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Apple Continues to Recruit Talent to Join Secretive Automotive Team
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These folks are too paranoid about Apple not doing anything to fix current issues of iOS, OSX, Music, etc.. They are not being done by the same team especially this currently hired automotive team.
Is this the church of scientology? Of course it's not the same team, look at Sony or Samsung so many products.
I'd argue that the Tesla Model S actually is a competitor to Audi/BMW/Mercedes. If you've had the chance to sit in one or test drive it, you'll know what I mean. The quality, finish, and experience of a Tesla are second to none, in my opinion. Therefore, if Apple is going to release a car, they should set their sights on Tesla as the car to beat...
It's not really that many. Funny that you guys complain about it always just iterative updates, no new product, etc.. then complain now that they shouldn't do anything. This car thing wouldn't take off for at least 2-3 years.
If you take a billion dollars and the world's top engineers, together they will make the most beautifully designed insignificant product. But one visionary with a small committed group and the right timing are usually the ones who make giant leaps. I applaud Apple for trying but it's the difference between The Beatles and Taylor Swift. Apple's going to brute force an electric car.
I've sat in one but not driven. But from all reports it is a fantastic car. It certainly looks nice. But it also starts at a price point much higher than that of a Benz. And that Tesla is somewhat theoretical because you can't actually go to a dealer and drive it off the lot that day or even that month. I've heard of long wait lists and this is still for a car that sells in very few numbers. Also that electric motor means it really can't be your only car. It needs to be your second car or you have to rent a car for any long road trips. I can get a $60,000 Benz that has great finish and style, goes faster than I should ever drive it, and it can be my only car and handle the occasional vacation trip when I need to cover 500 miles in one day. Or even 200 miles to a cabin in the woods, putter around for a few days locally where there aren't going to be any electric chargers but there are gas stations, and then drive back. Tesla is a luxury car and the price point of $100k for your second car really limits your market.
Maybe Apple should try to make a car as good as Tesla. But I'm sure Apple wouldn't go into the industry with the goal of having even 10 times Tesla's sales numbers. The profit on sales like that would be too small and it would be a waste of Apple's time. Tesla doesn't make money at its current sales volume and it is unclear that it can make money even if it sells 10 times more cars. Apple is not in the business of selling hardware at a loss just to get market share or show unit sales growth. That is part of Apple's discipline. Of course Apple has made great hardware at amazing prices (see original iPad). So maybe they can make a car as good as a Tesla and sell it a price that starts at $60k. But I think setting sights on the German manufacturers is a better play. Those guys are also much more ripe for disruption.
"secretive automotive team"...it's not a secret if it's on Macrumors
It's no secret that Apple has a team working on something automotive. There's no way you can keep something like that a secret.
This is just like the iWatch. Everyone knew that Apple was working on a wearable. We even knew what it would look like--by extrapolating from how their other products appeared, we knew it would something like this.
All the stuff we're saying about the car will be at least as accurate as the above concept.
I believe they are working on an automotive infotainment device or design -- a base design that can then be integrated into the system of any automotive vendor out there.
This means they are not competing in the low margin car manufacturing business -- they are not building a whole car.
This also means that they can leverage existing apple patents and innovations from their portable devices, appleTV, and blend it in here. Features like continuity, handoff they'll all come in here. Best of all, it will across car brands as long as they run the apple infotainment system. This also lets the car manufacturers focus on what they know best: motors, tires, wheels, torque, mechanical linking, driving experience.
Like Steve Jobs quoted Alan Kay, people who are really serious about software, should make their own hardware. Apple will build only the specific hardware needed for their software.
This means they are not competing in the low margin car manufacturing business -- they are not building a whole car.
This also means that they can leverage existing apple patents and innovations from their portable devices, appleTV, and blend it in here. Features like continuity, handoff they'll all come in here. Best of all, it will across car brands as long as they run the apple infotainment system. This also lets the car manufacturers focus on what they know best: motors, tires, wheels, torque, mechanical linking, driving experience.
Like Steve Jobs quoted Alan Kay, people who are really serious about software, should make their own hardware. Apple will build only the specific hardware needed for their software.
I think there are several things that nobody is doing in the car industry. It would be Apple's way to try to control the whole product though (even if they outsource the production).
I'd say they'll want to point towards the future, not the present. Electric for day-to-day, with the industry needing some competing ideas on long range - gasoline generator, hydrogen fuel cell, bigger batteries, supercharging?
