For several years, Apple was criticized for relying on a single product, the iPhone, to secure the bulk of its revenue. Although that hasn't changed much, as the phone still represents more than half of Apple's total sales, the company has recently taken a slightly different path to diversify its products, from launching the ubiquitous AirPods, to the hugely successful Apple Watch, and even The iPad, which is making a fuss again after several years of inactivity.
Apple has been swimming against the tide for years, but it appears to be losing the battle after CEO Tim Cook raised prices for its flagship iPhone and began selling customer services and other products like the Apple Watch.
Apple has always been successful in pursuing a "big opportunity" through a strong brand, distinctive design, ease of use, and an effective support system around the world. But while devices like the iPod, iPhone, and iPad have enjoyed growth in the past, it's not clear what the next breakthrough will be. Despite the success of the Apple Watch, it is not mentioned. Smart homes and driverless cars offer great opportunities.
But Apple is not in the same position as Amazon, Google, and car companies like Tesla after all. As we've seen with the long transition from products to services at other large ICT companies such as IBM, Apple shareholders may have to be patient until the shift to an ecosystem of opportunities and services pays off.
Apple is a victim of its own success, as happened to Nokia in the early 2000s. The earnings dominance of the iPhone from 2007 to 2017 means that when iPhone sales growth slows, Apple will have to disappoint its financial analysts and managers. Sure enough, it lost a third of the trillion market in the final months of 2018, and lost another 10% in early January 2019.
Apple has long touted its competitive advantage over rivals such as Samsung Electronics, which makes phones, and Google, which supplies operating systems to most of the world's phones. Apple touts its control of both hardware and software, spawning higher-priced, polished products that capture most of the smartphone industry's profits.
At the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California - usually Apple's most attention-grabbing event dedicated to its flagship devices - Apple established a third component of its focus areas: hardware, software and services. Investors for growth opportunities in the field of services.
On a related note, what will happen to Apple in the absence of Johnny Ive, who has given the iMac computers, iPods, and iPhones their dissolution? The unexpected departure of the prominent industrial designer raised many questions about the fate of the company, which had previously announced its intention to focus on services.
While Apple’s revenue suffered from a 15% decline in iPhone revenue to $52 billion, a decline caused in particular by low sales in the Chinese market, and the group’s revenue collapsed in this huge market alone by 27% to $ 13.16 billion, and the net remained Apple's profit is almost stable at $20 billion, down a very slight 0.5%, which is considered rare since in recent years Apple has recorded a regular increase in its net profit.
At a time when Apple is keen to prove the diversity of its activities to be less dependent on its phone, the revenues of its services from streaming, cloud computing, electronic payment, applications and others amounted to $ 10.9 billion, exceeding the expectations of analysts who talked about $ 10.8 billion, and the services allowed the company to maintain The stability of its net profit with the vitality of its sales of non-iPhone devices, such as iPads, Macs, Apple Watches, and others.
Apple had warned that its year-end sales would be disappointing compared to what it expected in the fall, due to the economic slowdown in China and the trade war between Beijing and Washington, and analysts also point to the glut of the smart phone market and the high price of iPhone devices at a time in China facing stiff competition from Local companies such as Huawei and Xiaomi.
Recently, Apple is in transition away from hardware sales. It wants to increase its financial resources from systems-related activities, such as content distribution, cloud storage, payment systems, smart homes, and many other services. It also expects to rely more on partnerships and alliances, for example, with LEGO in the field of augmented reality education and entertainment. The returns of the company's system are deceptive from the point of view of the stock analyst, its contribution to profits in general is more difficult to measure than the margin of sales or physical products. So assessing the future of the company is not easy.
Although Apple’s iPhone sales are still declining, the company has been able to devise new revenue streams to continue its growth amid competition from other large companies, and Apple services, such as Apple Music, Apple Care, and Apple TV +, contributed to giving the company’s revenues a significant boost. In the last quarter, quarterly service sales grew 18%.
In addition to services, Apple's wearable products also saw growth, with sales of products such as AirPods and the Apple Watch up 54%, with the wearables division now the same size as Apple's for the Mac.
