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http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2018/01/31/i...ction.html
iPhone X in trouble? Apple reportedly halves production
Maybe a $1,000 iPhone is too rich for most people after all. Despite a massive amount of hype for Apple's 10th anniversary handset, there are serious signs of trouble.
A new report from Nikkei says Apple will cut its production target in half for the iPhone X for the three-month period beginning in January. The number will reportedly drop from 40 million units to 20 million.
The report, not citing sources, says that Apple has notified its suppliers. The cause for this slashing? Slower-than-expected sales during the holiday season in such markets as the U.S., Europe and China.
It looks like the primary reason for lackluster adoption is the fairly high price tag. At $999, the iPhone X is the most expensive flagship phone from a major company. The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, for example, started at $750 and $850, respectively. The Galaxy Note 8, which has a larger screen than the iPhone X (6.3 inches vs 5.8 inches) costs $949.
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04-02-2018, 07:18 PM
(This post was last modified: 04-02-2018, 07:26 PM by Wildreamz.)
As Apple dips to $160, it starts to get interesting. IMO, 1 thing that Apple has, that is extremely underrated right now: Cash (specifically US$163 Billion).
Quote:“Our target over time is to take that $163bn down to approximately zero,” Mr Maestri said, without providing a more specific timeframe. “All that cash will be deployed for capital allocation.”
https://www.ft.com/content/3bc20dae-079b...0ad2d7c5b5
Put into context, the largest darling in Tech right now is Amazon, who seems able to accelerate growth in spite business being net break even. Apple is not growing as fast, has a high net margin business that allows it to accrue vast amount of cash over time. Apple is a very focused company with small product line and traditionally risk adverse. Where will they deploy their cash, and what happens when they choose to dump US$160b to disrupt a single industry (say Healthcare or Education etc.)?
(not vested; monitoring)
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05-02-2018, 11:45 PM
(This post was last modified: 05-02-2018, 11:45 PM by Wildreamz.)
WSJ: Apple Music closing in on Spotify
Feb. 5, 2018 2:44 AM ET|About: Apple Inc. (AAPL)|By: Yoel Minkoff, SA News Editor
https://seekingalpha.com/news/3327927-ws...ng-spotify
https://www.wsj.com/articles/apple-music...1517745720
Quote:Competition is heating up among the two of the biggest music streaming services: Spotify (Private:MUSIC) and Apple Music (NASDAQ:AAPL).
Citing "people in the record business," the WSJ reported that Apple has been adding 5% to its U.S. subscriber base every month versus "just" 2% for Spotify.
Assuming that clip continues, Apple would overtake Spotify in the world's biggest music market this summer.
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09-02-2018, 04:59 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-02-2018, 05:08 PM by Wildreamz.)
APPLE HOMEPOD REVIEW: LOCKED IN
By Nilay Patel@reckless Feb 6, 2018, 8:30am EST
https://www.theverge.com/2018/2/6/169769...rt-speaker
Quote:The HomePod is a remarkable new kind of audio device. It does more to make music sound better than any other speaker of this kind has ever done before, and it really, truly works. But unless you live entirely inside Apple’s walled garden and prioritize sound quality over everything else, I think you’re better served by other smart speakers that sound almost as good and offer the services and capabilities that actually fit your life.
The Homepod exceeded my expectation on many fronts:
What I seen from reviews so far that it has a unique environment detection system that could dynamically adjust their 7 tweeters and 1 sub woofer to fill the room automatically, and omni-directionally. This solves a major pain point for home audio: to make a true Hi-Fi surround sound system, users usually needs to be quite tech savvy, audio gear savvy and overpay for "audiophile-grade" gear, and installation fees to optimise speaker placements (let's not get started with cable management, and speaker mounts). And once purchased, they also could not easily dispose them, and upgrade them, even if they so please because of their size and price. I know many friends that have broken/defective high-fi system that are just lying around because it is just a pain to throw them away and reinstall them (upgrade cycle usually at least once every 10 years).
