Apple CEO Tim Cook Attributes a 'Pause' in iPhone Purchases to 2017 iPhone Rumors

[dampfnudel]

Don't let us down with the 2017 iPhone.

Or Apple will be let down by millions who will prefer to wait a little longer rather than purchase a 2014 design (if they don't decide to get a S8).
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I'm on my iPhone 6 purchased on release day, and it's still working well. I usually upgrade every 2 years, but the rumors of a new iPhone are definitely keeping me from purchasing a new one. If nothing but a 7s comes this year then I'll still hold out.

I have a 6s and you won't be alone if all a smiling Tim has to offer in September is a 7s/7s Plus. He better have something worth smiling over on the stage of that brand new theater. I think he's now aware of the immense expectation of something "new" this September and the tsunami of disappointment that will wash over Apple if it doesn't come to be.
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Totally agree, which is one of the reasons I plan to sell off the shares in my brokerage account over the next 12 months. I feel confident holding it in my retirement account, because I think Apple will be a powerful player for many years to come, but I do think the stock will adjust as upgrade cycles get longer. While the growth in services and "other" is nice, both of those categories have a long way to go and in many respects are tied to the iPhone.

I think Apple's determination to create "plan B", be it services such as Apple Music, a motor vehicle, or whatever speaks volumes on the uncertain future of smartphones. Apple knows it has too many eggs in one basket at the moment.

 

[WannaGoMac]

Airpods support, jet black, water resistant, 32 GB base model, better camera, no bands on the back. You can also sell your old phone, so an upgrade doesn't have to cost $900

1. Airpods -- stupidest looking thing ever, no interest.
   
2. Jet black - its a color, and iPhone goes in the case where you cant see it
3. Water -- i dont drop my phone in water normally. if I am concerned i can send to a service which will waterproof my existing device using hydrophobic coating
   
4. 32 gb base - thats cute, i own a 64gb 32gb isnt near enough
5. Camera -- Ok thats nice, not $900 nice
6. Bands -- have no idea what you're talking about. Guessing its a cosmetic thing. See point 2.

Meanwhile no headphone jack. Yeah, pass.

Oh and my iphone 6+ 64gb on ebay would maybe getting $310 on ebay. Its worth more to me in using as a second device than selling it for a measly $310 compared to another $600 outlay for a phone.

 

[RamsayBolton]

Hey, Timmy! Why don't you utilize this pause and finally release a Macintosh G6?!

 

[Ladybug]

This was said in 2012.

Haha, thanks for the chuckle. Perhaps it's so secret even Tim doesn't know what's in those pipes yet.

 

[robbyx]

I think Apple's determination to create "plan B", be it services such as Apple Music, a motor vehicle, or whatever speaks volumes on the uncertain future of smartphones. Apple knows it has too many eggs in one basket at the moment.

Absolutely. But I don't think it has anything to do with the smartphone's "uncertain" future. Smartphones are here to stay and iPhone will be the leader for many years to come. That said, the market is getting saturated and upgrade cycles are growing longer for a variety of reasons. Apple has had an amazing run with the iPhone. It's basically the Windows of the smartphone world. But of course there will be a next big thing and Apple would be irresponsible and stupid not to pursue other types of products. I mean, look at Microsoft. Despite owning the personal computer market more or less, they completely blew it when the mobile revolution arrived.
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Or Apple will be let down by millions who will prefer to wait a little longer rather than purchase a 2014 design (if they don't decide to get a S8).

Anyone who abandons the iPhone because of the cosmetic upgrades offered by the S8 doesn't really get Apple, nor do they appreciate the real benefits of using Apple products. Makes me depressed to think people are so shallow and easily manipulated.

 

[ReneR]

I can't believe there's still people whining about the headphone jack, move on.

yep, to phones that have such a proper connector, ... and which I can share high end headphones with my Mac, PC and such, …

 

[ValO]

yep, to phones that have such a proper connector, ... and which I can share high end headphones with my Mac, PC and such, …

You can, use the adapter that is included for free.
I agree, please stop about the headphone connector on the iphone, it is gone.
In a few years it will also be gone for the ipad, mac , and android flagships....
It is gone, won' t come back, deal with it, or get an iphone 6s or se, that will do nicely for the next 2 years, or make the transformation now.

