KGI Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes iMac sales will increase to 1 million units in the third quarter, driven by the availability of more powerful models with enhanced displays. Kuo made the comments in a note to investors.
Spurring sales will be new models featuring faster processors and “much better” display quality, Kuo said. Last October Apple introduced one of the highest-resolution screens available in an all-in-one machine with its 5K iMac. This year, Kuo predicts a focus on image quality, specifically color saturation enhancements with a new LED phosphor material called KSF.
Kuo notes that he expects iMac sales to show 100% quarter-over-quarter growth, ending the September quarter with one million units shipped.
While an April blog post from Apple display supplier LG suggested an iMac sporting a higher-resolution 8K display would debut sometime in 2015, Kuo did not mention such a machine in his investor note.
Kuo points to a lower than normal base established over the previous quarter as accounting for at least part of the iMac’s September quarter growth, he says that is due to inventory corrections by Apple. Kuo also sees promotional pricing and price reductions as factors.
Market research firm IDC recently reported that Apple was the only computer manufacturer to show positive sales growth in the second quarter, even as the worldwide PC market continued to show a decline. Sales for the Mac jumped 9% year-over-year last quarter.
