Apple to present new iPhone and iPad models, aiming to boost sales

Apple Inc. is preparing for a intensive month with the debut of a new iPhone and iPad models, trying to retain its position as a leader in innovation in the increasingly crowded smartphone and tablet markets.

Last year company was criticized of not coming with anything innovative or even updated. Apple will unveil a new iPhone at a Sept. 10 event, according to a person familiar with the plans cited by Bloomberg. New iPad models, including an iPad with a thinner body design and an iPad mini with a bigger high-resolution screen will be unveiled later, two people said. Software for the devices, as well as for Mac computers, will also be updated, Apple said in June.

The updates will enable Apple to present a refreshed lineup of its top-selling products to consumers ahead of the year-end holiday shopping season. The iPhone and iPad accounted for almost 70% of the company’s sales last quarter. The releases come at a critical time for Apple, whose stock has declined by a third from a record in September amid slowing profit growth and a drought of new product debuts.

“To drive growth you need to have that next iPhone and iPad refreshed,” said to Bloomberg Brian Marshall, an analyst at ISI Group in San Francisco. He said Apple will probably introduce a less expensive iPhone next month to appeal to budget-conscious customers, especially those in developing markets outside of the U.S. and Europe.

The company plans to launch new full-size iPad, with a 9.7-inch screen, which resembles the current iPad mini, with a thinner panel than the current version, said the people. It will be the first redesign since March 2012, when Apple introduced a high-resolution iPad with the current shape. The iPad mini being sold now, with a 7.9-inch screen, doesnt have the same high-definition display featured on the iPhone and larger iPad.

The new iPhones and iPads will also feature an revamp of the company’s mobile operating system, iOS 7, which includes changes to e-mail, calendar and other applications, as well as new color schemes and icon designs.

Carl Howe, an analyst at Yankee Group, predicts Apple will gain record sales of the products during the holiday quarter. Other companies tend to move their releases to avoid being overshadowed by Apple, he said to Bloomberg.