 

[Bacillus]

Absolutely. There is definitely a difference in removing it from an otherwise unchanging product, and building a whole new product without it (one that would justify the decision).

Euhh.., the saved space went into a bigger haptic engine.
So the vibrating must be unreal.
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Dear Tim,
Can Apple please launch a new MacBook Pro ? Not just with a gimmicky Toolbar, but with real improvements - such as 32GB of RAM or even 64 ? And how about a 3 or 4 TB SSD storage that doesn't cost thousands extra ? My late 2013 16/1 was top of the line when I bought it and it still is. It's getting old and slow and can't process 4K video editing. Please, by 3Q 17 or sooner.
Thank You.

Sorry. Counting cash now. Finished quarterly results. And after that, I need to relocate. First get the trees ready over there. Make a list of all AppleStores I need to revisit. And by that time, there will be 12 more. Will be back late june. Umpfhhh, my agenda is soo full. When is that lunch with the lunatic self-paying customer ? Oh, my mouse is upside down, charging.
Gee, time for the PostPC-era. Now what do all those customers think ? By the time I answer one, there will be 45 other zealots with questions. Ohh, I am overrun. Sorry, no time to develop anything anymore. And sadly, you did not indicate why we should. Ohh man, we should have stopped at the Cube, that was easily stockable. Truckloads of other companies out there deliver computers. Resembling our designs, more than ourselves by now.

 

[Bacillus]

Yawn. And you sound like the typical entitled post-iPhone fanboy. I've never owned a PC. My first Apple computer was a IIc. When Steve was booted from Apple, I got rid of my Mac and got a NeXTstation and stayed true to NeXT until Jobs returned to Apple. So please spare me your nonsense judgements. How long have YOU supported Apple? Did you believe enough in Steve's vision to switch to NeXTSTEP? No need to answer. Pretty sure I know the answer!

But please, enlighten us on what sort of innovations you feel entitled to on a yearly basis from Apple! What other devices out there are so amazingly innovative? Get real. The industry has plateaued. The tech has matured. Cook has overseen a lot of innovation. The A-series chip. Swift. The Apple Watch SOC. Airpods. What exactly do you expect from him and from Apple? Why are you so entitled?
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I agree with your assessment. However, for me, the take-away is that anyone who wants to upgrade yearly and places unrealistic expectations on Apple is delusional. There's absolutely no reason anyone needs to upgrade his or her phone every year, just like you don't upgrade your computer, your TV, your microwave, your car, or anything else on a yearly basis.

I went from a 5s to a 7+. That was a worthy upgrade. Would I have upgraded from a 6 or 6s to the 7? No. There were not enough compelling new features. Just like I'm still perfectly happy with my 2013 fully-loaded MacBook Pro and expect to find it more than adequate for another year or two. People "looking for a good reason to upgrade" every year, then blaming Apple for not finding it, are the problem. Each iPhone has been a marked improvement over the previous version, whether or not those improvements were reason enough to upgrade in the eyes of the gluttonous fanboys.
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Um, last time I checked, Apple continues to make TONS of money and is one of the most valuable companies in the world. I might agree with your line of thinking if they were struggling. But they are not, so clearly they are doing something right, and you are completely off base. You're basically arguing for mindless consumer gluttony and the sheep-like nature of consumers who demand a shiny new bauble every day. Barf.

You need a crash course on the reason why Silicon Valley exists: technology push.
If companies would accept the fact that nobody really needs the latest tech stuff, they're ready for an (ultimate) death.
Technology Push means that they persuade buyers with new features and constant innovation, forcibly rather than seducingly.
Job's Apple got its success by disruptive innovation: revolutionary new appliances that disrupt current business (iPod cannibalizes Walkman, iPhone cannibalizes iPod etc.) leaving no room for existing appliances or the contemplative or appaising attitude that you seem to breathe.
Apple and Samsung were so successful that now they dominate the market and can temporarily keep the tech world captive in a pseudo-competitive duopoly, where each feature gets copied and development goes in perfect (but suspect) synchronisation. Fighting legal forefront battles, but keeping each other alive by supplying OLED and components in a secret conspiracy that can only happen while their supremation lasts.
But soon, that will come to an end as other (Chinese?) companies jump in the void. That leaves the incumbants no choice than to innovate again as they get disrupted themselves. Because that's what markets normally require them to do to survive - as others will come in their place.
This is where Apple will really get tested in the Cook era - if that's not over by then - as he has not found the disruptive new killer device or appliance (yet)

