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1) Steve Jobs was right. Phablets are stupid and DROPPING the 4inch phone from the upgrade cycle from also really stupid. I personally do not want a giant phone, if anything I'd be very happy with a tiny one.

2) The new products are not aesthetically pleasing... the new iPhone looked weird, face it. What are those lines? They don't look good, it's not "simple". Ivy wagwon?

3) Apple keeps handicapping it's computers... The iMac is a desktop, it doesn't need tapered edges, it doesn't need to be [that] thin. We don't get CD/DVD drives anymore and have to deal with mobile processors and mobile GPUs because you want the 27inch computer in a monitor to be thin? That's stupid.

4) Single port laptop, including the charging port?

Stupid moves make for declining sales. Smarten up Tim.

I don't think any of those reasons are why there are declining sales. I think those are personal beefs that you believe are valuable. Mac sales are great, esp compared to industry. Your lust for more powerful desktop GPUs and CPUs is a sentiment I share, however, most consumers do not. Its not hurting them at all. Infact, even pros use the top iMac for pro apps like DaVinci Resolve, AVID, Premiere, After Effects, and FCPX. They all run great. You can even get decent realtime playback on 6K RED footage (4K timeline) on that thin iMac you seem to think is incapable of basic computer functions.

The single-port laptop is not for you, its for my wife who literally plugs nothing into her computer other than a charger anyway. You aren't expected to buy it.

I see more iPhone 6's and 6s around than any other phone, including baby iPhones from years past. I don't see all the people with baby iPhones holding out, I don't know where they are, but they aren't in Southern California.

CDs are gone, DVDs are gone. Wah Wah. Floppies too. Things change, not all change is good, but all change is certain. You either roll with the punches and forget DVDs or desperately cling to the dusty fossils of the past.
 
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2) Live Photos are actually universally praised. If I had a 6S I'd probably use it all the time save storage space

Not sure where your source of info is coming from, but just taking our community here on MR , people are divided on Live Photos , one gimmick that is not universally praised .

Also, Live Photos take about twice the storage space over regular photos, one reason people do not use them.
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My Twitter feed is full of Apple watchers freaking out pushing this meme that Apple needs to pivot to services immediately. Ok first of all let's not forget that Apple stock is quite cyclical. It's had downturns before (like 2013) and then it swing back up. Apple's never been a services company and you don't just flip to being one on a dime. Plus what kind of services? I don't think the world needs another social network. And Apple has made most of its software free so software as a service seems out. Also Tim Cook has made it very clear where Apple stands on privacy so that rules out advertising. I guess they could buy Netflix or try to create a Netflix competitor but that all seems like panic to me; Wall Street doesn't like hardware companies right now so quick Apple stop being one. Oh and Apple has a lot of cash so just buy revenue growth. No. No. No.

Apple Music ;) I hope apple sticks to hardware which is does better than the majority of companies.
 
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CDs are gone, DVDs are gone. Wah Wah. Floppies too. Things change, not all change is good, but all change is certain. You either roll with the punches and forget DVDs or desperately cling to the dusty fossils of the past.
Tell that to my hospital, I had to bring my x ray and ct scan results to my family doctor, the only way the hospital does it is to get the results burned to a DVD. I guess I could have told them that Apple and you say they should avoid clinging to the past and figure something else out.
 
Apple stock isn't down 5% today because of the Mac. A lot of people are probably waiting for Skylake Macs so the holiday quarter was light.
This is so spot on. Everyone sort of like knows that skylake is coming in the next revision and there could also possibly be a redesign of some of the existing macs. So a wait-and -see attitude is good for those not urgently need a brand new Mac now.
 
I don't think any of those reasons are why there are declining sales. I think those are personal beefs that you believe are valuable. Mac sales are great, esp compared to industry. Your lust for more powerful desktop GPUs and CPUs is a sentiment I share, however, most consumers do not. Its not hurting them at all. Infact, even pros use the top iMac for pro apps like DaVinci Resolve, AVID, Premiere, After Effects, and FCPX. They all run great. You can even get decent realtime playback on 6K RED footage (4K timeline) on that thin iMac you seem to think is incapable of basic computer functions.