Although the iPad has not caught much attention in the past few years, the product has recently seen sales growth of 17% between July and September, and while the diversity of Apple products contributed to raising the company's revenues, iPhone sales witnessed a decrease of 9 percent. % in the last quarter. Although iPhone sales fell significantly from last year, they easily exceeded investor expectations, and the percentage of sales declined this year, and the iPhone 11 was recently launched for sale for $ 699, to receive a positive rating, which prompted Cook to expect that the product may become an iPhone. Today's best seller.
Apple announced that its streaming TV service will launch in November at $4.99 a month and unveiled new cameras for its latest iPhone models, as the tech giant reaches a turning point in which it focuses as much on services as it does on hardware and software.
The company said that Apple TV + will be available in more than 100 countries, and that buyers of iPhone, iPad and Mac devices will get it free for a year, and Apple revealed that its new iPhone 11 phone will come with two cameras on the back, one of which is with an ultra-wide-angle lens, in addition to the next generation of ultra-wide chips. Small, A13, but without significant changes visible, and with a starting price of $ 699, the iPhone 11 Pro phone will provide three cameras on the back - a wide angle, a telephoto lens, and an ultra-wide lens. The new phone will be able to capture video recordings with the three cameras and the front camera together, and the price starts at $ 999. The iPhone 11 Pro Max, with a larger screen, will start at $1,099. The new phones are available to order from Friday, with shipments beginning September 20.
Analysts said Apple was taking a "conservative pattern" until the release of 5G phones, which will have faster data transmission speeds next year. Alternatively, services such as TV content from popular shows such as Oprah Winfrey, which will compete with Netflix and Walt Disney, may take center stage.
Apple also announced that its video game service, Apple Arcade, will feature a page on its App Store and be available from September 19 at $4.99 a month, with a free month to try. With regard to all three aspects of the activity.”
Apple is breaking into a crowded field with broadcast content. Since it first announced the TV service in March, rivals such as Disney have unveiled a similar service, priced at $6.99 a month, that will feature the company's premium children's programming.
In the absence of a historical library of its own TV content, Apple will sell its service - Apple TV+ - while simultaneously reselling content from other channels such as HBO to take, analysts believe, a share of the sales.
Bajarin said Apple's challenge is to convince consumers that its various family of devices are the best unified point for watching shows, despite the fact that Netflix has not yet joined this integrated viewing system. Netflix remains available as a separate app on Apple devices, and its shows appear in search results on the Apple TV app.
“Netflix is like a hole” in the Apple TV app, Bajarin said. “But they have Amazon and all the channels with them. The vast majority of content providers are cooperating with Apple TV.”
The American company, "Apple", unveiled the "iPhone 11" devices, lowered the prices of the basic models, and plans to launch streaming services and electronic games, in an effort to confront the decline in its sales of smart phones.
The price of the devices seemed a major factor, with the giant American company reducing the price of the basic device for the “iPhone 11” to $ 699, and “Apple” offered three models of “iPhone 11”, including the “iPhone 11 Pro” equipped with a triple camera and other advanced functions, starting from The price tag is 999 and 1,099 dollars, which is unchanged compared to last year despite the addition of improved features, including an ultra-wide-angle camera lens.
The surprise was to reduce the price of the basic device to 699 instead of 749 last year, and Group Chairman Tim Cook said during the ceremony in Cupertino, California, that "the new 'iPhone' devices are full of new capabilities and their new design is great," and Apple expanded Thus, to emphasize value, as the company seeks to transform the way it operates to reduce dependence on smartphones while linking digital content and other services to its devices, and Avi Greengrat, an analyst and consultant at “TexboneNational”, explained, “I think that the “iPhone 11” is attractive and may convince. People are changing their phones sooner than they expected given the cheaper price and the ability of the battery to last longer without charging, not just the improved camera.” Apple stressed that batteries can last longer without charging and have better shock and water resistance, and the iPhone The iPhone 11 is equipped with a new chip called “A13 Bionic” that will provide a technical advantage for the “Apple” group compared to its competitors, and “Apple” especially emphasized the new advanced cameras in the devices, so the iPhone 11 will be equipped with a dual rear camera and a front capture lens. for pictures For a selfie that allows slow motion shooting. The iPhone 11 Pro will be equipped with a triple lens.
“With new devices, there are additional reasons to remain loyal to Apple (...),” said Patrick Moorhead, analyst at More Insights and Strategy. $4.99 a month and will include "a robust and diverse selection of original programmes, films and documentaries."
