mocoNews - The iPhone Wrap: 50 Million In 2011; Two Tablets And Steve Jobs 'Very Likely' To Appear In September

With the second quarter reports just wrapping up, we are now fully aware that Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) had a 13.7 percent global market share in the smart phone sector and sold 5.2 million devices during that three-month period.

At that pace, Apple is on track to sell more than 50 million iPhones a year by the September 2011, according to Bernstein Research analyst Toni Sacconaghi. Barrons reports in order to achieve that goal, all Apple would have to do is maintain its market share and broaden distribution. Sacconaghi writes in a note that if the smartphone market grows at 27 percent, then Apple will sell 10.3 million more phones based on its current share. A partnership with Verizon (NYSE: VZ) could garner 11 million units and additional deals in Europe and Asia could add another 10 million. Add that to the 20 million it sold in fiscal 2009, and presto, you've got 50 million.

?Richard Doherty, a director at market researcher Envisioneering Group, tells BusinessWeek that Apple has developed prototypes of two different tablet machines?a large iPod-like device with a 6-inch screen and another with a larger display. Apple may launch one or both as early as September, but regardless, Apple will have competition with both Nokia (NYSE: NOK) and TechCrunch, among others, working on their own tablets.

?If you are looking for a tablet, you won't find it at Apple's keynote event that will be sometime during the week of Sept. 7, reports AllThingsD. Instead the Cupertino-based company will focus on the iPod and an update to iTunes, which may involve some sort of social element. Of course, there's also speculation that this will be the venue for Steve Jobs' return to the stage after returning from medical leave.