The thing is... the industry thinks there's still an argument about the future of short range day-to-day usage. Apple doesn't need to go through the same transition when it can go straight there.
The solution to a quick charge is open. With iPhone's powered by hydrogen fuel cells, redox/maryland gasoline fuel cells, ClarionLabs tiny rotary engine (they went silent 4 years ago so someone bought them), and lots of new battery technologies amongst the mix. I hope Apple innovates in this space.
- Autonomous driving (licensed)
- The drivers interface to a car (licensed).
- Entertainment (licensed)
- a whole new system for shared transport.
- a whole car
Lots of possibilities (more than just those).
I would actually like to see someone sell a kit with electric motor, 50 mile battery, heat/ac, and tiny generator... to make conversions almost as easy as an engine replacement. But that's not Apple's style.
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I can hear Tim Cook saying "today... we are reinventing the wheel!"
Say what you want about Apple not being able to keep things secret but everyone knew about the "iWatch" yet they managed to keep its design a total secret. The same will go with the car, everyone will know it is coming but no one will know how it will look like.
Also, why can't Apple create something new while at the same time "fixing" their existing products? It's not like the same people are fixing iOS bugs that are creating this car.
Say what you want about Apple not being able to keep things secret but everyone knew about the "iWatch" yet they managed to keep its design a total secret. The same will go with the car, everyone will know it is coming but no one will know how it will look like.
Also, why can't Apple create something new while at the same time "fixing" their existing products? It's not like the same people are fixing iOS bugs that are creating this car.
Apple's building a real life version of K.I.T.T.
The voice of K.I.T.T. will be Siri.
Want K.I.T.T. to meet you somewhere or help you out of a jam? Just call/speak to her through your Apple Watch and she will come to you (self-driving), using Apple Maps to navigate.
On a long road trip and need some entertainment? That's what Apple Music and Apple's upcoming t.v. streaming service is for.
With all the little companies Apple has acquired throughout the years, they have all the pieces to make this happen.
The voice of K.I.T.T. will be Siri.
Want K.I.T.T. to meet you somewhere or help you out of a jam? Just call/speak to her through your Apple Watch and she will come to you (self-driving), using Apple Maps to navigate.
On a long road trip and need some entertainment? That's what Apple Music and Apple's upcoming t.v. streaming service is for.
With all the little companies Apple has acquired throughout the years, they have all the pieces to make this happen.
I can see it now: keyless entry, but with your iPhone....and it will only work with iPhones.
This way someone can not only steal your phone, but then steal your car as well.
This way someone can not only steal your phone, but then steal your car as well.
So according to rumours Apple is working on an iCar slated for 2018-2020, yet they didn't even make the iWatch a success and they have zero (rumoured) plans for iTVs, iScreen, iVR/AR, iCamera etc...and any other stuffs that would make way more sense for a hardware/software/device company?
Especially VR headset which, if they take off in 2016, are going to become increasingly as important as screens and smartphones???
And except the usual completely hysterical (not to say blind or s***d) fans, who the heck would drive an iCar branded Apple?
One of the main reasons of the Apple Watch failure, for a product that makes complete sense but is yet another important upcoming market called smartWEARable, is the failed design (shape, thickness and look), and they're going to go out, design and sell a Car?
Especially VR headset which, if they take off in 2016, are going to become increasingly as important as screens and smartphones???
And except the usual completely hysterical (not to say blind or s***d) fans, who the heck would drive an iCar branded Apple?
One of the main reasons of the Apple Watch failure, for a product that makes complete sense but is yet another important upcoming market called smartWEARable, is the failed design (shape, thickness and look), and they're going to go out, design and sell a Car?
Yeah, I guess I have to agree that Apple will at least just do a hybrid and probably an electric car. Really a hybrid is all that is necessary unless other solutions are cheaper. Hybrids are already getting 40+ miles per gallon. The infrastructure is available for gas refills all across the country. Gas prices are only going to go down or at least stay about the same level. A hybrid makes the cost of driving very cheap after the initial outlay for the car. So it is going to be very hard for other technologies to compete with it.
But electric cars are innately superior. It isn't super secret technology that Tesla can make a "ludicrous mode" that is very fast. It is because the car is electric and this sort of speed is part of the natural progression of electric cars.
But still I see fully electric fleets as being still 10 years away. It is one thing to have your second car be electric. It is another for a family of four that only owns one car for them to make that electric.
