KGI Securities

By MacRumors Staff

KGI Securities Articles

kuo digitimes

Ming-Chi Kuo May Lessen Focus on Apple Following Reported Departure From KGI Securities

Monday April 30, 2018 5:57 am PDT by
Ming-Chi Kuo, widely considered to be one of the best analysts covering Apple, might no longer focus his research on the iPhone maker. Kuo speaking on behalf of DigiTimes China Times reports that Kuo resigned from Taiwanese research firm KGI Securities on Friday and, while his next move is uncertain, the publication suggests he will focus less on Apple and more on other emerging industries. ...
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Ming-Chi Kuo Says Apple Considering Lower-Priced HomePod After Potentially Lackluster Sales

Friday April 13, 2018 8:09 am PDT by
HomePod shipments "could be far below market expectations" this year, according to reputable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. "Our understanding is that the market expects HomePod shipments to arrive at 5-10 million units in the 2018 fiscal year, versus our forecast of only 2.0-2.5 million units," wrote Kuo, in a research note obtained by MacRumors. Kuo believes the "major miss" in...
trio iphone ipad mac

Ming-Chi Kuo: Apple's Biggest Challenge to Innovation in Recent Years Has Been Software

Wednesday April 11, 2018 9:21 am PDT by
Apple's "biggest challenge in innovation in recent years has been in software, not hardware," according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. "In several cases we have seen Apple lagging in software versus hardware development, which bodes badly for its innovation strategy of software and hardware integration," wrote Kuo, in a research note obtained by MacRumors. Kuo's sole example is...
galaxy s8 security touch

KGI: Samsung to Cancel Under-Display Fingerprint Sensor Plans for This Year's Galaxy Note 9

Friday March 9, 2018 1:07 am PST by
Samsung is unlikely to introduce an under-display fingerprint recognition feature in its 2018 flagship smartphone line-up, according to KGI Securities research analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo had earlier predicted that the South Korean firm was planning to debut an under-screen fingerprint sensor in its Galaxy Note 9, due for release in the third quarter of this year, but Kuo now believes Samsung will...
iphones 2018 kgi

KGI: Apple Could Ship 100 Million Units of New 6.1-inch LCD iPhone, Replacing iPhone 8 and 8 Plus in 2018 Device Line-up

Wednesday February 14, 2018 1:52 am PST by
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared shipment projections with MacRumors for Apple's rumored 6.1-inch iPhone that he expects to launch in the second half of 2018. The device is said to have some iPhone X features such as Face ID, but design compromises will enable Apple to put it at a more affordable price point. They could include an LCD screen instead of an OLED display, an...
intel iphone x

KGI Expects Intel to Be Exclusive Supplier of Modems in 2018 iPhones

Sunday February 4, 2018 7:49 am PST by
Intel could be the exclusive supplier of LTE modems for all new iPhones launched in 2018, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The key takeaway of the research note, obtained by MacRumors:We expect Intel to be the exclusive supplier of baseband chip for 2H18 new iPhone models, while Qualcomm may not have a share of the orders at all.Kuo previously expected Intel to supply 70...
iPhone SE Front Back

Ming-Chi Kuo Casts Doubt on iPhone SE 2, Expects Few Changes Should New Model Launch

Monday January 29, 2018 7:37 am PST by
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has sources within Apple's supply chain in Asia, has issued a research note today that casts doubt on rumors about a second-generation iPhone SE launching in the second quarter of 2018. Kuo believes Apple doesn't have enough spare development resources to focus on launching another iPhone, with three new models already in the pipeline, including a...
iphone x plus mockup

KGI Shares Latest on 6.1-Inch iPhone, Next iPhone X and iPhone X Plus to Have 4GB of RAM and Two-Cell Batteries

Sunday January 28, 2018 9:55 am PST by
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who often relays information gathered from sources within Apple's supply chain in Asia, today shared a trio of new research notes that outline both new and existing predictions about the new iPhone X, iPhone X Plus, and lower-priced 6.1-inch iPhone expected later this year. iPhone X Plus dummy model versus current iPhone X via Ben Geskin MacRumors obtained ...
iphones 2018 kgi

KGI: 6.1-Inch iPhone to Have Single-Lens Rear Camera, Aluminum Frame, 3GB RAM, and No 3D Touch, Cost $700-$800

Tuesday January 23, 2018 7:51 am PST by
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared additional details about the rumored 6.1-inch iPhone that he expects to launch in the second half of 2018. Note: KGI's image has a slight error. iPhone 8 Plus has 3GB of RAM. We already know the device is said to have some iPhone X features, including Face ID, but with some design compromises to achieve a cheaper price point. That will include...
iphone x silver

KGI: Apple to Discontinue iPhone X Rather Than Sell at Lower Price When Second-Generation Model Launches

Monday January 22, 2018 6:07 am PST by
Apple will discontinue the first-generation iPhone X when the second-generation model launches later this year, rather than bump the device down its smartphone lineup for lower than $999, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who clarified his earlier prediction with a follow-up research note today. Kuo said that Apple keeping the current iPhone X in its smartphone lineup for a...
kgi three iphones 2018