Apple's solution streamline the user-experience of installing a Hi-Fi system to a plug and play solution (that could be easily traded in and/or upgraded), while integrating Smart Home automation. Getting the best of both worlds. I think this might finally lower the barrier of entry of everyday people into the Hi-Fi space. Also on the AI side; if the HomePod becomes the Smart Speaker of choice for wealthy people, they might once again dominate the developer pool developing apps and skills for smart speakers. This may force e-commerce platforms (like Amazon, Alibaba, Walmart etc.), Search platform (like Google and Bing) to pay Apple a hefty fee to be the default on Apple's Speakers.
Apple still has great chance to catch up from behind, like they always do with hardware.
PS: Now if they can just FIX Siri (so bad compared to Google Assistant).
(Vested in Google, not in Apple)
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https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/02/...0-speaker/
Reddit audiophiles test HomePod, say it sounds better than $1,000 speaker
JEFF DUNN - 2/13/2018, 2:46 AM
Quote:But having some proper measurements is important. Reddit user WinterCharm, whose real name is Fouzan Alam, has made just that in a truly massive review for the site’s “r/audiophile” sub. And if his results are to be believed, those early reviews may be underselling the HomePod’s sonic abilities. After a series of tests with a calibrated microphone in an untreated room, Alam found the HomePod to sound better than the KEF X300A, a generally well-regarded bookshelf speaker that retails for $999.
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15-02-2018, 01:04 PM
(This post was last modified: 15-02-2018, 01:04 PM by Wildreamz.)
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/14/berkshir...-down.html
Berkshire Hathaway doubles down on Apple stock and dumps IBM
Anita Balakrishnan | @MsABalakrishnan
Published 7 Hours Ago Updated 4 Hours Ago
Quote:- Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway increased its Apple holdings by 23.3 percent to 165.3 million shares, according to SEC filings.
- Berkshire dumped about 94.5 percent of its IBM holdings, leaving just 2.05 million shares.
- Last year, Buffett told CNBC that he was more sure about Apple's future than IBM's.
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YouTube · HyperChange TV
Apple Buys Ledger & Becomes A Crypto-Bank
7 hours ago
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03-03-2018, 10:49 AM
(This post was last modified: 03-03-2018, 10:50 AM by Wildreamz.)
Apple's Watch may not be as popular as an iPhone — but it's still way ahead of its rivals
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/01/idc-data...arket.html
Anita Balakrishnan | @MsABalakrishnan
Published 11:55 AM ET Thu, 1 March 2018 Updated 12:42 PM ET Thu, 1 March 2018
Quote:* For the first time, Apple is the single biggest shipper of wearables, selling 8 million in the last quarter of 2017, according to IDC.
* But overall, the market isn't growing as fast as before because Apple's rivals "exit the market altogether."
* Intel, Nokia, Pebble, Adidas, TomTom and Jawbone are among those that have either officially or reportedly scaled back or shut down their wearables businesses over the past couple of years.
About 37.9 million wearables were shipped in the 2017 holiday season, up nearly 8 percent from the prior year, IDC analysts estimated in a report published Thursday. Apple shipped 8 million wearables, becoming the single biggest vendor for the first time with a 21 percent market share and 57.5 percent year-over-year growth.
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Apple's iPhone X was the world's best-selling smartphone in the last quarter, research shows
Arjun Kharpal
May 4, 2018
The iPhone X became the best-selling smartphone model in the first quarter of 2018, a new report shows, providing more good news for Apple investors following a better-than-expected earnings report earlier this week.
Apple shipped 16 million units of the iPhone X in the three months ended March 31, according to a study released by Strategy Analytics Thursday. It captured 4.6 percent market share of all models shipped in the quarter. The iPhone X was closely followed by Apple's iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus which shipped 12.5 million and 8.3 million units, respectively. And then the iPhone 7 with 5.6 million units.
Xiaomi, which filed for an initial public offering on Thursday, saw its Redmi 5A low-priced device ship 5.4 million units.
It was followed by the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus, its 6.2-inch flagship smartphone, which shipped 5.3 million units in the first quarter. It was only on sale however for a short time in the quarter, making Apple's iPhone X the major high-end rival on the market.
More details in https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/04/apple-ip...arter.html
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