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Apple's Automotive Team Includes Former Tesla, Ford and GM Employees
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So now we have a 4th reason:
D) Keeping Jony happy
If Tim Cook has approved 1000 employees to work on a project just to keep Jony Ive happy then I question his leadership. But, quite honestly, since Cook seems to be obsessed with global warming perhaps he thinks Apple needs to get into the EV space to move it forward in a more meaningful way.
Don't forget about a close competitor, Samsung. They make TVs, appliances, etc..
BMW gross margins were approx 21% in 2014... That is more than Samsung's mobile division margins... So low margins depends on the segment, just like in mobile handsets
I know there's a lot of excitement behind the prospect of Apple releasing a commercial car, but I really don't think that's what is going on. It makes a lot more sense that Apple is developing an automated electric car for mapping purposes. Can you imagine how simple that would make things for them? Especially if they implement solar technology, they could simply program routes into the cars and they can run for days. Bring them back into Cupertino occasionally for maintenance, but other than that, they essentially have smart robots traversing roads and updating imagery, capturing speed limits and directional signs, and much more.
Jumping from an iPod and an operating system (OS X) to a phone is much less of an effort.
Not at all. Everything Apple has done up until this point, including the huge piles of crap they made during the era without Steve Jobs, was always electronics or software for electronics.
They've never done anything mechanical like a car before. I would expect them to start smaller, first, if they wanted to enter this field. Things like drones.
Apple certainly has the capital to fund developing a line of cars - it's the talent that I'm not so certain they have. Even with hundreds of employees from Tesla, Ford, and GM. Tesla has 10K employees to work on 3 lines of cars (S, X, and 3. I assume the number of employees working on the Roadster at this point is negligible.) I would assume for Apple to make a single line of cars would require at least 3K employees on the project, but nobody is saying Apple has thousands of employees on this project. Everyone is saying numbers that sound like there are perhaps 300 employees on this project, at most.
Well, if you really want to ramp up your in-car infotainment sector, you certainly don't hire a wildlife expert....
...I heard one of the guys that Apple just hired used to work at a Frostee Freeze when they were in High School...
APPLE MUST BE GETTING INTO THE FROZEN DESSERT BUSINESS!!
...I heard one of the guys that Apple just hired used to work at a Frostee Freeze when they were in High School...
APPLE MUST BE GETTING INTO THE FROZEN DESSERT BUSINESS!!
I'm not doubting anything.
IMO, if Apple enters into some new market (cars/batteries etc...) There is a good chance they will put out a good product, based on previous success.
I was manly referring to the people that are posting that Apple shouldn't enter this or that market for blah, blah blah reasons.
I like to read both MacRumors and InsideEVs. With all of the Apple/EV cross-platform news lately, I'm getting confused over which website I'm reading from!
How about a customisable apple dashboard to be bought and implemented by other car manufacturers. It would the next step after the carplay headup display. It would integrate apple maps, audio, telephony and monitoring all car-related mechanical information. Sync when in range of you house etc.
Just like home kit is a software framework for home automation an apple dashboard would be a software framework for automobiles ... As for home kit products, car manufacturers will be forced to install a few smart apple chips!
Just like home kit is a software framework for home automation an apple dashboard would be a software framework for automobiles ... As for home kit products, car manufacturers will be forced to install a few smart apple chips!
BMW gross margins were approx 21% in 2014... That is more than Samsung's mobile division margins... So low margins depends on the segment, just like in mobile handsets
But even for BMW it took five to ten years before the investment into the Mini brand paid off. And that was a premium-priced car that had pretty decent success. And Tesla hasn't turned a profit yet and isn't projected to do so for another couple of years.
Compare that with the iPhone which probably was profitable from year two.
Is this the new Apple TV? I wonder if it would fit in my family room looks like a HUGE improvement from Apple TV 3.
A car or a PT?
