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That may be true, but many, many people do NOT care (or even really notice).
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That may be true, but many, many people do NOT care (or even really notice).

Same arguments were made for MacOS vs. Windows. Who won marketshare battle?

Obviously Apple surpassed MS, but that is fading.

Hoping for a turnaround, but relying on older rather than recent history for that hope...

Even if they can't point a finger to it, they'll notice.

But even less people care about changing icons and system fonts.
 
So, the Foxconn's president stating that the mobile division (who assembles far more than just iPhones) being stable while their PC manufacturing business declining is somehow now just hinged on Apple?

You guys realize that Foxconn assembles HP's, Lenovo's, Xbox's, just-about-every-electronic-on-the-planet, right?
 
I am tired of reading things like this one "...weak demand for the iPhone 7 -- due to a "lack of innovation..."

The reality it is the opposite. There has been a massive media campaign saying things like this, until the idea is implanted in heads of the population...

Can anyone tell me why there is no media talking about the lack of innovation between Samsung S6 and S7??? I don't see any big innovation there, and I don't see a lot of people talking about it either...
 
I'm not at all surprised that Apple sales have dropped. 1.67 years ago they brutally turned up the prices of the iPhones, iPads, and Macs in a lot of markets due to their currencies growing weak compared to the dollar. In Norway, for instance, the prices were raised by around 15-20%. Bear in mind that salaries hasn't increased anything close to that, it's just Apple saying "**** you and your currency, we want to make sure we hit our margins, and then some".

At the current exchange rate (with a strong dollar) a 16GB iPhone 6s costs 895 USD (829 USD in Germany/France[1]) in Norway, while the 128GB costs 1,161 USD. Compare this to US prices of 649 and 849 respectively and you'll find that prices in Norway are now about 37% higher than they are in the US (27% higher for Germany/France). When the €uro was stronger than the US Dollar Apple conveniently scraped away the $-sign and put up € in front instead, now they've added ~€100 on top of that. For Norway they just converted the euro-price and made it into a round number ending with 90-something.

Apple has enough margins anyway, and just because weaker currencies made european margins weaker doesn't mean there were anything resembling a loss for Apple. Selling fewer products at higher margins only work if you sell enough, or your margins are high enough.

Couple that with the improved quality of Android and Android phones in the last years, with features like batteries that last more than 18 hours and similar capabilities I can see why Apple is losing ground. I assume that I, once again, will be paying the Apple Tax in October just because I can't be bothered to find replacement apps or re-buy certain apps that I use. Plus I'd have to swap out my $120 car cradle. Besides, I like being able to trigger my hotspot from the wifi-menu on my (work sponsored) MacBook pro. Talking of which - 36% more expensive than in the US.

[1] I'm using Germany and France because I could be bothered to check those, but I expect the prices to be the same across the whole euro-zone.
 
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It appears Apple has conformed to an technology industry-wide trend to abandon innovation on the device/hardware and concentrate 100% of their efforts on "features" and innovation that enable and drive revenue to their services. This is a facile and cynical strategy, likely to stifle overall innovation - but hey, the share price moves.......I guess.
 
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it will be great for world resources if sales of iPhones and other devices has decreased. It might mean that average consumers (people on this forum are not normal users) continue to use their purchases for longer periods of time before replacing them. The reality is that most consumers do not need the latest and greatest features of smart phones and computers.
Saving money and resources is not a crime.
 
Even the biggest Apple Fanboys don't seem to be able to make a case for the new phone. If you are, please do!


I get a new iPhone every other year like clockwork. My case is 2 year’s worth of new Apple tech. On the years I don’t get one I’ve never been “OMG!!! I can’t wait another year to have that!!!”
 
The doom and gloom feeling is what investors feel. It isn't about Apple closing shop. Investors care about how much more Apple sold vs last year/quarter.

Selling the same amount of iphones as before only keeps Apple in business, it doesn't help investors make money.
Your post might make sense if Apple sold the same amount of iphones as before. But they didn't. They sold less.



Mike
 
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Foxconn itself is on the record saying that the drop is the result of the PC market, not the phone market.
 
