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Tim Cook stated on the investor call that there were 1.4 billion Apple devices in active use, the highest ever. This also includes iPads, Macs, Apple Watches and other devices, but the number of iPhones is likely very close to 1 billion.
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On average each device "contributes" about $8 to Apple services per year, which shows the huge potential to increase service revenue.

$8 per device on an average....what what is the cost of managing the iOS and it's services per user? If the 50% devices seldom using anything paid then it's a resource hog on the long run.....this number unlikely going to increase with decreasing iPhone sales quarter after quarter, those who use end of the cycle device might exit the iOS since the cost is increasing (more charges for lesser sales tactics by Apple)
 
Apple expected this big decline I bet. Al tech companies understand that phones since 2015 are very very good for much longer than previously. If you can change out the battery a phone can easily go 5 years now. That’s why flagship phones are 900$+ now imo. It’s to offset what they saw coming with technology. Things have slowed and companies knew this would happen so increasing the prices offsets this somewhat. The only new big leap is foldable phones and that has its issues but it is true innovation in my eyes.
My 6+ was super slow. My 5 was just as fast as it. The 7+ was the first phone I had that I didn’t think a speed increase or camera upgrade would make a huge difference and it doesn’t. Just the way technology is
 
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$8 per device on an average....what what is the cost of managing the iOS and it's services per user? If the 50% devices seldom using anything paid then it's a resource hog on the long run.....this number unlikely going to increase with decreasing iPhone sales quarter after quarter, those who use end of the cycle device might exit the iOS since the cost is increasing (more charges for lesser sales tactics by Apple)
Regardless of all this Apple is still making BILLIONS off services despite all those resource hogging, black market, counterfeit, credit card stealing devices. We can speculate that people might start leaving iOS and Apple products in droves but currently that's not happening. Their install base thus customer base is getting larger. I know this is painful for all those hoping Apple will crash and burn but it's not going to happen anytime soon lol
 
I agree, I’m also don’t believe that Apple is doomed. Although, I will say, none of Apples services have ever really “moved” me like iPhone and iPad. I do have iCloud and Apple Music. I could live without Apple Music. It was just cheaper than what I was spending buying songs each month.

My wife and I used to wait in line for hours on launch day. It was awesome, Apple would provide coffee and music. Was a fun time. Wife and I own Apple watches, but I wouldn’t wait in line for those. Apple news is a no go for me. I think Apples hardware has “moved” people (for lack of better word). That created an Apple culture. I’m not sure services will do that for people. Are they doomed? No way.

I think that’s fair. Everyone needs to decide for themselves what products they see value in. I’m not waiting in line for any tech product today, but I’ve loved my Apple Watch, AirPods, HomePod, and iPad Pro. Some of my favorite Apple products in years. I think we have been somewhat overloaded with what is available to us today in tech that we overlook how good we have it.
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A folding iPhone will lead to growth mate. It will revolutionize the smartphone category.

I don’t agree. The last thing we need as a society is more phone screens. I think foldable screens will have their place, but another phone isn’t going to move the needle for the industry. The value is minimal.
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I guess as long as the sales don’t keep dropping a lot then there will be a huge user base for the services. One slow quarter ain’t going to break them. I think I’m hung up on the 30% figure. If it was 5% or even 10%, it wouldn’t be so shocking.

I think we’ll see waves of positive and negative quarters when it comes to iPhone sales. Our phones are so good today that people aren’t upgrading often, but when they do, they’ll likely stay with the platform they have used for years. It’s just kind of a matter of time. 30% is no doubt a huge number, but it kind of proves that Apple was right to pivot. They will also need to make changes specifically to iPhone to alleviate such losses, but I don’t anticipate huge gains in the future.
 
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Really? That’s what you think? I guess you missed how much profit they made, or is 11billion not up to your standards? I’m not sure Apple needs or wants to sell the most. And no, competition is not heating up. I have yet to try a Droid phone that isn’t basically worth the nothing it costs most of the time.
"Ignorance is bliss".

iPhone XR exists.
Which is higher priced than than the far superior Huawei P30Pro where I live. The XR is hardly very affordable for most and very poor value to boot. It's basically only in America Apple is price competitive.
 