The single-port laptop is not for you, its for my wife who literally plugs nothing into her computer other than a charger anyway. You aren't expected to buy it.

I see more iPhone 6's and 6s around than any other phone, including baby iPhones from years past. I don't see all the people with baby iPhones holding out, I don't know where they are, but they aren't in Southern California.

CDs are gone, DVDs are gone. Wah Wah. Floppies too. Things change, not all change is good, but all change is certain. You either roll with the punches and forget DVDs or desperately cling to the dusty fossils of the past.
And I wish people would stop name dropping Steve Jobs as if that makes their opinions carry more weight. I'm sick of people projecting their personal opinions on to Steve Jobs as if what they believe is what Steve would have believed too so that makes it right.
 
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I think apple is looking at there current stand point many people already own iPhone's and people aren't upgrading, their just simply skipping a generations or two. Many family and friends still carry a iPhone 5 or 4, like another comment said there iPhone 5 is still working perfectly fine no need to upgrade.
 
Why would that make a difference? My bill is actually noticeably less now that there are no more contracts/phone subsidies. You pay more up front for the phone but you save money in the long run, even over two years.

Because whether you upgraded or not with a Contract, you were paying the same for service per month. So might as well upgrade since the cost of the whole phone was built into the service price. Now with no contracts, the service cost per month is lower and there is no benefit in paying for a new phone if the old one is working fine for you. The service cost is not nearly low enough since the folks who buy outright are not getting any benefit and subsidizing the people with effectively a 0% finance charge on a 20/24 month loan. But for now, that's the best we can do.
 
The "ten vocal whiners" are saying the same things that just about every iPhone owner I know and most of the shoppers I've overheard in Apple stores have been saying. That's why 60% of customers have voted 'no sale'. Enjoy your iphablet, but quit presuming to speak for what the rest of us want. Cook blew it when he decided to exit the 4" market. Whether or not he can admit his mistake and reverse it will determine whether he should stay or go.

You make absolutely no sense. Again, biggest sales EVER were with the introduction of the larger forms. Enjoy your pigmy phone, the rest of us have moved on. You 10 people who love the small phones go get an android phone or something.
 
Really? What planet are you living on? Funny how you speak for everybody. Because I own a 4" phone and it is not horrible small for me. I have also read post after post from people wanting a 4" phone. That is why Apple is releasing a new 4" iPhone, if the rumours are true. Just because you don't want a 4" phone doesn't mean everybody else doesn't want one. I know if Apple does release a new 4" with the same internals and specs as the current 4.7" iPhone 6S I will be buying one. So I guess that blows your theory that nobody would buy one out of the water.


I live on planet earth if you may ask :)

I would never personally go back to 4inch! Its too small, user experience is horrible, and a larger screen estate is amazing and theres so much you can do.

You want a small phone, go get a Nokia 3310! Or better yet, just stick with your 4" outdated phone.

Funnily enough when the iPhone 5 was released everyone complained that 4 inches was too big and iPhone 4 was perfect for the hands, nowadays, people are complaining the iPhone 5 is the next perfect thing for the hands.

I believe the iPhone 6 plus is the maximum size as the next size up will just be a tablet. iPhone 6 plus fits nicely in the pocket, i use it for the gym and its not a hassle, it fits well in tight jeans too.

So once again, please, let the 4" theory go and let move on to something better and bigger, not downgrade, i mean might as well let apple re release the iPod once again for those who just want a music player and don't want to spend extra dollars so that people enjoy carrying a phone and music player and juggling both items at once :p

P.S I still believe apple is going the wrong way of making 2 phones a year and confuses the customer regarding choice.

Apple should stick to one choice and one choice only, simplifying it for the customer, thats what Steve Jobs wanted right?
 
