Apple to Cut Back on New Hires Following Disappointing Holiday iPhone Sales

[PickUrPoison]

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Well, to reduce costs they could rid of the Exec who OK'd the idea of drastically reducing the battery case battery capacity making it a product people wouldn't really want if it was explained to them and damaging the brand (where the product won't do what the customer is expecting). JMHO...

The battery case capacity has not been dramatically reduced. That was bad info from an uninformed Twitter post(er) from Wirecutter.

The new battery case capacity is actually the largest Apple’s ever made. The article has been corrected, and all the “fire Tim Cook/Apple is greedy/Apple can’t innovate/courage/Apple has lost its way” comments have been deleted.

https://www.macrumors.com/2019/01/16/correction-iphone-xs-battery-cases-larger-capacity/

 

[greenmeanie]

When are they going to start pushing something good out of that big circle they built.

 

[Rookbird]

How about Apple start making the products people want not what Apple thinks they can push on us. It’s starting to bite them in the butt.

 

[ryanwarsaw]

I foreshadow a grizzly future for Apple if they do not try to reform new markets.

Think of Apple as a momentous train, speeding in the direction set forth by a late war time genius... uphill in explosive growth all propelled by past invention. Fast forward to present day and that steep hill has never leveled out but the momentum has faded. One day that train will require another explosion to keep climbing otherwise it could very well stall on the tracks and begin its backward descent.

For now the money is good. But that's why keeping a war time CEO at the helm even during peace time is the right strategy. The only constant is change.

Apple already is working on new products. The thing is these products aren't likely to be very interesting to many of us in the future who don't make money off of them. You can already tell that many people are not that interested in the latest iPhone news and every year there is a chorus about how boring the keynotes are.

In ten years the keynotes will be about the exciting and magical new application that can help doctors map cancer cells or whatever. Apple simply won't be the same consumer based company it was it will be a commodity provider. Of course the shows they make might drive some conversations. I highly doubt in a decade we will be discussing the next smart phone or the Mac Pro.
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The battery case capacity has not dramatically reduced. That was bad info from an uninformed Twitter post(er).

The new battery case capacity is actually the largest Apple’s ever made. The article has been corrected, and all the “fire Tim Cook/Apple can’t innovate/courage/Apple has lost its way” comments have been deleted.

https://www.macrumors.com/2019/01/16/correction-iphone-xs-battery-cases-larger-capacity/

Yeah people don't understand with twice the voltage you can half the amperage.

 

[preetb]

This is what happens when Tim runs out of Steve's ideas.

 

[bgutierrez]

Make a good phone and this won't be a problem... you know; no notch, put in a headphone jack, use the standard USB-C port... things like that.

 

[ryanwarsaw]

This is what happens when Tim runs out of Steve's ideas.

Nor quite yet. I believe it was Steve that wanted Apple to have a presence in everybody's living room. Everybody interpreted that as a physical smart television. I think it is more likely it was Steve's vision to do streaming. Remember he came up with iTunes same difference.

 

[Rookbird]

This was inevitable. The market has matured, and devices are far more powerful than people need. The room for growth is decreasing.

Actually the devices are more powerful than the software needs. They need to come up with new functionality they can add software wise to take advantage of the hardware.

 

[bluespark]

Here's my hot take: Apple knows more than we do about pricing and market realities. The new iPhones are more expensive because Apple knows it will sell fewer and fewer iPhone upgrades (due to the maturity of the technology and high customer satisfaction with their current devices). To cope with falling sales numbers, Apple is raising prices on the fewer phones it sells. As sales volume goes down, the unit price goes up. In terms of actual price increases, I don't think most consumers are bothered by a few extra dollars a month on their carrier bill due to a slightly larger phone payment. The problem is that consumers don't see the point of upgrading at all.

TL;DR: iPhone sales aren't dropping because the price is rising. Prices are rising because Apple knows they've reached the point where upgrades (and therefore sales volume) is decreasing, and are raising unit prices to compensate.

Well, maybe, but it certainly seems like many here found the new phones too expensive.

 

[nebo1ss]

The company has over a Trillion Dollars with obscene amount of money overseas that can't be taxed, but they need to "cut back"?



Greed is what is what is destroying popular opinion of the the company and driving down sales.

Did they not bring back most of that overseas money with the recent Trump tax break?

 

[Kabeyun]

Make a good phone and this won't be a problem... you know; no notch, put in a headphone jack, use the standard USB-C port... things like that.

I didn’t know those things made a phone bad. But since you mentioned them specifically:

Notch already being copied.
Dropping 3.5mm port already being copied.
Bluetooth headphones ramping up.
USB-C rumored to be coming.

Anything else? If not, I guess we’ll see hiring take off soon.

