Apple 'Reboots' Self-Driving Car Initiative Amid Project Layoffs and Closures

[1041958]

Much ado about nothing. Mansfield took over and he's obviously getting rid of people who aren't in line with what they want to achieve.

To me the bigger news was when they put Mansfield in charge of this. That tells me Apple is serious about this to have their #1 hardware engineer running the show. So he decides to clean things up and people are worried?
[doublepost=1473473271][/doublepost]

Cars are commodities, too -- and hard as hell to make money on.

Toyotas and Fords are commodities. Porsche and other similar marques make a lot of money. We don't know if Apple wants to make a Ford or a Porsche. Given their current products I think it's more likely they make a higher end product.

 

[BornAgainMac]

Tim's recent comment about being very committed to the Mac was after he signed off on the layoffs. Maybe he realized that Macs should have been his focus.

 

[BigHonkingDeal]

It's hard to imagine any car company using Apple's potential future automous technology to control their vehicle.
It's one of the thing to incorporate CarPlay entertainment in a car, quite another to give the keys to the car to Apple. I can never see this happening.

Plus anybody who ever used SIRI or Maps will not trust that car....

 

[KALLT]

I just don’t see Apple’s fascination with cars. Most of the technology Apple was ever involved in is already present in modern cars and can be provided through CarPlay or the on-board OS. My guess is that Apple is just latching on to everything that is already being researched extensively by others, without even knowing what they really want. I’d rather see Apple investing more in smarthome and personal technology, as well as related fields such as machine learning and voice assistants. There is still ample to do in these fields and Apple is not that much of an interesting presence there.

 

[32828870]

And who's going to buy Apple's tech?

Believe it or not, Apple already does just this. The retail backend and POS system Apple developed after moving from Microsoft handhelds to iOS devices has been licensed and used by companies such as Sephora, Lowes, GAP, etc. A quick Google brought up an article that touches on how Apple's changes have impacted retail operations (further research dives into Apple licensing out their systems, not just the hardware but the backend systems as they can be used on non-iOS based operations).

https://www.quora.com/Which-national-retail-stores-are-using-Apple-iOS-devices-for-POS-sales

 

[Tomasulu]

Elon is the new Jobs. Tim can't innovate. My ass my ass.

 

[rick3000]

I know it is just a rumor, but if true, I am very happy to hear they are focusing on the technology behind next-gen cars and not on building an actual car. Making cars is a low margin business, but owning the autonomous technology and dashboard of cars has the potential to be a very high margin business. Plus Apple is really good at creating a good user experience (compared to everyone else). This could a big deal, especially if they pioneer some kind of standard for autonomous cars to communicate with each other and the road.

 

[Tomasulu]

I just don’t see Apple’s fascination with cars. Most of the technology Apple was ever involved in is already present in modern cars and can be provided through CarPlay or the on-board OS. My guess is that Apple is just latching on to everything that is already being researched extensively by others, without even knowing what they really want. I’d rather see Apple investing more in smarthome and personal technology, as well as related fields such as machine learning and voice assistants. There is still ample to do in these fields and Apple is not that much of an interesting presence there.

And what does Google have anything to do with cars? Or elon for that matter. Do or don't, quite often after Consultants have gone home, the only reason is... it's there.

 

[satchmo]

Surely there must have been some key differentiation between Apple's vision and everyone else of what a car is.
Otherwise, why follow the herd. A herd that was very far into development.

Why not try something simpler...maybe a Apple bike (electric or manual), or an improved scooter. These would sell in the millions...accessorized with different colour handle grips.

 

[mpavilion]

Toyotas and Fords are commodities. Porsche and other similar marques make a lot of money. We don't know if Apple wants to make a Ford or a Porsche. Given their current products I think it's more likely they make a higher end product.

I suppose. But people are willing to spend $$$ on Porsches because they like to drive fast, expensive sports cars. The Apple Car almost surely won't be that.

 

[duffman9000]

Unattainable timelines. Yup, sounds like Apple.

 

[JM-Prod]

Too bad, I was actually expecting a real life Homer-ish car.

http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/The_Homer

How about spend like 2% of the recources on the high end users in the Mac world?