I think that’s fair. Everyone needs to decide for themselves what products they see value in. I’m not waiting in line for any tech product today, but I’ve loved my Apple Watch, AirPods, HomePod, and iPad Pro. Some of my favorite Apple products in years. I think we have been somewhat overloaded with what is available to us today in tech that we overlook how good we have it.
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I don’t agree. The last thing we need as a society is more phone screens. I think foldable screens will have their place, but another phone isn’t going to move the needle for the industry. The value is minimal.
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I think we’ll see waves of positive and negative quarters when it comes to iPhone sales. Our phones are so good today that people aren’t upgrading often, but when they do, they’ll likely stay with the platform they have used for years. It’s just kind of a matter of time. 30% is no doubt a huge number, but it kind of proves that Apple was right to pivot. They will also need to make changes specifically to iPhone to alleviate such losses, but I don’t anticipate huge gains in the future.

This is the thing older iPhones being so good performance wise actually hurts apples sales as many see no reason to upgrade what works well

The average user only needs it for the basics
 
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So?

It's a crappy smartphone that looks even worse than the iPhone SE when closed (not to mention being twice as thick), and when unfolded, it's a small android tablet (and we know how bad the android tablet ecosystem is).

The whole selling point is a tablet which you can then fold to keep in your pocket, and that to me is the flaw of the entire premise. I don't see how having to unfold and fold your tablet every time you want to use it can be considered a great user experience at all. It might seem novel at first, but I am willing to bet that this will get annoying very quickly.
As usual the last couple of years, Huawei did it right (reminds me of Apple in years gone by):


Much sleeker design and folding the proper way to make the screen last. Much wider radius doing it this way and makes it possible using glass thus solving the scratching problem.
 
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As expected by anyone who is objective about what is going on in the market in general and specifically, with Huawei product offerings. I'm also curious about how Apple's numbers are like in Europe. There seemed to be a good number of complaints about prices from our brothers and sisters across the pond, and members have reported that Huawei is going all out to try and capture that market.

Silver lining is that Tim Cook was and is absolutely right to shift Apple into services and to emphasize privacy as integral to their brand. In 5-10 years, trust and security is going to be their gold mine once they really get their health care initiatives fully executed.

Huawei and other Chinese brands are all over France. Same goes for Samsung (all models). Can't say the same about new iPhones. From the iPhones what you see most is 6,6s,7 and 8. There are X-type models, but not as much. I personally think that the price is to blame. Xr is €855+.
 
This is the thing older iPhones being so good performance wise actually hurts apples sales as many see no reason to upgrade what works well

The average user only needs it for the basics

Exactly why Apple is pivoting to wearables a services, because they are complementary product lines to their massive user base. What’s great for Apple is that there is still a ton of people who use iOS and that’s unlikely to change anytime soon.
 
No surprises here. Unless you’re wearing a tinfoil hat and living in the U.S., Huawei has an extremely competitive product line up with 5G to boot.

The 2019 iPhone lineup will regain some market share because they’re finally adopting three rear cameras. But it’s pretty obvious Apple is slowly becoming a follower with regards to smartphone technologies.
I own a recent Huawei phone and they are well built, feature rich phones at a fraction of the price of a top of the line phone. My Space Grey Huawei phone looks like a premium iPhone and it even came with a soft clear silicon case. A super fast, dual sim phone, unlocked, includes built in FM Radio for $199. That’s tough to beat and that’s not considered one of their better phones.
 
It is simply competition. When looking at local stores here in Europe you get the idea.
  • Huawei is copying Apple shamelessly
  • Most customers don't care, they just want to have a good smartphone
  • Huawei smartphones are just VERY GOOD and most customers vote with their wallet
And this is just Huawei. Apple must learn that market & competition is no longer about features only. Apple does not have a monopoly for premium products anymore and they MUST lower their prices.
I started with the iPhone 3G for a reasonable price then, back in 2008. Charging > 1000€ for a phone is the problem. This is the "final" barrier many people do not want to cross.
The "budget" phone Xr ist 850€ here in Europe. Compare this to the budget Huawei P30 lite or 20 Mate lite. This is all most people need. And they sell for 250€ !!
And yes, they have good cameras and good LCD screens. And they are of high quality too.
And most people simply don't care whether it is iOS or Android. They use basic App functionality and have no need for the fancy "interplay" features that iOS / macOS offers. Most people here use Windows anyway where the USP is simply not existent.
So if Apple wants to sell more iPhones they need to lower prices.