Maybe it is not a car. Could it be that Apple is working on something smaller, something of a personal transportation product on the lines of Segway? Steve Jobs did evince quite a bit of interest in Segway, and Apple did hire a top engineer from Segway in 2013. It would be great if Apple could "perfect" what Segway has been doing, and amke the Personal Transporter a more practical, marketable product.
Maybe it is not a car. Could it be that Apple is working on something smaller, something of a personal transportation product on the lines of Segway? Steve Jobs did evince quite a bit of interest in Segway, and Apple did hire a top engineer from Segway in 2013. It would be great if Apple could "perfect" what Segway has been doing, and amke the Personal Transporter a more practical, marketable product.
You don't see the technology correlation? That was a straight line. Cell Phones had computing power and storage. I remember back in the early to mid-90's discussing it with friends - talking about how were were eventually going to have computers and phones converge and have our entire music libraries on the computer and eventually the phone. So on and so forth with video, etc. We already had the CD and Sony's MD player. It was an obvious evolution.
Actual auto manufacturing would be a pretty radical departure, not to mention low-margin.
Not really, If that were the case were are all the dell/hp/compaq phones that flooded the market after the iPhone.
The iPhone was completely outside of Apples business model at that time. It is alot more that just a modifed iPod.
It's not as wacky as it may seem. Future cars *are* electronics. You could argue that Apple is better suited to building electric cars than traditional carmakers.
Also, they will outsource the actual manufacturing to someone like Magna Steyr, just like Foxconn manufactures iPhones.
Also, they will outsource the actual manufacturing to someone like Magna Steyr, just like Foxconn manufactures iPhones.
I don't think Apple has a monopoly on any market. The only advantage Apple has is that they know how to make a larger profit in the areas that they do compete in.
the iCar? Not likely
Just so very exciting to think about Apple creating a car! Realistically, there is less than 1% chance of that happening anytime soon. Yes, Apple has more cash than most countries...but there is no place for Apple in the automotive business and they know it. I could list the reasons...but my hands would cramp from typing them all.
That being said, Apple's products do have a place in the vehicle. Apple's move into wearables has a place in the vehicle. The current integration of Apple technology in the car is is Alpha stage and is very sophomoric and borderline abysmal. It is embarrassing. It doesn't address safety, it doesn't add value, it doesn't represent any of the design styles, quality and image of the Apple product line.
More than likely, this team is charged with providing an automotive mindset to Apple product design and product management as they move further toward a vehicle integration that brings value to the OEM and the consumer and ties the vehicle into the existing Apple ecosystem that its customers have created with phones, wearables, macs, iPads, etc. An ecosystem that is supposed to surround us as we live, where we exist...and always be adding value to the point that we cannot imagine being without it. That ecosystem doesn't go nicely into the car right now. It needs to.
Maybe...just maybe they will help with battery tech or something along those lines....but I'm doubting that as well.
Just so very exciting to think about Apple creating a car! Realistically, there is less than 1% chance of that happening anytime soon. Yes, Apple has more cash than most countries...but there is no place for Apple in the automotive business and they know it. I could list the reasons...but my hands would cramp from typing them all.
That being said, Apple's products do have a place in the vehicle. Apple's move into wearables has a place in the vehicle. The current integration of Apple technology in the car is is Alpha stage and is very sophomoric and borderline abysmal. It is embarrassing. It doesn't address safety, it doesn't add value, it doesn't represent any of the design styles, quality and image of the Apple product line.
More than likely, this team is charged with providing an automotive mindset to Apple product design and product management as they move further toward a vehicle integration that brings value to the OEM and the consumer and ties the vehicle into the existing Apple ecosystem that its customers have created with phones, wearables, macs, iPads, etc. An ecosystem that is supposed to surround us as we live, where we exist...and always be adding value to the point that we cannot imagine being without it. That ecosystem doesn't go nicely into the car right now. It needs to.
Maybe...just maybe they will help with battery tech or something along those lines....but I'm doubting that as well.