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Apple Reports Declining Profits and Slowing Growth Again

nytimes.com

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Re: Apple Reports Declining Profits and Slowing Growth Again

#501

Post by october_sky »

Fnoord wrote: post #442
tonyedgecombe wrote: post #425

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure why you are getting downvoted, I just got one and it's terrible to use. Mostly I get my phone out and use that instead. The original was better than the current one.

Because it only contains a conclusion, no premises whatsoever. Which is basically fuel for a flame-bait.

> Because it only contains a conclusion, no premises whatsoever. Which is basically fuel for a flame-bait.

I was responding to the parent's comment about Apple TV (the premise) with my conclusion, which is a subjective opinion. Which ironically is the exact same thing as what you're doing. Wasn't trying to flame-bait, but I really didn't feel the need to add more. In summary, compared to other devices, I really do not like Apple TV.

Re: Apple Reports Declining Profits and Slowing Growth Again

#502

Post by Roboprog »

etchalon wrote: post #386
Roboprog wrote: post #339

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some of their products are very good. Some, not so much. That’s the weird thing. I guess AirPods work for some, but I wouldn’t touch them.

I have a hard time thinking of a "bad" Apple product. Not "product I don't personally like" or "product that fails to meet a requirement I believe is important", but legitimately "bad". The Butterly keyboard is the only thing I can think is genuinely, objectively, "bad", due to the reliability issues, but it's hard to say it taints the whole MacBook Pro. I use one everyday, have since they were released, and it's a g…

Some are good. I’m not an Apple hater. I have an older (good model) MacBook Pro, an iPad mini 2, an iPhone SE, and an iPad. (All with connectors such as headphone jacks)

It’s some of the newer models that strip off functionality for aesthetics , or at least slimness at any and all costs, that turn many of us away.

Re: Apple Reports Declining Profits and Slowing Growth Again

#504

Post by sjaknanxnnx »

lunchables wrote: post #464
sjaknanxnnx wrote: post #255

Earlier quoted context omitted.

AAPL seems to have hit its peak in the device market, and can only grow revenues at this point by effectively raising prices on existing customers (that’s what the services category amounts to). This strategy can only take them so far.

Or continue to invent new products (iPod, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Watch, Airpods ...) then iterate on those products over years and years. Also while simultaneously driving their services revenue, which continues to be a growth area for them.

These other devices are all cheaper and less popular than the iPhone. This quarter the category that includes the AirPods and Watch made one fifth what the iPhone did. To contribute 10% of company revenue growth, this category needs to double. Maybe the category has room to double once, but will it 10x over the next five years? You would need performance like that to justify a high PE ratio.

Re: Apple Reports Declining Profits and Slowing Growth Again

#505

Post by scarface74 »

jcranberry wrote: post #500
scarface74 wrote: post #373

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is something a status symbol when 40%+ of the population in many 1st world countries own it? In the US, the number of people who can’t buy an iPhone on a carrier payment plan is small.

Maybe not iPhones, but there's probably some of that with their computers.

Apple has been selling computers that cost more than their competitors for over 40 years. Do you think they have been that successful just based on a “status symbol”?

The average person doesn’t even care about computers that much anymore.

Besides, computer sales are only 11% of their revenue.

https://sixcolors.com/images/content/2019/financials-2019-7-...

Re: Apple Reports Declining Profits and Slowing Growth Again

#506

Post by computerex »

ses1984 wrote: post #503
computerex wrote: post #459

Earlier quoted context omitted.

2012 MBP has the escape key.

It doesn't have print screen / sysreq, why is that OK?

Because those keys are not used nearly as often as escape. And because osx has a different keyboard shortcut for screenshots so the print screen key is largely irrelevant.

Re: Apple Reports Declining Profits and Slowing Growth Again

#507

Post by [deleted] »

tptacek wrote: post #154
gonational wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If one of these major launches is a MacBook Pro with the same (or better) specs (esp video graphics) as their latest MacBook Pro, but without a TouchBar, they will get at least $2,500 from me. If one of these major launches is an iPhone X-like phone with a thumbprint reader (home button or otherwise), they will get at least another $1,000 from me.

The entire Mac platform is less than 10% of their revenue, for what it's worth.

[deleted]

Re: Apple Reports Declining Profits and Slowing Growth Again

#508

Post by vannevar »

scarface74 wrote: post #368
vannevar wrote: post #351

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What does any of this have to do with innovation, the topic of the thread? There are lots of very successful companies that don't release innovative consumer products. My point isn't that Apple is a bad company, it's not that other companies are 'better' companies. It's simply that the kind of 'home run' innovation for which Apple is famous has been missing for the last decade. The Apple Watch is a great product, it'…

I’m asking the same question. What possible home run could any electronic company create that could be a larger market than the phone market? There are 2.75 billion phones in use worldwide. Anything is going to pale in comparison to that market.

I'm not even looking for a financial home run. I'd settle for a Newton. If Apple had released Google Glass, at least it would show creativity and risk-taking. In fairness, it was easier at the time for Google to fail with Glass, though, because no one expects them to be great at consumer hardware (though they're in the process of raising that expectation). Apple has more reputation at stake, and maybe that's made them more conservative design-wise.

Re: Apple Reports Declining Profits and Slowing Growth Again

#509

Post by vannevar »

vannevar wrote: post #242
zaptheimpaler wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The iPhone is a product that completely transformed the world and defines what a smartphone is. There are 3 billion of them so almost half the world owns a smartphone. If your bar for "innovative" is seriously that incredibly high, prepare to be disappointed..

Agreed. But what are the contenders since 2008? The iPad and the Apple Watch. The iPad was really co-developed with the iPhone for all practical purposes, as the original iPad prototype inspired the phone. You can definitely make a case for the watch, but it's an extension of the phone in so many ways.

I don't deny the Watch is a good product. And those who point out that you needed a Mac to use an iPod or an iPhone are correct. But the functionality of the devices themselves didn't overlap to the extent they do with the iPhone and the Watch. It's like Apple came out with the iPhone, then for an encore said "Hey, here's a bigger iPhone you can watch movies on! And here's one you can wear on your wrist!" I just don't see the Watch being on the same level as the Mac, iPod, or iPhone in terms of innovation (regardless of market success). I understand reasonable minds can differ.

Re: Apple Reports Declining Profits and Slowing Growth Again

#510

Post by gonational »

kalleboo wrote: post #359
privateSFacct wrote: post #312

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I also loved home button finger print reader - why can’t they have at least one model w it and let market vote

They do it's called the iPhone 8, it was introduced alongside the FaceID iPhone X.

Yes, and iPhone 8 and 8 Plus combined sell 3 times the units as X.
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