While analysts jeered the latest iPhone integrations, the top names among techies in the field, by and large, raved about the new smartphones, notes Geoffrey Seiler, editor of BullMarket.com.
The Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg, one of the most influential reviewers, wrote about Apple (AAPL): "I like it and can recommend it for anyone looking for a premium, advanced smartphone. Overall, the new iPhone 5s is a delight. Its hardware and software make it the best smartphone on the market."
The New York Times' David Pogue wrote: "The iPhone's ecosystem is a deal-sweetening perk—the best apps; the best-stocked online stores for music and movies." Discussing the fingerprint reader, he added: "It's genuinely awesome; the haters can go jump off a pier."
USA Today reviewer Edward Baig wrote: "Taken in totality, the features new to the iPhone 5s make what I consider to be the best smartphone on the market even better."
Turning to the blogosphere, the reviews were just as good. Engadget's Myriam Joyire wrote: "Is the 5s the best iPhone ever made? Yes, though that shouldn't come as a surprise. Apple took a good product and made it better."
TechCrunch's Darrell Etherington wrote: "With the iPhone 5s, Apple once again wins the right to claim the title of best smartphone available."
The good thing for Apple, the company, as opposed to the stock, is that buyers don't listen to analysts when making purchasing decisions, but quite often they will listen to reviewers.
And while there are plenty of armchair quarterbacks who think they can run Apple better than its current management team, well, they simply can't.
Investing and stock analysis can be complex, but often Wall Street makes it overly complicated.
Quite simply, though, if you can buy top companies with very good to great products at attractive valuations, and hold them for the long term, you're most likely going to make money and, more often than not, outperform the market. Right now, Apple fits all three of those criteria.
The iPhone 5s has received tremendous reviews, with iOS 7 and the fingerprint scanner the most widely heralded features.
The company can still innovate, and while analysts all want a new product category, Apple isn't going to rush something to the market until it thinks it gets it right. That's why it has such a loyal customer base.
And over the long run, catering to your customers, not Wall Street, is what is going to make a successful company, and the stock will eventually follow. We continue to rate Apple a Strong Buy with a $600 target.