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After reading all the rumors about the new iPhone I really don't even know how thy are going to advertise it.

No headphone jack is a huge no go for many people I have talked to, myself included.

And the rumors also point to most other things staying virtually the same.
The 6S is already blazing fast so a faster processor is unlikely to convince anyone to go out and upgrade their phone either.

wht is their strategy for the new phone? Only people with yearly free upgrade plans and expiring contracts?

What am I missing?

Looks like dual camera will be the big thing but only on the plus and let's be honest this seems like a gimmick. It's like Apple and Samsung have traded places and Samsung is improving its hardware while Apple staying the same and adding useless gimmicky features.
 
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I have a 6 and I still don't see a reason to upgrade. And people who have the 5 or 5S might be more interested in the 5SE.

Even the biggest Apple Fanboys don't seem to be able to make a case for the new phone. If you are, please do!

Because most of us Apple users are intelligent enough to make our case AFTER the iPhone is revealed and not on rumors.
 
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It's possible, but a wired lightning cable seems much more likely.

Likely for bean counting reasons?

Philosophically, it's much more likely wireless; that would also kickstart a similar change in the industry, and lead to better, cheaper wireless headphones.
 
Not surprising. The market is saturated, phones have gotten so fast that there is little reason to upgrade, and they took away 2 year contracts.

It's not just saturation. It is commoditization. From the average buyer's perspective, all smartphones accomplish the same thing. And... "When products become more similar from a buyer's point of view, they will tend to buy the cheapest." Apple will never be able to compete in a commoditized market.



Michael
 
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Likely for bean counting reasons?

Philosophically, it's much more likely wireless; that would also kickstart a similar change in the industry, and lead to better, cheaper wireless headphones.
Cheaper? Lol, not if there's an :apple: on it :D
 
It's not just saturation. It is commoditization….Apple will never be able to compete in a commoditized market.

The cell phone market was already commoditized before Apple entered it with the iPhone. That isn't anything new.
 
If Cook were a true American, he would cut out Foxconn and make iPhones in-house in the US in a plant somewhere in Detroit.
 
They'll do what they often do - take the most obvious shortcoming, and flip it around to make it look like the exact opposite. So they'll sell it as the music lover's iPhone: stereo speakers, 'digital quality' Lightning earphones / wireless earphones and the new Music app.

Past examples: our most expandable Mac ever (the unexpandable Mac Pro), the Plastic Perfected 5C, and 'the only that that's changed is everything' which works for pretty much any lacklustre update.

Even the discontinued iPod Classic was better for music lovers. Over the past few years we've seen the functionality of the Music app shift from playing back your music, to trying to shove Apple Music and Radio down our throats via an ever worse user interface. From the five buttons at the bottom of the screen, only ONE is for my music. That means one has to go through very counterintuitive menus and buttons to simply switch between artists and albums. Since iOS 10 is already out (more or less), we know an update to the Music app won't be coming. The lack of an audio jack is just a final nail in the coffin for the iPhone as a music lover's phone.
 
images


Nintendo fan (1988-1991)
Sega fan (1992-1994)
Nintendo fan (1994-1995)
Sega fan (2001-2002)
PlayStation fan (1996-Present)
^ Only products I still like from Sony.

Mario v Sonic
As a character - Sonic, easily.
For games - Mario games for sure.

More Sega fan now because Dreamcast and Shenmue I & II are all-time favs, but still enjoy Nintendo games and owned more of their consoles. Looking forward to this mysterious NX and may even buy that mini NES so I can finally play Metroid. Even though I can play emulators and for free, it isn't always correct. 30 NES games for $60 bucks is a good deal just for kicks.

I grew up as a preteen during the console war era between Nintendo vs Sega in the early 1990's. For a time, I loved Nintendo. For another time when I had a Genesis, I loved Sega. Then back to loving Nintendo after getting an SNES. Most people owned one or the other, so there were always debates. I never cared that deeply because I got a Genesis and SNES about two years from each other (Feb 1992 & April 1994).