 

[zahuh]

What's a Crapple Watch? If your referring to the Apple Watch, I'm loving mine and so are many others.

You're right. I should have been more specific. I meant Apple Watch series 2. Thicker and heavier a year and a half after it's announced? SJ made sure the iPad 2, a year after announcing the original iPad, was thinner, lighter, faster, etc. I just miss those days. We all do. I don't understand what they do all day. Maybe they are all burned out from working for SJ and now that they are in charge it's okay to take an extra year or two to do something.

 

[jon3543]

I had a dream the other night that I drove my Apple car to Chick-Fil-A on Sunday, dined in, and when I got home, I used my Apple Ring to control my 65" Apple TV. Then someone called me, and when I picked up my phone, it was an old AT&T rental rotary attached to my landline.

 

[32828870]

Just had a laugh thinking about Apple getting into the auto industry and dealing with hacking cars from this parody ad that ran during Apple's fight over security with the DOJ. Talk about stretching an already stressed company thin.

John Oliver - Apple Commercial

"Are you ***** kidding me?! We're engineers, not wizards!"
"Wait, this isn't cool?" "F***, no!" "S***!"

 

[Denmac1]

Building cars is not an easy task. Just look at Tesla, which is considered a highly successful company. They only produced 50 000 cars for 2015 and they have been in the business for over a decade.

As a comparison, BMW produced 2 million, 40 times as much. Volkswagen around 10 millon, 200 times as much.

Don't know if you could call Tesla 'successful'. The car is very nice, but Reuters said...


It's crunch time for Tesla Motors.

The Silicon Valley automaker is losing more than $4,000 on every Model S electric sedan it sells, using its reckoning of operating losses, and it burned $359 million in cash last quarter in a bull market for luxury vehicles. The company on Wednesday cut its production targets for this year and next. Chief Executive Elon Musk said he's considering options to raise more capital, and didn't rule out selling more stock.

 

[InuNacho]

Apple will remove the windows and put in big screens because windows are analog and Apple has the courage to do so.

 

[Bubba Satori]

 

[powertoold]

I don't understand why Apple wants to "play" in this space. So many others already are, from Google to Tesla to Uber to the major carmakers.

Because self driving cars will change the world 5x more than cell phones did.

People will be spending more time in a car using devices than driving.

 

[animcam]

Great news for Apple investors. Apple cars make as much sense as Apple TVs.

 

[rippley5150]

What is the obsession with self driving cars?
Cars should be driven. Preferably on an open road at high speeds when nobody is around lol

 

[jon67]

I think they will get the software mostly figured out, then buy a car manufacturer.

 

[44267547]

You're right. I should have been more specific. I meant Apple Watch series 2. Thicker and heavier a year and a half after it's announced? SJ made sure the iPad 2, a year after announcing the original iPad, was thinner, lighter, faster, etc. I just miss those days. We all do. I don't understand what they do all day. Maybe they are all burned out from working for SJ and now that they are in charge it's okay to take an extra year or two to do something.

Oh no! 1 millimeter thicker and slightlier heavier, which is highly unlikely the user would not notice, because of a larger battery which supports a more powerful S2 Chip and GPS integrated, with more water proofing and brighter display. Sure, the Apple Watch is slightly thick, but coming from a stainless steel owner, I'm loving every second of it with the weight and heft.

Those are substantial upgrades, which hopefully will lead to a round variant, thinner display by Version 3. Comparing the Watch to an iPad is entirely different. The Watch is not groundbreaking by any means, but the smart watch market is unstable until it defines a true calling. Some appreciate the fitness features, others use the Watch strictly for notifications.

I'm also guessing you don't own or have used the Apple Watch based off your original comment, which, if this is the case, you have no grounds to bash it.

 

[mpavilion]

Because self driving cars will change the world 5x more than cell phones did.

People will be spending more time in a car using devices than driving.

Perhaps... but people spend spends lot of their time using devices on planes; and Apple isn't starting an airline!

(I'm being somewhat "obtuse" on purpose; I know this has the potential to be the Next Big Thing. But it seems like quite a gamble and a crowded space.)

 

[Soccertess]

hmm, maybe managers at Apple are realizing they needs to focus on their current products as they are quite lacking.