The content of Apple’s streaming service will be limited initially, but its price is below the 6.99 specified for “Disney +” and “Netflix” services, and Daniel Ive of Wade Bush Securities said, “It seems clear that Apple is seeking market shares.” With these low prices, Apple's service will offer dramas, comedies, movies, as well as children's programming, to rival the streaming giants Netflix and Amazon.
“With Apple TV, we will present original stories from the best, brightest and most creative minds, and we are confident that viewers will find their favorite show or movie through our service,” said Zach Amburgh, Apple’s chief video officer. iPhone or iPads, Apple TV, iPod Touch and Mac will get this service for free for a year, and the Apple Arcade game service will launch next week, providing exclusive games for users of mobile devices and computers. The service costs $4.99 per month and will include more than 100 games designed for Apple devices and available in 150 countries.
“These games cannot be found on any other mobile platform or subscription service. No game service has ever released this many games,” said Anne Tai, product manager, and Apple also revealed an update for its iPad tablet and Apple Watch. Smart with price stability and lower prices for older versions.
Apple has sent out invitations to attend its annual media event, during which the company is expected to unveil its latest iPhone, and the event will be held at the Steve Jobs Theater at its headquarters in Capertino, California. As usual, the invitation did not provide any detailed information about what the company will discuss during this year's event, which was called "through innovation only".
For Apple, the expectations of the iPhone release event always remain high, as the product contributed more than any other product to push the company to become the most valuable company in the world one day, so that the product continues today to be the largest source of income for the company. But recently, iPhone sales suffered a double-digit percentage decline, while the company's customers were using their smartphones for longer periods, with the company facing a state of slowdown in China amid an ongoing trade war with America.
During the event, Apple is also expected to announce 3 new iPhones, including two designs for the new "Pro" phone, which will replace the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max. It is believed that the design of the new "Pro" phone will include new and improved imaging and video recording features, and it is also expected that Apple will provide final information and details during the event on the pricing of its new television broadcasting service, Apple TV+.
It is reported that the company organizes an annual event in early September for about 7 years, during which it announces new iPhones. However, this year's event may differ slightly from the one that preceded it in the past, as long-time Apple design expert Joni Ive will not play a significant role in it this year, after Apple announced last June that he would leave the company after 30 years. from working out.
US President Donald Trump announced Friday night, Saturday, in a tweet that the technology giant “Apple” will spend “a lot of money” in the United States, before a meeting with its CEO Tim Cook, and the two men have met several times before, including in Bedminster, New Jersey, where Trump is currently vacationing at his luxury golf complex.
"I'm going to have dinner with Apple's Tim Cook. They're going to spend a lot of money in the USA. Great!" Trump wrote on Twitter. The information giant's products are assembled in China and it opposes the strict 10% tariffs to be imposed on products manufactured in China, and Trump rejected Apple's calls for an exemption for its products, tweeting in July that the giant should "make (its products) ) in the United States, (and then) there is no fee.”
But his administration announced Thursday that the imposition of duties on some products will be postponed until December, and Apple did not immediately comment on the meeting of its manager with Trump, and Trump did not comment again on the meeting or what was discussed in it.
This step comes amid the ongoing trade war between the United States and China, and the attempts of the two economic powers to resume the faltering negotiations between them to put an end to this war that threatens the entire global economy, and last March, Trump made a gag that spread widely on the communication sites when he referred to Tim Cook as Tim Apple. Trump returned and justified the matter, saying that he had done it deliberately "to save time and words."
Apple launched its virtual credit card after collaborating with Goldman Sachs on the new addition to the iPhone, which could help diversify the tech giant's sales away from devices. From the value of purchases and not paying any fees when using the payment service (Apple Pay), which is a money management application, and a focus on data privacy, and Apple said that a limited number of consumers who have shown interest in the card will receive alerts today, Tuesday, asking them to sign up for a subscription.
The card is designed to work on iPhone phones, where the user can register to subscribe to the card and start using it immediately after obtaining the approval of the (Apple Wallet) application and the (Apple Pay) system. Apple provides the option to extract a physical card made of titanium, but this card will not carry any numbers. The card number will be stored on a secure chip inside the phone, and the chip will create virtual numbers for electronic or telephone purchases that require numbers.
