In a note to clients issued today, research analyst Mike Abramsky reported on the results of several recent RBC IQ/ChangeWave survey questions demonstrating surging Mac and iPhone sales momentum, as well as significant interest in a potential Apple tablet computer.
In a survey of customers who had purchased a computer within the past 90 days, 25% of respondents reported purchasing a Mac laptop, nearly matching previous highs set late last year and up from 18% in July. Abramsky notes that the sales spike has likely been driven by a combination of price cuts to Apple's notebook lines and back-to-school shopping. Apple's launch of Mac OS X Snow Leopard, generally-improving consumer electronics sales, increased brand awareness and iPhone-related spillover are also cited as factors in Apple's recent Mac rebound.
On the iPhone front, 30% of surveyed smartphone customers are now iPhone owners, up from 25% in June. Based on its research, RBC projects Apple to reach a 2% share of the total global mobile phone market this year with 22.8 million iPhones sold. RBC estimates that Apple's mobile phone market share will rise to over 4% on sales of 54.7 million iPhones in 2012.
An RBC IQ/ChangeWave survey question about a hypothetical Apple tablet priced in the $500-$700 range also revealed significant interest, with 21% of buyers noting that they would be interested in purchasing such a device. That data compares to only 9% of buyers who had expressed interest in purchasing the iPhone in April 2007 ahead of its launch.
Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie.
"Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
Monday February 9, 2026 6:24 am PST by Joe Rossignol
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps.
The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future.
To set up the...
Tuesday February 10, 2026 4:27 pm PST by Juli Clover
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models as soon as early March, but if you can, this is one generation you should skip because there's something much better in the works.
We're waiting on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with few changes other than the processor upgrade. There won't be any tweaks to the design or the display, but later this...
Wednesday February 11, 2026 10:07 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today released iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3, the latest updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out in September. The new software comes almost two months after Apple released iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2.
The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
According to Apple's release notes, ...
Tuesday February 10, 2026 6:33 am PST by Joe Rossignol
It has been a slow start to 2026 for Apple product launches, with only a new AirTag and a special Apple Watch band released so far. We are still waiting for MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the iPhone 17e, a lower-cost MacBook with an iPhone chip, long-rumored updates to the Apple TV and HomePod mini, and much more.
Apple is expected to release/update the following products...