 

[rondo]

Apple needs ''One More Thing''

 

[Dimwhit]

Personally, I don't think the slowdown is because the iPhones aren't good. They're just not compelling enough to upgrade. I have a 7 Plus, and the current iPhones don't offer enough more to plunk down the money. A better screen (the quality on mine is just fine), better camera (about the only feature I find compelling, but my 7 Plus takes a great pic), Face ID (which I don't care for)...just not much else. Phones are good enough that they're worth hanging onto longer than a year or two. The advancements just aren't worth the price more than once every few years.

My opinion, anyway.

 

[SirithX]

The company has over a Trillion Dollars with obscene amount of money overseas that can't be taxed, but they need to "cut back"?



Greed is what is what is destroying popular opinion of the the company and driving down sales.

Oh please, don't blame Apple for greed. They're just as greedy as anybody else, as greedy as capitalism requires them to be. Don't hate the player, hate the game.

 

[skippermonkey]

You should all do your bit, stop by your local store and buy a lightning cable or a dongle. Every cent counts!

Better than that, i'll buy a new Mac Pro – when they release the goddman thing.

 

[0388631]

Apple needs to focus on in-store services, revamping their pricing structure and understanding the current market when it comes to the iPhone price points and what the consumer wants to upgrade to with a respectable price tag for a smart phone. Hopefully in 2019, we do see some changes in that area.

In addition, Apple should work on improving their corporate salaries. Last I read, they still offer less than the competition. The competition being other big SV companies.

 

[apolloa]

Personally, I don't think the slowdown is because the iPhones aren't good. They're just not compelling enough to upgrade. I have a 7 Plus, and the current iPhones don't offer enough more to plunk down the money. A better screen (the quality on mine is just fine), better camera (about the only feature I find compelling, but my 7 Plus takes a great pic), Face ID (which I don't care for)...just not much else. Phones are good enough that they're worth hanging onto longer than a year or two. The advancements just aren't worth the price more than once every few years.

My opinion, anyway.

I would agree somewhat with that. I upgraded from my 6S to the XR as I wanted a better camera and bigger screen. The other bits were literally just icing on the cake. So I won’t be wanting to upgrade again for some time. And many are the same using old iPhones as they still work for them just fine.
But then again if Apple reduced its pricing... it would sell more.
Meh I like my XR, I’ve got used to it’s size now too. They could do with making Face ID better though.

Trouble is Apple is a one trick pony, and that pony is feeling ill.. they have the App Store service and Apple Music, great services and money earners but currently they simply cannot make up for big losses in iPhone sales, and investors know that.. really I feel Apple should have not been so concerned with what ever car or car tech it’s been working on so much, and instead concentrated far far more on its Apple TV service it seems to now be working on.

 

[0388631]

Better than that, i'll buy a new Mac Pro – when they release the goddman thing.

As cool as the Mac Pro is, I don't think it's a God Man thing. Unless you believe the essence of Steve is blended into every new Mac Pro. Be it flakes of skin from long past or a strand of body hair.

 

[szw-mapple fan]

Make a good phone and this won't be a problem... you know; no notch, put in a headphone jack, use the standard USB-C port... things like that.

None of the things you listed is actually a significant selling point to the vast majority of users.

 

[Aston441]

I want to upgrade. Everything they make now is a downgrade from my 6s+ (lower resolution, no headphone jack, no touch ID, etc).

I'm also not paying $1500 to upgrade, period, even though I can easily afford it.

My friends are starting to switch to Android, which I thought I'd never see. I'll probably end up doing the same unless there's a serious change in direction (possibly requiring a management shakeup) over in Cupertino.

 

[DevNull0]

Low sales -> low profits -> low reinvesting in the company -> worse products/services -> lower sales.

The classic corporate death spiral.

 

[Wags]

I spy lots of excuses

None of which include themselves whatsoever. The reality of some of the excuses is fake too.

 

[pmau]

Low sales -> low profits -> low reinvesting in the company -> worse products/services -> lower sales.

The classic corporate death spiral.

I also hate the China and India excuse.

Apple totally focused on the iPhone, macOS improvements are a joke, tvOS is basically a marketing platform.
If the iPhone sales sink due to market saturation, Apple will be in trouble.

No Mac Pro redesign, nor any iMac Pro will help them.
There was a time when the hardware was great, today it's just expensive.

 

[iRutherford]

"Diversity" only means that they ARE hiring a greater number of qualified Muslims, lesbians, liberals, and Blacks in addition to others. The diversity programs started many years ago, and arguably, it is that diversity that has allowed them to adapt to change and embrace the products and policies that got them to a trillion dollar company!

It’s the market that changed. Feature phones are no longer an option and everyone moved to smartphones, larger ones even.

 

[sinsin07]

Mailbomb customers about XR
Cut production...
Cut new hiring...
Cut forecast...

Everything but cut prices...

Brilliant.