Apple focused on privacy, saying that purchase information would be stored on the user's phone and that it could not see the information. Goldman Sachs will not be allowed to use the data for shopping purposes, even to sell other Bank products.
Analysts have pointed out that for a company the size of Apple, which generated $265.6 billion in sales in fiscal 2018, it will not be as important as making sure customers are closely associated with the Apple brand.
“If it works, it will be a new impetus for you to remain deeply loyal to Apple and immersed in Apple’s environment even if something better emerges from it,” said Ben Bajarin, an analyst at think-tank Creative Strategies.
In a rare step, “Apple” officially retracted on Friday the launch of a product, a wireless charger called “Air Power”, which it had promised since 2017, attributing this to the inability to manufacture a product worthy of its brand, and this charger was revealed in 2017, coinciding with the “iPhone” phone. iPhone 10" (also known as "iPhone X") on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the launch of these smartphones. It was like a small rug that could be used to charge the iPhone, the Apple Watch and wireless AirPods at the same time by simply dropping it on top of the device.
"After a lot of work, we came to the conclusion that Air Power would not reach the required levels of quality, so we canceled the project," Dan Riccio, one of the file managers, told AFP. "We apologize to the customers who were waiting for this launch. We still believe that the future is for wireless devices and we are determined to continue on this path.” Although it is rare for “Apple” to abandon a product it had previously promised, there have been delays in the completion of several products from “Apple” in the past, including the “AirPods” headphones. And the smart home control device "HomePod", and there are several models of wireless charging devices on the market. Apple sells these devices from other companies on its website.
The giant American group began working towards a clear transition to the field of services, and it recently announced the launch of a streaming video platform and a subscription to follow newspapers and magazines, and Apple needs to reduce its dependence on the iPhone, from which tens of millions of devices are sold every quarter of the year. However, its sales declined at the end of last year due to the saturation of the smartphone market.
What will happen to Apple in the absence of Jony Ive, who has dressed up iMacs, iPods and iPhones? The unexpected departure of the prominent industrial designer raised many questions about the fate of the company, which had previously announced its intention to focus on services.
ولفت دانييل آيفز من "ويدبوش سيكيوريتيز" إلى أن "المسألة الرئيسية مع رحيل أحد كبار نافذي البصيرة عن آبل تقضي بمعرفة مآل الابتكار في المنتجات"، مؤكدا أن "ما من أحد قادر على أن يحل محل" جوني آيف.
ومن شأن هذا القرار أن "يثير مزيدا من البلبلة حول مصير آبل في وقت تركّز فيه الشركة على التلفزيون وألعاب الفيديو"، بحسب ما قال الخبير، علما أن المستثمرين والمحللين ينتظرون منذ سنوات أن يصدر عن الشركة ابتكار بارز تحافظ من خلاله على مكانتها الرائدة في هذا المجال، ففي ظلّ تباطؤ مبيعات هواتف "آي فون" في الأشهر الأخيرة، لم يعد أمام المجموعة خيار بديل، وهي باتت تعوّل على الخدمات، مثل الاشتراكات بخدمتها للموسيقى والفيديو عبر الانترنت، في منحى بعيد بعض الشيء عن المسار الذي جلب لها النجاح وقوامه أجهزة بتصاميم منمّقة وجذابة يتهافت عليها الملايين رغم ارتفاع أسعارها.
لكن في رأي محللين آخرين، إن المجموعة مسلّحة بما فيه الكفاية كي لا يهزّ رحيل جوني آيف أركانها، خصوصا أن هذا الأخير سيواصل تعاونه معها من خلال الشركة التي يعتزم تأسيسها، وقد تنتهز آبل" هذه الفرصة لبلورة أفكار جديدة.
ولا شكّ في أن المصمم البارز أدى دورا كبيرا في رواج منتجات الشركة التي تتخذ في كاليفورنيا مقرا لها، لكنه راح أخيرا يتولى مسائل أخرى، مثل متاجر الماركة الشهيرة "آب ستور" أو المقر الجديد للمجموعة في كوبرتينو، تاركا تنميق تصاميم المنتجات لعناية طاقم العمل في "آبل"، وقال آفي غرينغارت من مجموعة "تكسبونانشل" إن آيف "تخلى جزئيا عن مهماته الأساسية قبل فترة. وحافظ طاقم التصميم في آبل على اتساقه ولا خوف من تراجع تصاميم منتجات آبل بصورة مفاجئة"، وستبقى التصاميم الخارجية في قلب أولويات الشركة، بوجود جوني آيف أو في غيابه، بحسب ما أكد الخبير لوكالة فرانس برس، مشيرا إلى أن المجموعة باتت تركز أكثر الآن على الأكسسوارات، مثل الساعات والسماعات اللاسلكية.
