It will be a busy weekend for Apple (AAPL +0.27%). The company is launching two new iPhone models for the first time in the product's history. Investors have been fretting, since Apple didn't share pre-order figures, but analysts are expecting anywhere from 5 million to 8 million units sold over the weekend.
Last year, the 5 million iPhone 5 units that found new homes ended up disappointing investors. However, the stock touched all-time highs that day, and the valuation has come down substantially over the past year.
There are still two important new catalysts with this year's launch. China is being included among the first round of launch countries for the first time, even though the company has yet to confirm its expected partnership with China Mobile (CHL +0.00%). Japan is often a launch country, but this year Apple has finally scored NTT DoCoMo (NYSE: DCM), the largest Japanese carrier.
In the following video, Erin Kennedy discusses Apple's big weekend with Evan Niu, CFA, and Jamal Carnette.
