Foxconn's Profits Slide 31% as iPhone Sales Continue to Drop

[GenesisST]

One spies on you, the other secures your information. Yes I know...hard to grasp

My comment still applies... Most people don't give a flying "four stars".

That said, Apple still spies on its users to some extent. What differentiates them is what they do (or don't do) with the information. While technically, Google is not selling the information (which you didn't say, but a lot of people seem to think they do), they do gain from targeted ad revenues.

And we are never safe from any of those companies deciding to be dicks about it. But I digress from the article subject. :-D

 

[lordofthereef]

You forget that with Apple you are buying more than just the physical phone. I have a few friends who only want iPhones because when they have developed a fault in the past say the power button getting stuck, they just walk into an Apple store, show the problem and walk out with a working phone. They may be paying more, but if that gets them that kind of service they will pay more. If they had a HTC and it broke could they get it fixed in under an hour if they were out shopping?, or get a replacement there and then, do they have somewhere they can physically go for help? There is a value the vast quantity of Apple stores offer.

The Microsoft store offers a similar service. It's beyond me why they don't shout it from the rooftops with how terrible their phones sell...
[doublepost=1471234303][/doublepost]

Messed up, posted wrong clip (the one with games, which the 6S loads a bit faster). There are several with apps and web browsing, where generally the P9 does a bit better, with the notable exception of Uber which loads slowly on Android for some reason. Anyway at half the price and with better screen/camera/battery/etc.

E.g.

And I mean, the P9 is really nice, but there are so many high-end Android phones to choose from (S7, Nexus 6P etc). I wonder if the Note 7 is going to be cheaper than the 16Gb 6S. If I were in charge at Samsung, that's exactly what I would do, just to point out how staggeringly bad value the iPhone is.

PS: answered my own question. I wasn't aware that the Note 7 has already appeared online here in Switzerland, but it has, at CHF828 (64Gb memory). The equivalent 6S plus is CHF999. Paying a lot more for a lot less, that's something.

Note 7 msrp in the us is $850, on par with the 64gb 6s plus. For those who preorder thsy are throwing in either a 256gb sd card or a sport watch, an additional $150-200 value.

It's not a bad deal. I'm curious what pricing will be like moving forward. I think buyers technically have until suggest 28 (about gen days after the launch date) to still receive these benefits.

Edit: I guess this was covered haha

 

[ajfahey]

iPhone innovation has plateaued at the iPhone 6. Changes since then have been largely incremental or cosmetic and nothing compelling enough for there to be a compelling reason to upgrade. The latest changes in smartphone technology aren't enough to warrant upgrade anymore frequently than every 3-5 years, the same as their computer technology. At the same time, the iWatch hasn't really caught on fire. Why the stock valuation bubble at Apple hasn't popped yet is beyond me. Get out while you can....

 

[BvizioN]

It is perfect fine that you prefer iOS. But that does not means majority of the people. When competitor is catching on and offering more than Apple and cheaper.

No, that does not mean majority and neither me or you have got any evidence to prove it.

And there are people who don't want more and more, but instead better and better. Quality and not quantity is what some people go for. In terms of stability Android have still long to go. Not to mention good luck with getting any updates a half year later, if at all after you buy the device.

 

[LovingTeddy]

No, that does not mean majority and neither me or you have got any evidence to prove it.

And there are people who don't want more and more, but instead better and better. Quality and not quantity is what some people go for. In terms of stability Android have still long to go. Not to mention good luck with getting any updates a half year later, if at all after you buy the device.

It is certainly true that some people wants "better and better".

The question is: is iPhone really "better and better". I say not really.

Android handsets in terms of quality are far better than they used to be. Samsun Galaxt S7, Huawei P9, HTC One etc, OnePlus 3 etc. Android is moving to excellent quality product and cheaper price.

Android software update is a issue. it will always be, becuSe of how Android updates (except Nexus line up). People who choice Android will take this (I know I do).