ولفت غرينغارت إلى أن "آبل متقدمة بأشواط على منافسيها في مجال الساعات وتستثمر مبالغ طائلة في تقنية الواقع المعزّز للأجهزة المحمولة". أما النظارات الموصولة، فهي تبقى تحديا كبيرا، وأضاف الخبير أن "آبل لن تسمح لنفسها بالتوقف عن الاستثمار في التصاميم الشكلية. وقد يكون رحيل آيف فرصة لإنعاش هذا المجال".
تعاون المصمم البريطاني بعد انضمامه إلى "آبل" في العام 1992 تعاونا وثيقا مع مؤسس الشركة ستيف جوبز على تصميم أجهزة "آي بود" و"آي فون" و"آي باد" و"ماك بوك"، فضلا عن نظام التشغيل "آي او اس".
وبات الفريق المكلّف التصاميم الذي يديره كل من إيفز هانكي وآلن داي تحت مسؤولية مدير العمليات جيف وليامز، وتثير هذه الهيكلية الجديدة تساؤلات عدة، بحسب جون غروبر، وهو مهندس معلوماتية صاحب مدونة "ديرينغ فايربال" المتخصصة، وصرّح الأخير بأن "آبل لن تواجه مشكلات بسبب رحيل جوني آيف، لكنها قد تتخبّط في مصاعب لأن ما من أحد حل مكانه"، وحيّت هذه الهيكلية أيضا جين مونستر وأندرو مورفي من شركة الاستثمارات "لوب فنترز"، لكنه تدبير موقت في نظرهما، وهما كتبا في رسالة أن "لا مثيل لخبرة آبل في مجال التصميم ولطالم وضعت المجموعة التصاميم الشكلية في قلب أولوياتها. ولا بدّ من أن يبرز مصمم جديد في الوقت المناسب".
عرضت شركة أبل مكافآت تصل إلى مليون دولار لمن يرصد من الباحثين في مجال الأمن الإلكتروني ثغرات في أجهزة آيفون، وهي أكبر مكافأة تعرضها شركة لتوفير الحماية من القراصنة في وقت تتصاعد فيه المخاوف من اختراق الحكومات أجهزة الهواتف المحمولة الخاصة بالمعارضين والصحفيين والمدافعين عن حقوق الإنسان.
وفي مؤتمر ”القبعة السوداء“ السنوي لأمن الإنترنت في لاس فيجاس يوم الخميس قالت الشركة إنها ستفتح الباب أمام جميع الباحثين، وستضيف برنامج ماك وأهدافا أخرى، وستعرض مجموعة من المكافآت تسمى ”جوائز“ لأصحاب النتائج الأكثر أهمية.
وجائزة المليون دولار ستتاح فقط لمن يرصد ثغرة تتيح الوصول إلى نظام تشغيل آيفون عن بُعد بدون أي تصرف من مستخدم الهاتف. وكانت الجائزة الأكبر السابقة التي عرضتها أبل تبلغ 200 ألف دولار لمن يبلغها عن الثغرات التي يمكن معالجتها بتحديثات البرنامج حتى لا تكون مكشوفة للمجرمين والجواسيس.
ويدفع متعاقدون ووسطاء حكوميون ما يصل إلى مليوني دولار للحصول على أكثر تقنيات التسلل فاعلية بغرض الحصول على معلومات من الأجهزة، وتبيع شركات خاصة ومن ضمنها مجموعة (إن.إس.أو) الإسرائيلية أدوات تسلل للحكومات، وقالت الشركة في بيان ”تطور مجموعة إن.إس.أو تكنولوجيا مرخصة لوكالات المخابرات وإنفاذ القانون بهدف وحيد هو منع الإرهاب والجريمة والتحقيق فيهما“، وأضافت ”إنها ليست أداة لاستهداف الصحفيين بسبب قيامهم بعملهم أو لإسكات المنتقدين“.