 

[cfountain72]

I'm doing the 'Wait for Eight' thing as well. I don't mind the fingerprint reader on the back so much, if it allows for a bigger screen in the same form factor. The iPhone 4 has long been my favorite design (flat edges and back), so I'm looking forward to seeing something more like that with the next release.

My biggest complaint with the 7 is certainly not unique (and won't be changed due to Apple's inherently stubborn we-are-right nature). But the missing headphone jack was also part of my decision not to get a 7. Not unlike millions of other cubicle workers, I charge my phone during the day from my PC's USB port while I listen to (usually ) Music. I also charge my phone during my commute while using Waze with audio directions through my headphones. The idea that we have to go backwards by paying for a separate dongle to charge and listen at the same time is simply ridiculous. If there has been a statement somewhere from Apple stating that 'without removing the ubiquitous headphone jack, we would not have been able to implement feature X', I have not seen it. If so, is it a feature better than being able to charge and use headphones simultaneously? If I were cynical, I would say it's just to push AirPod sales. But most folks can't/won't fork out $150 on wireless headphones to perform a feature that even the original iPhone could do.

I'd also point out that these 7 sales figures have been happening along with a barrage of 'free iPhone 7' offers from major carriers. Without these offers, I wonder what these sales would figures look like?

Peace be with you.

 

[ValO]

I'm doing the 'Wait for Eight' thing as well. I don't mind the fingerprint reader on the back so much, if it allows for a bigger screen in the same form factor. The iPhone 4 has long been my favorite design (flat edges and back), so I'm looking forward to seeing something more like that with the next release.

My biggest complaint with the 7 is certainly not unique (and won't be changed due to Apple's inherently stubborn we-are-right nature). But the missing headphone jack was also part of my decision not to get a 7. Not unlike millions of other cubicle workers, I charge my phone during the day from my PC's USB port while I listen to (usually ) Music. I also charge my phone during my commute while using Waze with audio directions through my headphones. The idea that we have to go backwards by paying for a separate dongle to charge and listen at the same time is simply ridiculous. If there has been a statement somewhere from Apple stating that 'without removing the ubiquitous headphone jack, we would not have been able to implement feature X', I have not seen it. If so, is it a feature better than being able to charge and use headphones simultaneously? If I were cynical, I would say it's just to push AirPod sales. But most folks can't/won't fork out $150 on wireless headphones to perform a feature that even the original iPhone could do.

I'd also point out that these 7 sales figures have been happening along with a barrage of 'free iPhone 7' offers from major carriers. Without these offers, I wonder what these sales would figures look like?

Peace be with you.

There have been offers for free 6s' es too after release, so it is nothing new, and comparable to the last quarters.

 

[robbyx]

You need a crash course on the reason why Silicon Valley exists: technology push.
If companies would accept the fact that nobody really needs the latest tech stuff, they're ready for an (ultimate) death.
Technology Push means that they persuade buyers with new features and constant innovation, forcibly rather than seducingly.
Job's Apple got its success by disruptive innovation: revolutionary new appliances that disrupt current business (iPod cannibalizes Walkman, iPhone cannibalizes iPod etc.) leaving no room for existing appliances or the contemplative or appaising attitude that you seem to breathe.
Apple and Samsung were so successful that now they dominate the market and can temporarily keep the tech world captive in a pseudo-competitive duopoly, where each feature gets copied and development goes in perfect (but suspect) synchronisation. Fighting legal forefront battles, but keeping each other alive by supplying OLED and components in a secret conspiracy that can only happen while their supremation lasts.
But soon, that will come to an end as other (Chinese?) companies jump in the void. That leaves the incumbants no choice than to innovate again as they get disrupted themselves. Because that's what markets normally require them to do to survive - as others will come in their place.
This is where Apple will really get tested in the Cook era - if that's not over by then - as he has not found the disruptive new killer device or appliance (yet)

I wasn't talking about new products. I was talking about the ridiculous idea that some people expect a completely reinvented iPhone every year and then get upset because, LIKE EVERY OTHER TECH PRODUCT, the improvements are evolutionary, not revolutionary.

