It's a little reminiscent of the PC-era. Apple brings a new device to market, it's widely copied and there is little relief by the courts. So Apple go and make something unique that only they can pull off.
That's why we now have the Apple Watch, it doesn't excite analysts, because analysts are myopic. Their "predictions" have been based entirely on what the market has already shown them in prior years. They'll only talk about the Apple Watch after competitors wake up and make a serious attempt to copy it. This hardly matters to Apple's performance, since it's an iPhone-priced product growing at a rate that bears similarity to the iPhone. IDC and their ilk don't talk about revenue, because it's patently clear that Apple has already dominated this category, and this would only make them redundant to the companies that pay for their existence.
The comedy of analysts has always been their annual predictions of an imminent iPhone down turn, yes it finally happened (even if it may have been brought on early by market conditions) but it was inevitable, every product will reach a market saturation. So analysts claiming a figurative victory lap requires an audience with a memory span smaller than a year. Again, it's still irrelevant, just like the watch: the iPhone commands an impressive share of revenue, to the same level as it has in the past, it's no less successful than ever.
1) This is definitive proof that the smart phone market has matured. 2) Apple will correct their biggest failing of last year: Prices
Aside from 5G and foldable phones there just isn't a lot of innovation left for smart phones. That's what happens in mature markets. It happened in PCs a couple decades ago and, not only did the industry get culled and consolidated, but it shifted from selling innovation to selling based on price. The same process is starting in the smart phone market -- which is one of the reasons you see Apple branching out into other areas. ... And, to top it off: Apple doesn't do gimmicks. Any change must improve the user experience.
It's all about price.
Last year and the year prior (since the X) Apple got hammered on price more than any other factor. They responded with back door price discounts and improved trade-in deals to maintain market share.
While its hard to believe that Apple would sell an iPhone 11 for less than the equivalent Xs last year, I think they will find ways provide more for less -- such as improved charging, more storage and memory, etc... For instance, they could jump the base 64Gb on the Xs to 128Gb at the same price while providing faster charging or even wireless charging.
Another way they could do a back door price cut would be to continue selling the Xs line -- but at a much steeper discount than what they have done for older model in prior years.
THEN they will announce their 5G phone coming out in early 2020.
I place the 2018 models on an 'S' cycle and therefore would hope for a major renovation of the 2019 devices.
I'm sure camera versatility will lead to more sales, though.
I find it difficult to imagine Apple going through another iterative upgrade with competitors pushing so hard for so long and with them still using 5W chargers etc.
If I had to go out on a limb I'd go for improvements to 3D sensing and associated software (including real time 3D modelling). Much improved battery tech (at every stage). Far more camera versatility. Better AI. More attractive shell finishes.
It might not be game changing, as all of that is already available on Android flagships, but it should help to sell more iPhones - if they also adjust pricing down.
I definitely expect the handsets to be more newsworthy than last year's which were largely overshadowed by the Series 4 Apple Watch.
More attractive shell finishes? Only in the mind of Huawei marketing (which I sometimes wonder if you work for) is metallic gradient finishes a more attractive design.
Another "analyst" firm that doesn't know a damn thing. Predicting trends or general direction of a product is one thing. Flatly predicting specs, extrapolating it to sales, etc. is absurd.
I place the 2018 models on an 'S' cycle and therefore would hope for a major renovation of the 2019 devices.
I'm sure camera versatility will lead to more sales, though.
I find it difficult to imagine Apple going through another iterative upgrade with competitors pushing so hard for so long and with them still using 5W chargers etc.
If I had to go out on a limb I'd go for improvements to 3D sensing and associated software (including real time 3D modelling). Much improved battery tech (at every stage). Far more camera versatility. Better AI. More attractive shell finishes.
It might not be game changing, as all of that is already available on Android flagships, but it should help to sell more iPhones - if they also adjust pricing down.
I definitely expect the handsets to be more newsworthy than last year's which were largely overshadowed by the Series 4 Apple Watch.