However, not all updates to iOS are great and worth to install. I did not update my iPad mini 1 and iPod Touch past iOS, since I know how bad iOS 8 and iOS 9 on iPhone 4S. I will not upgrade iPhone 5 and 5S past iOS 9.

I have no doubt there are sizeable population choice Apple because they believe Apple's stuff is better. And I have no doubt those population will be in minority.

Android is taking away market share in Europ, Asia, Sotuh America and in USA.

If Apple still keep its price high, Apple continue losing market to Android.

Good example is 97% population using Android in India and Apple is number 5 in China.

P.S I have no internet in spending more than 1000CAD on phones. Hence I did not buy iPhone 6S in full price (my employer paid most of the phone price). I personally use refurbished iPhone 5S and new iPhone SE. Majority of time, I use Nexus 5X and 6P.

 

[BvizioN]

It is certainly true that some people wants "better and better".

The question is: is iPhone really "better and better". I say not really.

Then again I think it depends who ask the question. For me it is. For some others it isn't. It could do more but I would rather have Apple implement things right then rush to pack to many things and make a mess.
The only Android phone that I totally agree it beats iPhone on the hardware side is the Galaxy S7 edge. I would buy it in a heartbeat if it ran iOS. But with the experience I had with Galaxy phones and knowing my luck, I did fight the temptation and stayed away from it. Not to mention that it really isn't cheaper then the iPhone 6s.

 

[maxsix]

Apple will wake up and find they've got unshakeable competition. Settling in as just one of several excellent smartphone makers, Apple's niche is expensive yet rather boring hardware.

 

[symphara]

In terms of stability Android have still long to go. Not to mention good luck with getting any updates a half year later, if at all after you buy the device.

I've turned my Android phone off exactly once after buying it, and that was to insert an SD card. Otherwise it had exactly two more reboots for the two software updates I got since buying it less than three months ago. It doesn't crash, slow down, show any strange battery drain, nothing at all. In contrast, my iOS totting iPad crashes maybe about once a month.

I think this covers your blanket mischaracterization of Android.

PS: speaking of stability: my Macbook crashes quite frequently, when trying to wake up and it's not plugged in. It started doing so after Maverick and it's still doing it in El Cap. In contrast, the Win 10 machine I put together with online-bought components has never crashed.

Apple is really, really good at selling this "security and stability" story, when in fact they probably have the least stable (astounding, considering they control the hardware 100%) and some of the least secure software around. For any lack of credibility, there's somewhere a surplus of naivety.

 

[BvizioN]

I've turned my Android phone off exactly once after buying it, and that was to insert an SD card. Otherwise it had exactly two more reboots for the two software updates I got since buying it less than three months ago. It doesn't crash, slow down, show any strange battery drain, nothing at all. In contrast, my iOS totting iPad crashes maybe about once a month.

I think this covers your blanket mischaracterization of Android.

PS: speaking of stability: my Macbook crashes quite frequently, when trying to wake up and it's not plugged in. It started doing so after Maverick and it's still doing it in El Cap. In contrast, the Win 10 machine I put together with online-bought components has never crashed.

Apple is really, really good at selling this "security and stability" story, when in fact they probably have the least stable (astounding, considering they control the hardware 100%) and some of the least secure software around. For any lack of credibility, there's somewhere a surplus of naivety.

Such a nice story, thanks for sharing. Guess what? I had the exact opposite experience with Android devices, macs, Windows etc. And please, you speak as we around here don't or have never used Android!!Gee!!

 

[symphara]

Such a nice story, thanks for sharing. Guess what? I had the exact opposite experience with Android devices, macs, Windows etc.

Oh, the sarcasm is killing me. I doubt you had the opposite experience, Linux has always been very stable and Windows has gotten extremely stable after 7. Give us details please - what kind of errors, hardware, OS versions, etc. Don't just make stuff up to explain how fond you are of Apple, and how deeply you think Apple cares about you and your family.