The notion that Cook's Apple is bereft of innovation is nonsense. I'm sorry you haven't had your expectations met but that doesn't mean Apple isn't doing great work in a lot of areas. Frankly I don't see much innovation in the tech industry at all these days. Everything is evolutionary. No one has come up with the next big thing. No one has come up with the next "disruptive" technology. And while there's no evidence to suggest it will be Apple, there's also no evidence to suggest it won't.

Your expectations are the problem, not Cook.

 

[ValO]

Thanks for enlightening me Einstein. I wasn't talking about new products. I was talking about the ridiculous idea that some people expect a completely reinvented iPhone every year and then get upset because, LIKE EVERY OTHER TECH PRODUCT, the improvements are evolutionary, not revolutionary.

The notion that Cook's Apple is bereft of innovation is nonsense. I'm sorry you haven't had your entitled expectations met but that doesn't mean Apple isn't doing great work in a lot of areas. Frankly I don't see much innovation in the tech industry at all these days. Everything is evolutionary. No one has come up with the next big thing. No one has come up with the next "disruptive" technology. And while there's no evidence to suggest it will be Apple, there's also no evidence to suggest it won't.

Your expectations are the problem, not Cook.

You are right.
What are the biggest innovations?
Hololens from MS?
A public beta right now from ms, that won' t make it as a device for the regular people. apple won' t release one, until it is ready for market/mainstream.
Curved oled? A slight curve on the borders of the screen? Is that so innovative? Looks good though.
A laptop that has a touchscreen , and a keyboard that you can remove, so you can use it as a tablet?
VR with a 10 inch bundle of cables running from your head to a pc ?
Etc, etc.......

 

[robbyx]

You are right.
What are the biggest innovations?
Hololens from MS?
A public beta right now from ms, that won' t make it as a device for the regular people. apple won' t release one, until it is ready for market/mainstream.
Curved oled? A slight curve on the borders of the screen? Is that so innovative? Looks good though.
A laptap that has a touchscreen , and a keyboard that you can remove, so you can use it as a tablet?
VR with a 10 inch bundle of cables running from your head to a pc ?
Etc, etc.......

Exactly. Today it seems that cosmetic change = innovation, which is utterly ridiculous. No one has produced a better smartphone than the iPhone. No one has produced a better smart watch than the Apple Watch (and I say that as someone who totally doesn't get wearables and has no interest in the Watch).

I give Microsoft credit for the Surface line, though, especially the Surface Studio. Still, the improvements are evolutionary, not revolutionary. The constant complaining about Apple's "lack of innovation" from hardcore fanboys (who I suspect are all post-iPhone fanboys) speaks volumes about the entitled nature of so many people today.

 

[I7guy]

You need a crash course on the reason why Silicon Valley exists: technology push.
If companies would accept the fact that nobody really needs the latest tech stuff, they're ready for an (ultimate) death.

If that were really the case, we wouldn't send a man to the moon, push for alternative energy sources, have cell phones, or even the internet. What a hyperbolic statement. I'm not sure who needs a crash course.

And of course, apples financials speaks for themselves as much as people hate to admit it. One can rag on apple all they want and that's not going to change that nor going to change TC is in charge and likely until a time of his own choosing. If they really hate the products and the company, then one can walk away.

 

[M.PaulCezanne]

Apple CEO Tim Cook said Apple was seeing a "pause" in purchases of the iPhone, which he attributed to "earlier and much more frequent reports about future iPhones."

That or much more frequent reports of Apple's lack of value in each of the last several versions.

 

[Bacillus]

Thanks for enlightening me Einstein. I wasn't talking about new products. I was talking about the ridiculous idea that some people expect a completely reinvented iPhone every year and then get upset because, LIKE EVERY OTHER TECH PRODUCT, the improvements are evolutionary, not revolutionary.