Entry models for an entry price : 500-600€
Hi-End Models for under 1k

They still would make tons of money.

Shifting into services is a good idea - but you still need the user base to sell these services. They can best do this with their own hardware.
 
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Here is the thing that I get from consumers perspective such as myself and my friends. Apple used to be this amazing brand the led the way. Samsung followed, even copied, but then around iPhone 7, things started to change. I saw the people's interest slowly move away from Apple. Yes, many still went in hordes to buy the latest models, but the talks about how great Apple is started to disappear. This was the beginning of Apple becoming just as every other tech brand.

Nowadays, I do not hear people praising Apple or iPhones. Nowadays it's about the price and how boring iPhones have become. People have definitely noticed the ridiculous price increases since 2016 (only 3 years), and are now more open to other options. Yes, iPhones are still excellent devices, however, not everyone sees it reasonable to pay the crazy prices and either go with other Android options or buy an older model of iPhone. And this consumer perception is totally Apple's fault.

And please, do not start telling me the tech inside the X is too expensive and all the jazz. Average consumers do not care.
 
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As usual the last couple of years, Huawei did it right (reminds me of Apple in years gone by):


Much sleeker design and folding the proper way to make the screen last. Much wider radius doing it this way and makes it possible using glass thus solving the scratching problem.

Admittedly, I like Huawei’s design more, but I fail to see how exposing the entire display by putting it on the outside of the phone is supposed to help make it last longer.

Do we have an ETA on this product?
 
Here is how I can predict further decline, I won't be upgrading this year or next either. 2021 will be a deciding factor, might just keep using my 2020 X or switch to a cheaper Android and Windows. The folks who upgrade their iPhones and Apple devices like Macs and iPads every years are very niche; probably like 0.5%.

When I walk around the city and use public transportation, I see more Touch ID iPhones than Face ID. Users only upgrade if its extremely slow, broken or they are sometimes changing to another cellular carrier. I was in a store the other day and a guy came in wanting to upgrade his iPhone 6, which has 64 GBs of storage. He said he wanted to upgrade because he is running low on space. When the store agent checked, he used just 32 GBs of the 64 GBs. He still wanted to upgrade.

He looked at all the line up and decided to go with the iPhone 7. So, he skipped 2 generations of iPhones, even the iPhone X, which he could have gotten for a good deal. So, that says a lot about taste. Users remain comfortable with Touch ID. One silverlining for Apple is loyalty. The store agent tried to sell him on a Samsung S10 and he said no, and it was thanks to the fact that he uses a Mac at home.

With how much Apple is messing up the Mac lately, once users change out to Windows, they will have a lot to worry about. Because its at that point users will just give up on Apple all together. The next version of macOS is going into weird direction and I am not enthused with that popular developer Steve Troughton-Smiths enthusiasm about it - he is iOS obssesed. There are some things iOS does good, but I don't think its apps are good enough as desktop replacements.
Having a Mac is definitely a factor to keep one in iOS. I am one of those people, and I just upgraded to the 8 a few months back, because I refuse to pay stratospheric prices for the X models, even on a plan those phones are too expensive in Europe.
 
Here is the thing that I get from consumers perspective such as myself and my friends. Apple used to be this amazing brand the led the way. Samsung followed, even copied, but then around iPhone 7, things started to change. I saw the people's interest slowly move away from Apple. Yes, they still went in hordes to buy the latest models, but the talks about how great Apple is started to disappear. This was the beginning of Apple becoming just as every other tech brand.