More attractive shell finishes? Only in the mind of Huawei marketing (which I sometimes wonder if you work for) is metallic gradient finishes a more attractive design.
Fashion is part of the smartphone genome. Just like in cars.
Fashion is also dangerous however as a wrong move or poorly timed move can kill a product (I think few people saw a brown Zune being a success but years later a brown Mate 10 Pro was praised).
Curves, feel and shell design are three major areas of phone aesthetics and form a key part of the marketing effort.
Last year the P20 Pro Twilight finish was a spectacular success. It was carried over and refined for the P30 Series and to critical acclaim. New colours, finishes and even textures can be used to attract users.
Apple is no stranger to the realities of marketing and the impact of colours and finish on certain groups. The candy iMacs landed with perfect timing and looked great. The same applied to the nano iPods and to a lesser degree the iPod Mini. Perhaps the clamshell laptops were a misstep. The Flower Power and Dalmatian iMacs were complete flops. The iPhone 5C was another flop (on colours and finish IMO)
Apple took some steps back into more colour/finish experimentation with the XR, for example and I think the result was a marketing win on some levels. However, a gradient would be a welcome addition. We are now seeing nano coatings and layered manufacturing techniques to literally play with light.
I think it would be a nice option have in the spread and would keep the aesthetics moving as change is also a key ingredient of Fashion.
People will claim that most phones end up in a case and there is no denying that. The real question is what phone ends up in the case and that depends on the one you get, which, very often, is determined by fashion aspects.
Had a couple of longterm careers in sales before I retired. Never set out to be a shark. Success among my peers was sufficient and rewarding. I enjoyed studying the craft and, honestly, I can't recall "novelty" ever pressed as a critical virtue of any products or services I sold into any market.
Mizuho's analysis sounds more like maundering from a critic of children's TV.
I place the 2018 models on an 'S' cycle and therefore would hope for a major renovation of the 2019 devices.
I'm sure camera versatility will lead to more sales, though.
I find it difficult to imagine Apple going through another iterative upgrade with competitors pushing so hard for so long and with them still using 5W chargers etc.
If I had to go out on a limb I'd go for improvements to 3D sensing and associated software (including real time 3D modelling). Much improved battery tech (at every stage). Far more camera versatility. Better AI. More attractive shell finishes.
It might not be game changing, as all of that is already available on Android flagships, but it should help to sell more iPhones - if they also adjust pricing down.
I definitely expect the handsets to be more newsworthy than last year's which were largely overshadowed by the Series 4 Apple Watch.
More attractive shell finishes? Only in the mind of Huawei marketing (which I sometimes wonder if you work for) is metallic gradient finishes a more attractive design.
And, if he does? I say Good! Because he has brought a lot of fact based truth to those parroting the propaganda and fear mongering of Trump and his hardliners.
We saw the results of letting a political agenda drive facts in 2001 - 2003: "Iraq is part of the Axis of evil", "We KNOW the WMDs are there!". Now we seem to be repeating the same process with Huawei and Iran.
I am grateful that he brought some facts and truth to the table here.
I place the 2018 models on an 'S' cycle and therefore would hope for a major renovation of the 2019 devices.
I'm sure camera versatility will lead to more sales, though.
I find it difficult to imagine Apple going through another iterative upgrade with competitors pushing so hard for so long and with them still using 5W chargers etc.
If I had to go out on a limb I'd go for improvements to 3D sensing and associated software (including real time 3D modelling). Much improved battery tech (at every stage). Far more camera versatility. Better AI. More attractive shell finishes.
It might not be game changing, as all of that is already available on Android flagships, but it should help to sell more iPhones - if they also adjust pricing down.
I definitely expect the handsets to be more newsworthy than last year's which were largely overshadowed by the Series 4 Apple Watch.
More attractive shell finishes? Only in the mind of Huawei marketing (which I sometimes wonder if you work for) is metallic gradient finishes a more attractive design.
And, if he does? I say Good! Because he has brought a lot of fact based truth to those parroting the propaganda and fear mongering of Trump and his hardliners.