KGI: Larger-Sized iPhones Coming This Year Will Offset Weakening Demand for iPhone X in China

Friday January 19, 2018 3:51 am PST by
Weaker-than-expected demand for iPhone X in China has led market analysts to revise down shipments for the first half of 2018, but larger-sized iPhone models in the pipeline should see Apple grow its overall worldwide shipments year-on-year, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who shared the information in a new research report obtained by MacRumors. We revise down 1Q18 and...
truedepth iphone x silver

Apple's Upgraded TrueDepth Camera System in Future iPhones Will Necessitate Larger Batteries

Thursday December 21, 2017 5:47 am PST by
iPhone models released in 2019 and later will likely feature an upgraded TrueDepth camera system that will consume more power, resulting in a need for larger-capacity batteries, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In a research note obtained by MacRumors, Kuo said Apple has technologies at its disposal to develop larger-capacity batteries.Apple capable of designing new system...
airpods

Ming-Chi Kuo Expects Upgraded AirPods to Launch in Mid to Late 2018

Tuesday December 19, 2017 5:29 am PST by
Apple will release an upgraded version of AirPods in the second half of 2018, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. An excerpt from Kuo's latest research note, a copy of which was obtained by MacRumors:Media reports over the past few days on brisk AirPods demand and Apple struggling to keep up with holiday season demand align with our findings and positive predictions on AirPods...
kuo iphone batteries 2018

2018 iPhone X Successor Could Feature Up to 10% More Powerful Battery With New 1-Cell Design

Thursday December 7, 2017 8:34 pm PST by
Next year's version of the iPhone X could feature up to 10 percent more battery power if Apple and LG Chem are able to deploy a one-cell design for the device's L-shaped battery, as opposed to the two-cell battery used in the iPhone X, according to a report from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo that was obtained by MacRumors. Kuo says the more space efficient one-cell design would allow...
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KGI: AirPods Shipments Will Double Next Year Given Strong Demand

Monday December 4, 2017 3:49 am PST by
AirPods will remain one of Apple's most popular accessories in 2018, with shipments likely to double to an estimated 26-28 million units on a year-over-year basis, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo said there has been strong demand for AirPods, which he views as the most important accessory in Apple's wireless ecosystem. His prediction implies AirPods shipments will total 13-14...
kuoiphonexantennasystem

2018 iPhones to Feature Upgraded Antenna Design to Boost LTE Transmission Speeds

Tuesday November 21, 2017 5:10 pm PST by
Apple's upcoming 2018 iPhones will feature upgraded liquid crystal polymer (LCP) antenna modules that will contribute to faster LTE transmission speeds, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said tonight in a note that was sent out to investors. Kuo says new iPhone models will use at least two LCP LTE antenna modules, much like the iPhone X, but with improvements to support 4x4 MIMO standards. ...
kuo modems

KGI: Next Year's iPhone Models to Have Upgraded Intel and Qualcomm Modems Enabling Faster LTE Speeds

Friday November 17, 2017 7:18 am PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone models released in 2018 will feature Intel's XMM 7560 and Qualcomm's Snapdragon X20 modems, enabling faster LTE transmission speeds, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Image: KGI Securities Kuo highlighted that both new chips support 4x4 MIMO technology, compared to only 2x2 MIMO in the latest iPhone models, which leads him to believe LTE...
kgi three iphones 2018

KGI: Apple to Launch 6.5-Inch 'iPhone X Plus' and Lower-Priced 6.1-Inch Full-Screen LCD Model Next Year

Monday November 13, 2017 7:34 am PST by
Apple will launch a trio of new iPhone models in 2018, including 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch models with OLED displays and a 6.1-inch model with an LCD display, according to respected KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Photo: KGI Securities Kuo believes all three models will be equipped with a full-screen notched design and TrueDepth camera system like the iPhone X. Kuo expects the 5.8-inch...
iphone x vs 8 compare

iPhone 8 Production Said to Drop Significantly Given Popularity of iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X

Saturday November 11, 2017 9:06 am PST by
With fewer major selling points and given a consumer preference for the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects iPhone 8 production to see a 50-60 percent sequential decline this quarter. In his latest research note for KGI Securities, obtained by MacRumors, Kuo said the lower-than-expected iPhone 8 demand could result in fewer orders for Apple supplier Pegatron, which ...
iphone x angled

Ming-Chi Kuo: 2018 iPhones Will Have 'More Complex' Metal Frames for Improved Cellular Signal Transmission

Monday November 6, 2017 6:43 am PST by
While the iPhone X launched just three days ago, we're already starting to hear rumors about what to expect from next year's models. Specifically, oft-reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said he believes iPhones released in 2018 will feature a "more complex" metal frame design and casing assembly for the purpose of improving data transmission quality. An excerpt of Kuo's research note...