Following on from “Is anyone listening? 2010” here is what you have been waiting for! Yes a fully up to date guide on how to make money by doing very little. Buying Apple shares.
From a starting point of an all time high at the start of 2010 we all ended up with a healthy 54% profit, so what will 2011 bring?
It is easy to think that just because the shares of a company are valued at an all time high that it’s time to sell and profit from your gains. For most companies this may well be true, but Apple have been central to a fundamental shift in computing over the past 10 years that is edging nearer to critical mass. You ain’t seen nothing yet!
Apple in 2011 will bring us, amongst other things:
Mac App Store – Mac users will be able to buy Mac OS X Apps from the Mac App store with a single click just like we buy iPhone and iPad Apps from iTunes at the moment. This will change the way software is distributed on a global basis over the next few years. Just watch other companies jump on this bandwagon. [UPDATE: This went live 06/1/11]
iPad 2 – iPad on steroids. The best tablet computer will surge further out of reach of its “competitors” who are just beginning to ship pale imitations of the first iPad. “No one will buy a big iPhone” we heard the doubters cry! One day the iPad (and to some extent the iPhone) will be looked back on as the device that kicked off truly mobile computing. [UPDATE: iPad 2 is now available to buy]
iPhone 4+ – Why not iPhone 5 you ask? Well it MAY be called that but the iPhone 4 was so ahead of the curve when it came out that in the last year there isn’t really THAT much tech that can be added to the 4 to make it worthy of the 5 moniker. The main thing that seems likely is a CDMA/UMTS model that can be used on the Verizon network in the US (as well as everywhere else). This will be VERY interesting as all the poor souls on Verizon making do with Android phones will soon be able to choose an iPhone instead… [UPDATE: Verizon CDMA iPhone 4, announced Jan 11, available early Feb] [UPDATE: Verizon iPhone 4 launched Feb 3][UPDATE: iPhone 4S – available October 14th]
Mac OS X 10.7, Lion – This will push Mac OS even further ahead of Windows 7 than it is now. [UPDATE: Lion was released 20/7/11]
New Macs – With all the talk of mobile it is easy to forget that Apple sell the best computers in the world. Macs will get sleeker, faster, better, but probably not cheaper. Expect the MacBook and MacBook Pro laptops to start taking on more and more similarity to the MacBook Air… [UPDATE: New iMacs available 3/5/11, New MacBook AIR and Mac mini available 20/7/11]
Apple TV – The ability for developers to create apps on this cool device should be opened up. This will be huge.
iAds – Apple’s mobile advertising revenue stream will skyrocket this year as iAds are expanded globally.
Cloud – Apple has completed and is testing their shiny new $1 billion data centre for all things Cloudy in 2011. They will be DOUBLING the size of this facility in the not too distant future to create the largest data facility in the world. What will they be using it for..?
Don’t let all this hype about Android fool you. Let Google have their unit sales and market share, this doesn’t matter. Apple have been INCREASING their share of the mobile market revenue DESPITE the huge uptake of Android. It does tickle me the numerous and often world famous Bloggers blinded by unit sales and market share.
Mac sales are higher than any time in history and have consistently been 20% above the market for years.
In summary – AAPL is still cheap, and bar any macroeconomic effects should do very well in 2011.
I’m holding!
Let’s see where 2011 takes AAPL….