I live on planet earth if you may ask :)

I would never personally go back to 4inch! Its too small, user experience is horrible, and a larger screen estate is amazing and theres so much you can do.

You want a small phone, go get a Nokia 3310! Or better yet, just stick with your 4" outdated phone.

Funnily enough when the iPhone 5 was released everyone complained that 4 inches was too big and iPhone 4 was perfect for the hands, nowadays, people are complaining the iPhone 5 is the next perfect thing for the hands.

I believe the iPhone 6 plus is the maximum size as the next size up will just be a tablet. iPhone 6 plus fits nicely in the pocket, i use it for the gym and its not a hassle, it fits well in tight jeans too.

So once again, please, let the 4" theory go and let move on to something better and bigger, not downgrade, i mean might as well let apple re release the iPod once again for those who just want a music player and don't want to spend extra dollars so that people enjoy carrying a phone and music player and juggling both items at once :p

P.S I still believe apple is going the wrong way of making 2 phones a year and confuses the customer regarding choice.

Apple should stick to one choice and one choice only, simplifying it for the customer, thats what Steve Jobs wanted right?

I don't want a Nokia phone, I want a up to date 4" iPhone. You want a 5.5" phone and I want a 4" phone. Choices, thats what makes this country great. But just because you don't want a 4" phone doesn't mean nobody wants one. Obviously a lot of people do and it doesn't matter what Steve Jobs wanted because he ain't running things anymore. I know if they came out with a 4" phone with up to date specs I will be getting one. I don't need a big old phablet hanging off my ear when I am on the phone. When I need a bigger screen I have my iPad Air for that.
 
Apple will continue for some time if only on autopilot... But once the tide turns those who believe the company is untouchable, are going to be hit with the slap of reality. Coasting on little refinements puts them that much closer to the day it all begins to deteriorate.
Sure anything can happen, even a meteor hitting the earth...
 
i mean might as well let apple re release the iPod once again for those who just want a music player and don't want to spend extra dollars so that people enjoy carrying a phone and music player and juggling both items at once :p
Guess what, when I'm at work I take my iPod classic and my iPhone. Why, because it's the best solution that fits my needs.
I know there's little chance of it ever happening but I would go straight out and buy an updated iPod classic if one was released, just as the people who prefer smaller phones will go out and buy a new updated 4" iPhone if that is released.
 
I hope Apple are on the phone to you right now offering you a job. With business insights like that, you'll be rich in no time.

The crazy thing about the his simple idea is that doing that can have more harm to sales than good.

Apple already has one of the highest, if not highest profit margins on their devices. Last quarter, Apple's total company profits were 38.5%. That means (For the non-business people), that after all their expenses were paid, Apple pocketed 38.5%. For every 1 dollar Apple took from it's customers, 38.5cents went directly to the owners equity. Not to costs. not to r&d, not to employee salaries, not to factories, not to building. Purely to the bank, or the owners.

If Apple were to sell less volume, to maintain profit margins of this 38.5%, or to even increase profit dollars, They can do only two things. Decrease costs. Increase revenue. (Profit can be boiled down to the simple math of Revenue - Costs = Profit).

There are issues with either of these with Apple's current model: If they decrease costs, that requires paying less into some aspect of the company. less R&D, less marketting, less employees, less pay for employees (or benefits), Less infrastructure building, less quality assurance. These are all potential places to reduce costs, and all of these have significant negative impacts. Especially if you're a company that is still making profits. It comes accross as greedy to your employees and sows employee dissatisfaction, or even investor worry that you're not going to be able to innovate / keep up with the continuous market demands. in Business, Decreasing costs like this are usually only done when business plan and forecasts are not met, or restructuring in necessary

So on the other side, they can increase revenues by increasing incoming money streams: More revenues from patents / licenses, Raise the prices of the products, better investment of money. Apple isn't really in aplace to increase prices. The Market has already been set pretty well by competition that $650USD is the price for a flagship (base configuration). it also comes across as poor form to increase costs to consumers at the same time boasting about record and astronomically huge profits. Apple did this before, and it was called the "Apple Tax". Basically Apple is taxing their customers higher money just so they can have more money.

