Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) may have made Tuesday’s big event the “most memorable iPhone event” since the iPhone was announced in 2007—at least according to analysts at Cantor Fitzgerald. They issued a glowing review of everything Apple did and have reiterated their Buy rating and $123 per share price target on the company’s stock.
iPhone 6 doesn’t compare to iPhone 5S
In a report dated Sept. 10, 2014, analysts Brian White and Isabel Zhu said they got to try out the iPhone 6 and its bigger, phablet-sized brother, the iPhone 6 Plus. They said that there’s no comparison with the iPhone 5S and that Apple has really outdone itself. After using the two larger models, they found that the iPhone 5S was just too small for them.
They also like the new landscape mode that goes along with the bigger displays, which also feature curved glass. The analysts like the aesthetics of that decision, as they think the phones look “smoother” and “more refined” compared to the iPhone 5S.
Both phones go up for preorder on Sept. 12 and become available for purchase on Sept. 19 in the U.S. and nine other regions. Mainland China consumers will have to wait, however, something which many are not happy about.
Apple’s “magic” smartwatch
The Cantor Fitzgerald team said the Apple Watch was a bit of “magic” as well. It’s been more than four years since the company entered a new product category. The analysts believe, however, that the Apple Watch has a “beautiful display and handsome design aesthetics that provide for a clean, smart look.”
They liked the video Apple used to announce the watch and think that it returned the “excitement of magical new product introductions” the company has done in the past. As expected, the device is a companion for the iPhone. However, they say the price tag is higher than they had hoped, as the cheapest model starts out at $349.
They note that Apple is missing the holiday shopping season by not releasing the smartwatch until early next year. However, they add that the company is injecting the new product into a time that tends to be seasonally slow.
Apple Pay adds stickiness
And finally, the Cantor Fitzgerald team loved the Apple Pay system unveiled on Tuesday. They think it enhances the iOS ecosystem even more. The analysts sat through a demonstration of the payment service that showed use in a retail store and also an online shopping app. They think Apple Pay makes the company’s ecosystem even stickier than it already was.
Apple Pay will be released next month through an update that will be rolled out to iOS 8 for the new iPhone models.