We saw the results of letting a political agenda drive facts in 2001 - 2003: "Iraq is part of the Axis of evil", "We KNOW the WMDs are there!". Now we seem to be repeating the same process with Huawei and Iran.
I am grateful that he brought some facts and truth to the table here.
You sound like you are more than okay with China's Hong Kong extradition law, which some 1 million residents have been protesting.
You are so enraged by Donald Trump that you don't even see the illiberal forces in China that are rolling back Hong Kong's democracy.
Next up, China will be invading Taiwan. Will the U.S. and the West just stand aside and let another Democracy fall?
Useful idiot pretty much describes your viewpoint.
An erosion of market share will start to lead to less services growth than forecast. That’s why market share is important .. it drives the whole ecosystem.
People need something to get excited about to convince them a $1000++ phone is worth the upgrade.
Are multiple cameras plus other minor tweaks enough ? Depends on the device you are upgrading from I guess plus your willingness to part with quite a lot of money. (More of a factor I think)
I’d guess , in the majority of possible upgraders, anyone with a 6S or possibly a 7 series or prior might be tempted. Anyone with an 8,X,XS series is probably well served already with relatively fewer people willing to consider shelling out the $$$.
I still see see so many people with a 5,5S, SE series shape iPhone which is remarkable. Apple are leaving money on the table without an SE replacement.
I often ask the wife for her “populist” opinion and she is still happy with her 7 despite battery woes. I will obviously stick with the XS I have for another year.
I busted my iPhone 8 and was trying to justify to myself upgrading to an XS or refurbed X. In the end I paid $350 for a new 8 from Apple. In my opinion, the next killer feature of iPhones that will get people excited will be a lower price.
But that would require less features. iPhones have not increased in price like the propaganda would have you believe. Apple has added expensive hardware and features which added to the final price.
It would be nice if they could pull off MORE with LESS expensive models. I think maybe this is their goal with Micro-LED development.
I place the 2018 models on an 'S' cycle and therefore would hope for a major renovation of the 2019 devices.
I'm sure camera versatility will lead to more sales, though.
I find it difficult to imagine Apple going through another iterative upgrade with competitors pushing so hard for so long and with them still using 5W chargers etc.
If I had to go out on a limb I'd go for improvements to 3D sensing and associated software (including real time 3D modelling). Much improved battery tech (at every stage). Far more camera versatility. Better AI. More attractive shell finishes.
It might not be game changing, as all of that is already available on Android flagships, but it should help to sell more iPhones - if they also adjust pricing down.
I definitely expect the handsets to be more newsworthy than last year's which were largely overshadowed by the Series 4 Apple Watch.
More attractive shell finishes? Only in the mind of Huawei marketing (which I sometimes wonder if you work for) is metallic gradient finishes a more attractive design.
That guy said Apple should add gradient finishes because it's "trendy". Apple has never cared about trends.
An erosion of market share will start to lead to less services growth than forecast. That’s why market share is important .. it drives the whole ecosystem.
People need something to get excited about to convince them a $1000++ phone is worth the upgrade.
Are multiple cameras plus other minor tweaks enough ? Depends on the device you are upgrading from I guess plus your willingness to part with quite a lot of money. (More of a factor I think)
I’d guess , in the majority of possible upgraders, anyone with a 6S or possibly a 7 series or prior might be tempted. Anyone with an 8,X,XS series is probably well served already with relatively fewer people willing to consider shelling out the $$$.
I still see see so many people with a 5,5S, SE series shape iPhone which is remarkable. Apple are leaving money on the table without an SE replacement.
I often ask the wife for her “populist” opinion and she is still happy with her 7 despite battery woes. I will obviously stick with the XS I have for another year.
I busted my iPhone 8 and was trying to justify to myself upgrading to an XS or refurbed X. In the end I paid $350 for a new 8 from Apple. In my opinion, the next killer feature of iPhones that will get people excited will be a lower price.
