Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is expected to come with a stylus, according to a report obtained by Apple Insider citing analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities. The Cupertino-based company filed several patents related to stylus as informed by Kuo. Apple could launch a stylus to complement 12.9-inch ‘iPad Pro’ in the second-quarter of 2015, according to Kuo.
“Given that it’s more precise than a person’s fingers, a stylus can be more convenient to use than the combination of keyboard and mouse in some cases,” Kuo wrote. “Therefore, we believe Apple’s stylus will improve the user experience of 12.9-inch iPad.”
Optional add-on from Apple
Kuo believes that most of the users initially won’t need a stylus. Therefore, Apple would not club it with the jumbo Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPad, but would rather introduce it as an optional add-on. According to the analyst, the cost structure will prevent Apple from clubbing it with the iPad. Therefore, till the time there is sufficient feedback from the customers the stylus would be just an optional accessory.
In the first year of its launch, the device is not expected to come with many bells and whistles like a built-in gyroscope or accelerometer, note Kuo. He believes that new features and 3D handwriting would be enabled gradually in the future models of the stylus by Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL).
Minimal expectations from Stylus
Overall, Kuo believe that a stylus from Apple would provide limited push to the iPad sales in the near-term. However, the new device may help in creating a segment of apps, which could be helpful in countering ongoing structural changes in the tablet marker. Kuo do not expect “significant sales” of the add-on device in 2015, and forecast unit shipments of 2-2.5 million
“But we believe that the stylus could improve the experience of users, however, and will likely help Apple develop specific customer groups such as the corporate sector and educational institutions.”
Kuo enjoys a decent track record in predicting what products Apple will come with in the future, and this prediction regarding the stylus could turn out to be true in the future. No source has been cited by Kuo for the said info besides the patents filed by Apple. Kuo is considered to have close ties with the supply chain partners of Apple.
Image credit: Appleinsider.com
