Analyst Chris Whitmore with Deutsche Bank says in a note to investors — as reported by “AppleInsider’ (http://www.appleinsider.com) — says that checks over the holidays indicated that Apple saw better-than-expected demand for both the iPad and the Mac. In addition, consumer demand for the iPhone showed no signs of slowing down, even as rumors of a Verizon iPhone loomed over the holiday buying season, he adds.
During the holiday period, Deutsche Bank checked in at more than 50 Apple retail and partner stores, and found lines and crowds driving “robust” demand for the iPhone, Whitmore says. The analyst said iPad is tracking ahead of his model, so he’s increased sales estimates from six million to 6.5 million for the fourth quarter of calendar 2010. He also sees Apple selling 28 million iPads in 2011, up from his previous estimate of 22 million.
Whitman says the MacBook Air seems to be a big hit. he’s upped his estimate for Mac sales in the December quarter from 4 million to 4.2 million.
Whitman also upped his iPhone sales projections for the holiday period to 16 million, up a million from the previous estimate of 15 million. He now expects Apple to sell 60 million iPhones in calendar year 2011, up from 55 million. However, those estimates don’t even include the possibility of a Verizon iPhone, which is actually expected to arrive this year. Whitman thinks adding Verizon as a U.S. carrier will bump iPhone sales up by 5-7 million units.