New York (AFP)

Apple has had a chaotic week on the US stock market, but the Cupertino giant intends to forge ahead by presenting a new line of products at a fully online event on Tuesday.

The action of Apple showed a weekly fall of more than 7% on Wall Street, caught up by the general rout of the technological sector which also tripped Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook or Alphabet, the parent company of Google.

The apple brand, which at the end of August became the first American company to be worth more than $ 2,000 billion, has also seen its capitalization shrink.

Between its high reached in early September and Friday night, the company lost around $ 380 billion.

Apple remains, however, by far the most expensive group in New York and retains the confidence of the majority of financial analysts.

"Our latest consumer survey confirms the solidity of the (Apple) ecosystem, including market share gains for the iPhone, strong growth in connected accessories and a possible switch to 5G," wrote Thursday in A note from Will Power, an analyst for Baird, who raised his 12-month target Apple stock price from $ 109 to $ 133.

"With the latest product show scheduled for September 15, we expect Apple to take advantage of the growing need for connectivity solutions," added Mr. Power.

The group has leaked very little information about its Tuesday event, which will take place from Apple Park in Cupertino and is mysteriously titled "Time flies".

Several specialists have predicted a new model of Apple Watch, an iPad making use of the possibilities offered by augmented reality, an improved MacBook and a set-top box for Apple TV.

Apple has already announced its Sleep app which will be featured on the next Apple Watch operating system, which launches this fall, but other features may be announced.

"The smartwatch industry is competitive, but Apple is the sales leader and has room to consolidate its lead," said Avi Greengart of Techsponential.

"Apple has already admitted to working on a tool to measure blood glucose levels using the watch. It would be huge if they could do it," adds Greengart.

Apple could also unveil offers at more attractive prices for its music, news and television services to attract more customers as the holiday season approaches.

- iPhone 5 G?

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A new iPhone, compatible with 5G technology, however, does not appear on the menu for Tuesday's event.

For Avi Greengart and other analysts, Apple could wait until October to present the new version of its flagship smartphone.

Deployed in more and more countries, 5G promises a clear acceleration of speed with applications in fields as varied as autonomous vehicles, augmented reality or connected health.

Apple's competitors, including Koreans Samsung and LG, are already marketing 5G models of smartphones.

At the national level, China is far ahead of the United States in terms of the new generation of mobile networks.

"5G is developing in China with or without Apple. In fact, more phones with 5G than without 5G are sold in China," notes Patrick Moorhead of Moor Insights and Strategy.

"American operators are waiting for Apple to announce an iPhone 5G to put the package in the United States," he continues.

An iPhone 5G would also help Apple maintain its premium brand image, some analysts believe.

"Because of all the rumors about the slight delay in their supply chain, they will want to make the announcement shortly before the launch date," said Bob O'Donell of Technalysis Research.

© 2020 AFP