I can give you details for example - after I updated to Maverick, I had a very, very frequent occurrence that the Macbook would wake up but not enable the keyboard and mouse, and only hard reset would fix it. Lots of people had this problem (there was a huge thread in the support forum), and it took Apple more than 6 months to fix it.

Your turn. Tell us about how frequently your Linux crashes.

 

[Tinmania]

The cell phone market was already commoditized before Apple entered it with the iPhone. That isn't anything new.

Nonsense. Cell phones are not the same as smart phones. The smartphone market was far from commoditized when Apple entered it. It's not even up for debate.


Mike

 

[kdarling]

Nonsense. Cell phones are not the same as smart phones. The smartphone market was far from commoditized when Apple entered it. It's not even up for debate.

What's not up for debate is the smartphone market had been around for years and was growing.

By late 2006, there were over 100 million smartphones being sold annually worldwide. The introduction of the iPhone in 2007 made barely a blip on the market's growth rate. A radical increase in sales didn't happen until affordable Android phones came out.

All those preceding smartphones were the reason why carriers worldwide had data networks. And why Google was able to provide smartphone crowd-sourced cell tower positioning for the initially GPS-lacking iPhone.

This ready made data infrastructure and market is exactly why Apple wanted (and was able) to jump in, albeit years late. Apple rarely invents a product. They wait until the infrastructure and manufacturing and chips and consumers are all hitting the right notes, and then jump in with something not held back by legacy issues (at least, not at first).

Interestingly, 2007 was the year that several analysts had predicted that capacitive touchscreen finger friendly phones would become popular. That, plus public demos and concepts of such smartphones, is undoubtedly what made Jobs break secrecy and show off the iPhone a half year before it was ready for sale, using prototypes that couldn't even work for more than a few minutes at a time.

 

[symphara]

Nonsense. Cell phones are not the same as smart phones. The smartphone market was far from commoditized when Apple entered it. It's not even up for debate.

Really, not even up for debate? That's straight from the "Apple invented the mp3 player" handbook.

Of course the smartphone market was commoditised. Blackberry sold a ton of smartphones. Nokia sold a ton of smartphones. Sony Ericsson had really nice smartphones. I still have a bunch of pre-iPhone smartphones around the house.

In 2001 I bought an Ericsson R380, which I think was the most expensive smartphone at the time (it cost me around $800). It had apps, email, web browser (WAP), beautiful stylus handwriting recognition and, surprise, copy & paste. It was in many ways more functional than the first iPhone which came out years later.

 

[Geurt]

Foxconn is Dooooooooommmed!

---



Uh... no, they look nothing like each other. They're both Asian women under 30 years old. They're wearing similar uniforms. That's about where the similarities end.

It all tastes like chicken.

 

[Tinmania]

What's not up for debate is the smartphone market had been around for years and was growing

Thank you Captain Obvious. But that has nothing to do with the fact that the smartphone market was not even close to commoditized back in 2007.

Commoditization is a long word but a simple concept.

You know you’ve encountered it when you walk down the cereal isle, and discover four different brands of corn flakes. Or when you’re shopping for a new television at Best Buy, and find yourself staring at 50 indistinguishable black sets, all playing the same Pixar film. It’s when there ceases to be any noticeable difference between competing products, except perhaps the price tag.


The smartphone industry is commoditizing. Innovation made kings out of Apple and Samsung Electronics, but these days the creative well is getting a little drier.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/apple-samsung-and-smartphone-commoditization-2013-08-14

This was not the case in 2007. Once again, not open to debate. It simply was not the case.



Mike

 

[kdarling]

Thank you Captain Obvious. But that has nothing to do with the fact that the smartphone market was not even close to commoditized back in 2007.

Not sure why you're calling people names. No one seems to know what you're trying to say.

What are you trying change "commoditized" to mean?

The dictionary says it's "to treat (something that cannot be owned or that everyone has a right to) like a product that can be bought and sold."

Smartphones had been bought and sold by millions of people, for years before Apple also decided to sell one.