People don't excited by price in markets that sell quality, luxury, performance, safety, and design. To the contrary, people spend more and the exclusivity it brings. Supply and demand. Drop the price and you reduce the value in the consumer mind and good luck raising it again. Dropping price in a saturated market provides short term growth.
Apple knows what they’re doing by maintaining innovation, some people upgrade for game FPS, camera, 5G, etc. The consumer decides when to upgrade and iPhone users are a captive audience across to upgrade, accessorize and sell services.
But that would require less features. iPhones have not increased in price like the propaganda would have you believe. Apple has added expensive hardware and features which added to the final price.
It would be nice if they could pull off MORE with LESS expensive models. I think maybe this is their goal with Micro-LED development.
I place the 2018 models on an 'S' cycle and therefore would hope for a major renovation of the 2019 devices.
I'm sure camera versatility will lead to more sales, though.
I find it difficult to imagine Apple going through another iterative upgrade with competitors pushing so hard for so long and with them still using 5W chargers etc.
If I had to go out on a limb I'd go for improvements to 3D sensing and associated software (including real time 3D modelling). Much improved battery tech (at every stage). Far more camera versatility. Better AI. More attractive shell finishes.
It might not be game changing, as all of that is already available on Android flagships, but it should help to sell more iPhones - if they also adjust pricing down.
I definitely expect the handsets to be more newsworthy than last year's which were largely overshadowed by the Series 4 Apple Watch.
More attractive shell finishes? Only in the mind of Huawei marketing (which I sometimes wonder if you work for) is metallic gradient finishes a more attractive design.
That guy said Apple should add gradient finishes because it's "trendy". Apple has never cared about trends.
Being 'trendy' or not is a twisted way of interpreting the subject and not specifically correct.
Try to see things as 'offering what consumers want'. This should ring a bell with you:
There was a very strong 'trend' towards larger screens at the time but larger screens were not 'trendy'.
They were simply a trend that satisfied a specific demand. Can you see the difference between the two?
Those were Apple internal slides and not for public viewing. I'm sure there have been more over the years and now possibly more than ever.
Now, let's talk specifically about what I said.
I said Apple would do well in offering a gradient finish. The reason being that they have proven to have great appeai over the last year or two. That doesn't mean all iPhones should have gradient finishes. Not all Huawei phones do either.
Yes, gradients are also 'trendy' if you like but aesthetics are part and parcel of the entire smartphone industry and Apple is no exception to that fact. The overriding factor should be offering consumers what they want and clearly many people want gradients. It is also clear that people like colour options too. A gradient is simply another twist in the subject.
I place the 2018 models on an 'S' cycle and therefore would hope for a major renovation of the 2019 devices.
I'm sure camera versatility will lead to more sales, though.
I find it difficult to imagine Apple going through another iterative upgrade with competitors pushing so hard for so long and with them still using 5W chargers etc.
If I had to go out on a limb I'd go for improvements to 3D sensing and associated software (including real time 3D modelling). Much improved battery tech (at every stage). Far more camera versatility. Better AI. More attractive shell finishes.
It might not be game changing, as all of that is already available on Android flagships, but it should help to sell more iPhones - if they also adjust pricing down.
I definitely expect the handsets to be more newsworthy than last year's which were largely overshadowed by the Series 4 Apple Watch.
More attractive shell finishes? Only in the mind of Huawei marketing (which I sometimes wonder if you work for) is metallic gradient finishes a more attractive design.
And, if he does? I say Good! Because he has brought a lot of fact based truth to those parroting the propaganda and fear mongering of Trump and his hardliners.
We saw the results of letting a political agenda drive facts in 2001 - 2003: "Iraq is part of the Axis of evil", "We KNOW the WMDs are there!". Now we seem to be repeating the same process with Huawei and Iran.
I am grateful that he brought some facts and truth to the table here.
You sound like you are more than okay with China's Hong Kong extradition law, which some 1 million residents have been protesting.
You are so enraged by Donald Trump that you don't even see the illiberal forces in China that are rolling back Hong Kong's democracy.
Next up, China will be invading Taiwan. Will the U.S. and the West just stand aside and let another Democracy fall?
