios, but stock selection and portfolio construction is up to you, so always do a thorough analysis of your own.

Source.