The notion that Cook's Apple is bereft of innovation is nonsense. I'm sorry you haven't had your entitled expectations met but that doesn't mean Apple isn't doing great work in a lot of areas. Frankly I don't see much innovation in the tech industry at all these days. Everything is evolutionary. No one has come up with the next big thing. No one has come up with the next "disruptive" technology. And while there's no evidence to suggest it will be Apple, there's also no evidence to suggest it won't. Your expectations are the problem, not Cook.

Apple with a 20+ billion R&D budget and an lots of highly regarded design talent on board, has a multitude of labs worldwide, doing numerous pilots for new equipment (new form factors, new materials, new appliances)
This is where thousands and thousands of patents and new designs are tested out.
The problem is not that there is no innovation, but how walled-in that innovation is, and how scarcely, if ever, its actually gets realized in new products that see their way to the market.
This being the case for a couple of years, will generally lead to a troublesome internal atmosphere, as most design- and engineering talent hardly (and some never) see their idea's being realized due to internal blockage and politics that they get estrangled in.
Young people - particularly the most successfull - will then become frustrated and start getting nervous. They will look for another employer where they can more effectively use their talents.
This explains the recent outflow of high-profile Apple talent to Tesla a.o.
This whole situation - product development stall and talent spoil because of internal politics - is a severe cause of concern for major, arrived (over-aged) corporations.
On the long term they lose ground to more agile competitors, and neither Apple nor its appeasers do seem to realize this sign that they're becoming over-aged incumbents.

The "Grumph, I don't see much innovation in tech industry anymore..." -phrases that we see returning in places like this are notorious signs of deflation and the confinement of the TC pipeline.
They resemble the mental captivity of the undervalued/unused talent described here and the uninspired atmosphere within the current Apple.
But it really denies the challenges that still exist in the tech world, where others will take over if Giants get slow or tired.

PS. My personal expectations were formed by oneliners like: "Innovation that only Apple can do", "Think Different", "Disruptive technology" and the like. I will take them for what they have become.

 

[curtvaughan]

1. Airpods -- stupidest looking thing ever, no interest.
   
2. Jet black - its a color, and iPhone goes in the case where you cant see it
3. Water -- i dont drop my phone in water normally. if I am concerned i can send to a service which will waterproof my existing device using hydrophobic coating
   
4. 32 gb base - thats cute, i own a 64gb 32gb isnt near enough
5. Camera -- Ok thats nice, not $900 nice
6. Bands -- have no idea what you're talking about. Guessing its a cosmetic thing. See point 2.

Meanwhile no headphone jack. Yeah, pass.

Oh and my iphone 6+ 64gb on ebay would maybe getting $310 on ebay. Its worth more to me in using as a second device than selling it for a measly $310 compared to another $600 outlay for a phone.

Spot on. I put in a new 6+ battery to keep it around, and bought an LG V20 with the latest phone sound technology ,removable / easily swappable battery, 64 GB upgradable memory, and competitive camera. I will miss iOS and iMessage when my 6+ finally dies, but not enough to spend $1000 + on a new iPhone sans headphone jack. Perhaps wired headphones will eventually be superseded by wireless technology, but until that time, iPhones are history for me.

 

[BigDO]

Frankly, I can't be hassled to switch to Android, even if it's just as good - I'm just too used to iOS.

However, there's no chance I'll be dropping $1000 on the new iPhone either - nothing being rumored currently sounds innovative or game changing.

 

[WannaGoMac]

Spot on. I put in a new 6+ battery to keep it around, and bought an LG V20 with the latest phone sound technology ,removable / easily swappable battery, 64 GB upgradable memory, and competitive camera. I will miss iOS and iMessage when my 6+ finally dies, but not enough to spend $1000 + on a new iPhone sans headphone jack. Perhaps wired headphones will eventually be superseded by wireless technology, but until that time, iPhones are history for me.

Headphone jack isnt a big deal to me, i will just use the lighting 3.5mm adapter. I can count on one hand the number of times i had to charge and use my wired headphone simultaneously.

 

[naotoyo]

I admit that there are some positives to Apple but I hope that there are some changes that we can talk about. I know that there are some bad developments for Apple but people are way too engrossed in the culture and ecosystem. Do you still think it’ll change here?