Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) share price fell early last month amid speculation that the company seems to be losing favor with wireless carriers, which may reduce subsidies on the upfront cost of an iPhone.
The situation was aggravated by the fact that Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) recently introduced a $30 charge for upgrading to a new iPhone model. Many felt that this could be a pointer toward mobile phone carriers cutting down on iPhone subsidies as well, without which the phone would cost a lot more than its normal price. How badly will this affect Apple's bottom line? Let's find out.
iPain for wireless carriers
Wireless carriers have suffered substantial erosion in margins, as they heavily subsidize prices of the popular iPhone. This has become apparent as Verizon's EBITDA service margin -- an important metric representing core profits as a percentage of sales -- has taken a big hit. In the fourth quarter last year, Verizon sold a record-breaking 4.2 million iPhones, which resulted in its margin dropping to 42.2% from 46.4% between 2009 and 2010. Others such as Sprint and AT&T also complained of a similar fall in margins as their iPhone sales skyrocketed.
But would Apple take a hit? Most definitely!
If wireless operators such as Verizon and AT&T remove even a part of their iPhone subsidies, Apple's sales would surely be hit, as the device would cost much more otherwise. After all, it's difficult to find a better deal than one where a device worth more than $600 is subsidized and sold for just $199. This would partially explain why Apple's stock declined over five days in a row around the same time as Verizon's announcement.
Opportunities galore
But, even if all these negative factors are taken into account, Apple probably still has lots of room to excel. The company's potential forays into new areas such as television sets and mobile-based payments are just two instances of huge sources of revenue in future.
Add to that a massive opportunity which Apple is yet to conquer -- the Chinese smartphone market. The company hasn't seen the kind of growth that peers such as Samsung are enjoying in China. Apple's share of smartphone sales in the region has been restricted to a measly 7.5% in contrast to Samsung's 24.3%. But all that could change once Apple partners with the biggest mobile operator in China -- China Mobile (NYSE: CHL), with its stupendous 655 million subscriber base.
But for that, Apple would have to ensure that its iPhone would support the carrier's unique TD-SCDMA based network, which may be possible with the use of Qualcomm's fifth-generation Gobi baseband chipset in the upcoming iPhone 5.
The Foolish bottom line
Apple may face serious headwinds in the form of removal of carrier subsidies, but it's too strong to be majorly affected by this one factor alone. And given its huge potential, I'm not worried about Apple as an investment.
So what's your opinion? Let us know by leaving your comments in the box below.
Apple is not the only winner in the smartphone revolution. To find out about some others, access our special free report that will show you the three hidden winners of the iPhone, iPad, and Android revolution.
Also don't forget to add Apple to your Watchlist. It's free!
