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Apple shares rise on report it'll boost iPhone production 30% next year - CNBC

Posted: 15 Dec 2020 07:27 AM PST

Apple CEO Tim Cook reveals the new iPhone 12.

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Apple shares surged by as much as 4% on Tuesday morning after Japanese news outlet Nikkei said iPhone production is set to rise by 30% in the first half of 2021.

Apple is planning to build up to 96 million iPhones between January and June of 2021, according to anonymous sources cited by Nikkei. That includes the new 5G compatible iPhone 12 models, the iPhone 11 and iPhone SE.

Apple now intends to produce up to 230 million iPhones in 2021, according to Nikkei's report. That's 20% more than it made in 2020, Nikkei said. Apple no longer discloses how many phones it sells in its earnings reports.

The report said demand for the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro is stronger than expected, according to a supplier, but that iPhone 12 mini demand is "sluggish."

Apple did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.

Wedbush analysts Daniel Ives and Strecker Backe said in a note on Tuesday that the Nikkei article was "another bullish sign of iPhone 12 demand" and supported the so-called "supercycle thesis" which argues many people with older iPhones re ready for upgrades and will buy the new iPhones.

"Based on lead times on the Apple website as well as our checks, we believe pre-orders tracked more than 2x its predecessor iPhone 11 thus far and is a robust start out of the gates for Cupertino on this flagship supercycle product," the analysts said.

The analysts estimate that 20% of iPhone upgrades would come from China in the coming year and said that the country is a "key ingredient in Apple's recipe for success."

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The Giant $400 Google Home Max Smart Speaker Has Been Discontinued - Gizmodo

Posted: 15 Dec 2020 06:27 AM PST

Illustration for article titled The Giant $400 Google Home Max Smart Speaker Has Been Discontinued — Photo: Adam Clark Estes / Gizmodo

Debuting back in 2017, the Google Home Max was a hi-fi alternative to the original Google Home smart speaker, promising better sound but still providing access to Google Assistant. It was big, kind of pricey at $400, and from our testing, not as loud or booming as you'd expect, so Google has done what Google does best and discontinued the product.

According to Engadget, Google has confirmed that the Google Store has officially sold out of its remaining stock of the Home Max, and the company isn't manufacturing any more units. Existing users of the product won't be left high and dry, though, as Google also promises it has no plans to discontinue support for the smart speaker any time soon, and will continue to release software updates and security fixes as needed.

Since its release, the Home Max has seen discounts and promotions as Google strived to get its smart speaker products into as many homes as possible, but it was never as affordable or accessible as the smaller Google Home Mini and Nest Mini speakers. If you found a deal you could fill your home with eight or more of Google's puck-sized smart speakers for what the Home Max cost.

However, the final blow for the Home Max was probably the release of the follow-up to the original Google Home, the Nest Audio smart speaker. At $100 it is still the best-sounding cheap smart speaker you can buy right now. You can fill an entire house with excellent sound for $400, and pair the Nest Audio to other units for a more immersive stereo sound experience. On top of that, the Google Home Max also faced stiff competition from Apple's HomePod released in early 2018, which was $50 cheaper and provided a more seamless listening experience for iOS users using the Apple Music streaming service.

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If you still want one you better get comfortable with eBay and Craigslist.

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