Back in the day (circa 1991-1996), nobody in their right mind would have ever thought Sega and Nintendo would work together. These were two bitter rivals that had loyal fanatics that hated each other more than Kobe & Shaq. This was Red Sox v Yankees, Lakers v Celtics hatred. Guess what? They teamed up after the Sega Dreamcast flopped just like Kevin Durant joining the team that beat him!

Sega even agreed to make Sonic games exclusively to Nintendo consoles. Nintendo and Sega never partnered up during their heyday. They made their own software and hardware with other partners. Apple might take Samsung to court, but they're still partners. Apple Music app is on Android. Google makes apps for iOS. The iPod sales didn't explode until iTunes was available to Windows. It isn't as bitter as Nintendo v Sega back then.

Licensing iOS to OEMs will prevent complaints of overpricing, repetitive and bland designs, lacking a micro-sd slot, and getting more people locked into Apple's ecosystem. Just do it, Apple. Save some headache from these fickle customers that complain about everything. Within the 2020's, I could be right. Watching Sega and Nintendo team up can make you realize anything is possible!

Keep floundering, Apple. Keep acting like myopic morons with delusional propaganda. Then let go of your tunnel vision and acting like a selfish loner with technology and doing business. Sharing is caring. :)

From rivals to BFF!
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Sometimes the worst moment for Apple and their fans could also be one of the best ones. Blessing in disguise...
q:100


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The market isn't saturated yet. But people have a lot to choose from these days. Innovation didn't come from Apple for the last two years. People are holding out for what... the iPhone 8? When sales of the iPhone 6S fell short... a lot of people told they were holding out for the iPhone 7 and reasoned this downfall... What will happen to the iPhone 8 in 2017 when Samsung is showing their foldable Galaxy 8 next april?

Samsung is already building more than half of the iPhone parts. If, BIG IF, iPhone 7 does well, Samsung will do well. To beat Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi and many others, Apple has to built innovative parts themselves. The parts they're using now are all (except the A10) widely available on the market for everyone. The only difference is that Apple sells them far above cost price and put an :apple: on it.
You mean the iPhone 8 in 2018.

If Apple follows its release pattern, 2017 will be the iPhone 7s/7sPlus.
 
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I have a 6 and I still don't see a reason to upgrade. And people who have the 5 or 5S might be more interested in the 5SE.
Even the biggest Apple Fanboys don't seem to be able to make a case for the new phone. If you are, please do!

The only reason I can see an any average consumers feeling a need to replace their recently purchased existing fully functional phones for a new phone is if it was water resistant/proof. Of course if that was the most important thing, they probably have bought a case that meets that need.

Average people are changing their spending habits. The need/desire to accumulate things to fill a garage and storage lockers are decreasing. I read a paper last night that studies are showing that consumers are wanting to collect experiences rather than stuff.

Some people are also realizing that its not a crime to save money.
 
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You better try to read and understand the meaning of words before posting nonsense.

I was refering to "the industry", not specifically to Apple.
Maybe you didn't understand my words. Because of course the industry will offer it cheaper than Apple.
 
I wonder if the slump isn't just about a "lack of innovation" but maybe more, or at least partly, due to market saturation. So many people have iPhone's now and other smartphones that eventually sales would slow down at some point.

This whole "doom and gloom" sentiment seems silly to me at this point. The companies are still making money hand over fist here and they're not even close to going under or anything like that.


To be honest, I don't think it's market saturation. The iphone form factor is outdated as no other phones have such massive bezels. Also, top of the line phones have equal or better specs, but more features such as slot for micro SD, stylists, iris scanner, wireless charging (QI), and OLED screens. AND these competitor phones are cheaper!

So one could say that you are paying for iOS, but iOS really has lost it's competitive advantage. And Siri is pretty much useless compared to google now, unless all you want are jokes.

I don't think it's doom and gloom, but silly ads and Apple PR isn't that effective as the tech community is seeing past all the garbage. I think the first step is to recognize you have a problem. If suppliers are freaking out, if your loyal customers are freaking out, but Tim is the only one smiling and singing in la la land, then I think we have identified the problem!
 
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