• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Gene Munster: The iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and beyond

By
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 12, 2013, 4:12 PM ET
Munster at BI’s Ignition conference. Photo: PED

FORTUNE — Except for a few snarky comments Henry Blodget made in his opening presentation Tuesday about what Tim Cook needs to do to stay competitive in China, the only session devoted to Apple (AAPL) at Business Insider’s three-day Ignition: Future of Digital conference was Gene Munster’s 15-minute after-lunch talk titled “The State of Apple.”

Among the points he made:

  • iPhone unit sales grew 23% over the past two quarters compared with 47% for the overall market. “The reality is,” Munster told Ignition attendees, “the iPhone is growing slower than market rates because it’s priced too high for emerging markets.”
  • Munster expects Apple to introduce a larger iPhone (5-inch) in the middle of next year, and although iPhone pricing hasn’t changed over the past year (except for the iPhone 4) he expects Apple will soon start lowering prices for older phones in emerging markets.
  • The iPad represents 25% of Apple’s revenue, but it’s been struggling lately because innovation is more difficult on tablets and because prices in this market are particularly sensitive. (Unlike iPhones, iPads are not subsidized by carriers.)
  • Munster believes Apple is working on a larger-screen iPad for 2015. The  market is too big (320 million units next year, by one estimate), he says, for Apple not to expand its offerings. “We believe that two sizes don’t fit all.” Also, for branding purposes, an iPad Pro would line up with the MacBook Pro.
  • Munster described Apple television as one of his favorite topics. “It’s an understatement that I’ve been wrong about the timing of the TV,” he deadpanned, noting that he first predicted that it would arrive in 2012 (or was it 2011?). But he’s not standing down. He believes an Apple television set is going to happen, and that it will arrive in 2014.
  • In what was almost a parody of a tiny-sample Piper Jaffray survey, Munster showed a video of man-on-the-street interviews with 14 consumers, in which seven said they would buy an Apple television, five said no and two said maybe. In a larger survey this summer, the 50% who said they would be interested in buying an iTV fell to 15% when they were told that the set might cost $1,700.
  • By Munster’s calculation, a 15% share of the connected TV market would add 18% to Apple’s overall revenues. “That’s why we think Apple will do it.”
  • He also believes an iWatch is coming in 2014, not because he’s picking up signals from Asian supplier, but because it fits with what Tim Cook has said about new product categories and his “intense interest” in the watch. Recent hires from places like FuelBand “wouldn’t be coming to Apple if there weren’t something going on with a watch,” Munster says.
  • Tellingly, of 13 consumers interviewed in a second video, only one said he’d be interested in buying a watch from Apple. In a broader survey, 12% of iPhone owners said they might buy an iWatch, a number that fell to 6% when Android users were included. Munster estimates that if Apple were to sell 5 to 10 million units, that would add 1% to 2% to Apple’s annual revenues.
  • Munster also believes TouchID will eventually be exported to Passbook, Apple’s fumbling attempt to create a digital wallet. “The wallet is going to change,” he said. “It’s not about getting your credit card out faster than your phone. It’s about not waiting in line. It’s about loyalty programs. It’s about receipt management. Apple needs to be there.”
  • But Passbook — which launched in 2012 — has not taken off. It only has 37 applications in it, “Which is pathetic,” says Munster. “If anyone can grab me afterward and explain what they love about their Passbook app, I would love to hear it because I’m struggling to find out what that is.”
  • Assuming Apple can grow a digital wallet business as big as PayPal’s, about $9 billion a year, that would add about 4.5% to Apple’s revenues.
  • When Munster asked his people on the street what they’d like Apple to do next, one of the themes that came up was home automation. Possible applications include smart TVs, smart appliances and smart thermostats — like ex-Apple SVP Tony Fadell’s Nest product. It’s a big market. There are 132 million homes in the U.S. If Apple could get 20% of homeowners to spend $500 a year, that would add $13 billion to Apple’s top line. “That’s a decent size market,” says Munster, who, not surprisingly, sees iTV as the center of the Apple smart home.
About the Author
By Philip Elmer-DeWitt
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
Fortune Secondary Logo
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

A brick house with a for sale sale in front.
Real EstateHousing
Banning institutional investors from buying homes will backfire for many Americans, experts say
By Jacqueline MunisMarch 15, 2026
4 minutes ago
Future of WorkHollywood
Not one Best Picture Oscar nominee was made in Hollywood this year—a sign of an industry in crisis
By Geoff ColvinMarch 15, 2026
6 minutes ago
person in office
Workplace CultureGen Z
Gen Z is dating less. The result is one of the most unprepared workforces
By Jake AngeloMarch 15, 2026
34 minutes ago
Successwork-life balance
Burned-out workers sick of toxic bosses are using medical leave as a sneaky extended vacation to job hunt—and it’s not actually illegal
By Orianna Rosa RoyleMarch 15, 2026
52 minutes ago
Women enjoying the view of the mountains at Zion
EconomyEnvironment
Getting Americans outside added 5 million jobs and $1.3 trillion to the economy in 2024, before staffing and budget cuts came for national parks
By Tristan BoveMarch 15, 2026
2 hours ago
Nicole Bernard Dawes, the founder of Late July and Nixie
SuccessEntrepreneurs
The founder of $100M brand Late July and Nixie started selling $1 cookies at 12 and learned the snack trade from the founder of Cape Cod chips—her dad
By Emma BurleighMarch 15, 2026
2 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Commentary
Ray Dalio: I've studied 500 years of history and fear we're entering the most dangerous phase of the 'Big Cycle'
By Ray DalioMarch 14, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
When Jamie Dimon was fired from Citigroup, his daughters asked: 'Will we be homeless? Can I still go to college? Can I have your phone?'
By Eleanor PringleMarch 13, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Middle East
Trump's AI czar calls for U.S. to 'get out' of war and warns Iran has a 'dead man's switch' that could render Gulf states almost uninhabitable
By Jason MaMarch 14, 2026
18 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Law
‘Playing with fire’: Jeffrey Epstein bankrolled Bill Gates reported ex-girlfriend for years—then asked to be repaid five months before he died
By Eva RoytburgMarch 14, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Meet Chresten Wilson, the airline captain set to become United’s most senior female pilot ever—the job pays $400K and doesn’t require a college degree
By Preston ForeMarch 13, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of March 13, 2026
By Danny BakstMarch 13, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.