Is Apple in trouble? doomed? no of course not. This is all market and investor talk. Apple could sell no phones and still maintain business operation for a priod of time till they can correct themselves. But reacting to wallstreet worry (Which is ultimately irrelevant), by suddenly changing business models with pricing or costs is a bad bad bad thing to do. And they are not in the position where this is required or even advisable.

They will just have to accept, that as markets mature, and volume hits a certain point, and the market has set the price, margins will eventually have to stay static and "record growth" period ends. The Smartphone market is matured and we will likely not see such giant leaps in anyones growth until a new market elsewhere emerges
 
The crazy thing about the his simple idea is that doing that can have more harm to sales than good.

Apple already has one of the highest, if not highest profit margins on their devices. Last quarter, Apple's total company profits were 38.5%. That means (For the non-business people), that after all their expenses were paid, Apple pocketed 38.5%. For every 1 dollar Apple took from it's customers, 38.5cents went directly to the owners equity. Not to costs. not to r&d, not to employee salaries, not to factories, not to building. Purely to the bank, or the owners.

If Apple were to sell less volume, to maintain profit margins of this 38.5%, or to even increase profit dollars, They can do only two things. Decrease costs. Increase revenue. (Profit can be boiled down to the simple math of Revenue - Costs = Profit).

There are issues with either of these with Apple's current model: If they decrease costs, that requires paying less into some aspect of the company. less R&D, less marketting, less employees, less pay for employees (or benefits), Less infrastructure building, less quality assurance. These are all potential places to reduce costs, and all of these have significant negative impacts. Especially if you're a company that is still making profits. It comes accross as greedy to your employees and sows employee dissatisfaction, or even investor worry that you're not going to be able to innovate / keep up with the continuous market demands. in Business, Decreasing costs like this are usually only done when business plan and forecasts are not met, or restructuring in necessary

So on the other side, they can increase revenues by increasing incoming money streams: More revenues from patents / licenses, Raise the prices of the products, better investment of money. Apple isn't really in aplace to increase prices. The Market has already been set pretty well by competition that $650USD is the price for a flagship (base configuration). it also comes across as poor form to increase costs to consumers at the same time boasting about record and astronomically huge profits. Apple did this before, and it was called the "Apple Tax". Basically Apple is taxing their customers higher money just so they can have more money.

Is Apple in trouble? doomed? no of course not. This is all market and investor talk. Apple could sell no phones and still maintain business operation for a priod of time till they can correct themselves. But reacting to wallstreet worry (Which is ultimately irrelevant), by suddenly changing business models with pricing or costs is a bad bad bad thing to do. And they are not in the position where this is required or even advisable.

They will just have to accept, that as markets mature, and volume hits a certain point, and the market has set the price, margins will eventually have to stay static and "record growth" period ends. The Smartphone market is matured and we will likely not see such giant leaps in anyones growth until a new market elsewhere emerges

Let me put the kids to bed, make a gin and tonic, light the fire, take the phone off the hook and then I'll sit and read your post. I'll get back to you sometime later tonight.
 
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I hope Apple are on the phone to you right now offering you a job. With business insights like that, you'll be rich in no time.

That's probably the first interview question and the second one is what's most important to customers. I know that one too. It's Apple's profit$.
 
Guess what, when I'm at work I take my iPod classic and my iPhone. Why, because it's the best solution that fits my needs.
I know there's little chance of it ever happening but I would go straight out and buy an updated iPod classic if one was released, just as the people who prefer smaller phones will go out and buy a new updated 4" iPhone if that is released.
I take my iPod Classic to the gym. I don't want to be bothered with calls, and even if I have the phone on silent I still see them come through and I feel compelled to answer.
It's compact and it's got the perfect playlists I've accumulated through the years specifically geared for workouts.
 
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