Analysts Divided on Whether New iPhone 15 Lineup Marks Major Upgrade Cycle for Apple

Apple recently unveiled iPhone 15 lineup and new smartwatches, but analyst Laura Martin said the launch was "very sleepable" and nothing was new or exciting.

Martin said Apple is lagging behind Alphabet, Microsoft, and Amazon in generative AI. She believes those cloud companies will end up twice as big as Apple in AI.

However, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives disagreed, saying the iPhone 15 launch lays groundwork for a major upgrade cycle that will surprise Wall Street.

Ives upgraded Apple's price target to $240 from $230 and reiterated an Outperform rating, citing the iPhone 15 cycle.

The launch event highlighted Apple's sustainability efforts and had a video with Tim Cook apologizing to Mother Nature for his carbon footprint.