Nowadays, I do not hear people praising Apple or iPhones. Nowadays it's about the price and how boring iPhones have become. People have definitely noticed the ridiculous price increases since 2016 (only 3 years), and are now more open to other options. Yes, iPhones are still excellent devices, however, not everyone sees it reasonable to pay the crazy prices and either go with other Android options or buy an older model of iPhone. And this consumer perception is totally Apple's fault.

And please, do not start telling me the tech inside the X is too expensive and all the jazz. Average consumers do not care.
What are you going on about?
"around iPhone 7, things started to change" What exactly changed with the iPhone 7?

In one sentence you say "I saw the people's interest slowly move away from Apple" and the very next sentence is "they still went in hordes to buy the latest models" So they're buying phones that they're not interested in?

As to prices, just because they have the top of the line XS and XS Max out there doesn't mean everyone wants or can afford it. This is why they have the XR. It's the same thing with Samsung selling their cheaper version of the Galaxy S10
 
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If anyone claims iPhones are too expensive, they are wrong since Apple further increased their ASP (if you believe this report). Therefore, people are buying more of the expensive iPhones.

If I say an iPhone is too expensive, then I am right.
 
If I say an iPhone is too expensive, then I am right.

If someone says the iPhone is too expensive independently for them, then it is. But no one (Or Apple) looks at independent sales, it’s looked at as a whole, which means that more ‘expensive’ iPhone models are still selling, but likely not to Apple‘s expectations. That would be the clear difference I think in your post.
 
What are you going on about?
"around iPhone 7, things started to change" What exactly changed with the iPhone 7?

In one sentence you say "I saw the people's interest slowly move away from Apple" and the very next sentence is "they still went in hordes to buy the latest models" So they're buying phones that they're not interested in?

As to prices, just because they have the top of the line XS and XS Max out there doesn't mean everyone wants or can afford it. This is why they have the XR. It's the same thing with Samsung selling their cheaper version of the Galaxy S10

I think things changes when the iPhone 7 appears, not because of the iPhone but then (i feel) all the competition was at least as good as the iPhone 7 (means, they have at least one phone in their portfolio that was...) and for most people most smartphones offer basically the functionality they need:
  • A good screen for browsing / chat / E-Mail / Messaging
  • A reasonably good camera
  • Sufficient battery life
  • App support
There was no USP to iPhone anymore. Even the design of other brands was good and simply a matter of taste. I know many friends that do not even care about the OS and the privacy advantages that (supposedly) come with iOS devices. This is just something most people don't care about.

Samsung is just ONE competitor. In 2018/2019 Huawei seems to be to most serious competition. They have learned from Apple. And their "lite" models offer everything most users need and they are dirt cheap when compared to the "budget" XR.
 
Exactly why Apple is pivoting to wearables a services, because they are complementary product lines to their massive user base. What’s great for Apple is that there is still a ton of people who use iOS and that’s unlikely to change anytime soon.
Apple want you to keep your phone for longer because it keeps you on the ecosystem and if you stay in you’re more likely to start using and paying for their services or buying other Apple products that compliment your iPhone like AirPods or an Apple Watch.
 
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What are you going on about?
"around iPhone 7, things started to change" What exactly changed with the iPhone 7?

In one sentence you say "I saw the people's interest slowly move away from Apple" and the very next sentence is "they still went in hordes to buy the latest models" So they're buying phones that they're not interested in?

As to prices, just because they have the top of the line XS and XS Max out there doesn't mean everyone wants or can afford it. This is why they have the XR. It's the same thing with Samsung selling their cheaper version of the Galaxy S10
The perception of Apple being the best and the leader had started to change around the release of iPhone 7- a device that looked like a rehashed 6-series to many.

XR is not an affordable phone to many. €855 for a "budget" phone does not pass with many, especially that this was the price of their flagship just in 2016. The stuff you get with Samsung S10 for that price blows XR out of water.

You can find many excuses for their situation, but the reality is here. The phones are overpriced for many. It does not mean the people cannot afford it; many can, they just choose not to buy.

I personally used to upgrade every single year from 3G until 6s. I do not do that anymore as it makes no sense to shell out this much money for what they offer.
 
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