Useful idiot pretty much describes your viewpoint.
So you are now justifying Trump's attacks on Huawei and his trade war with China on the HongKong protests? What happened to Huawei being a security threat? I haven't heard that claim lately.
The simple truth: Trump and his supporters seem to latch onto any convenient excuse to justify their wars -- whichever excuse will sound credible and sell to the base.
Bush did the same to sell his war on Iraq. Not buying the sales pitch doesn't make me the "useful idiot"
So, will the others finally have something that rivals MacOS continuity? Knowing that Continuity extends to the iPhone and iPad, as well as the Apple Watch... My money is on the others failing!
Here’s the truth, others are ignoring some of the best aspects of the iPhone and because of that, they completely lack any understanding as to why people buy iPhones in the first place.
So, will the others finally have something that rivals MacOS continuity? Knowing that Continuity extends to the iPhone and iPad, as well as the Apple Watch... My money is on the others failing!
Here’s the truth, others are ignoring some of the best aspects of the iPhone and because of that, they completely lack any understanding as to why people buy iPhones in the first place.
Continuity and Hand-off have been around for years now and are nice options to have but definitely not compelling. They can also lead to issues if you share a lot of devices among family.
If the feature were truly compelling it might have gained more prominence than it has on other systems but for it to be workable you have to have a selection of Apple devices.
I'm sure AI will make these kinds of features bulletproof in the future but we are still not there yet.
I place the 2018 models on an 'S' cycle and therefore would hope for a major renovation of the 2019 devices.
I'm sure camera versatility will lead to more sales, though.
I find it difficult to imagine Apple going through another iterative upgrade with competitors pushing so hard for so long and with them still using 5W chargers etc.
If I had to go out on a limb I'd go for improvements to 3D sensing and associated software (including real time 3D modelling). Much improved battery tech (at every stage). Far more camera versatility. Better AI. More attractive shell finishes.
It might not be game changing, as all of that is already available on Android flagships, but it should help to sell more iPhones - if they also adjust pricing down.
I definitely expect the handsets to be more newsworthy than last year's which were largely overshadowed by the Series 4 Apple Watch.
More attractive shell finishes? Only in the mind of Huawei marketing (which I sometimes wonder if you work for) is metallic gradient finishes a more attractive design.
And, if he does? I say Good! Because he has brought a lot of fact based truth to those parroting the propaganda and fear mongering of Trump and his hardliners.
We saw the results of letting a political agenda drive facts in 2001 - 2003: "Iraq is part of the Axis of evil", "We KNOW the WMDs are there!". Now we seem to be repeating the same process with Huawei and Iran.
I am grateful that he brought some facts and truth to the table here.
You sound like you are more than okay with China's Hong Kong extradition law, which some 1 million residents have been protesting.
You are so enraged by Donald Trump that you don't even see the illiberal forces in China that are rolling back Hong Kong's democracy.
Next up, China will be invading Taiwan. Will the U.S. and the West just stand aside and let another Democracy fall?
Useful idiot pretty much describes your viewpoint.
So you are now justifying Trump's attacks on Huawei and his trade war with China on the HongKong protests? What happened to Huawei being a security threat? I haven't heard that claim lately.
The simple truth: Trump and his supporters seem to latch onto any convenient excuse to justify their wars -- whichever excuse will sound credible and sell to the base.
Bush did the same to sell his war on Iraq. Not buying the sales pitch doesn't make me the "useful idiot"
"If Huawei is looking to demonstrate the reliability of its equipment, maybe it could figure out a way to keep mobile service functional in downtown Hong Kong during protests and marches."
But of course, Huawei is tightly interconnected with China's government, provides them surveillance technology as well as telecom, so how can they possibly allow protestors to use the network?
Sucks that Huawei can't prove it isn't controlled by the Chinese Government, nor are they transparent enough to allow the West to do so.
I place the 2018 models on an 'S' cycle and therefore would hope for a major renovation of the 2019 devices.
I'm sure camera versatility will lead to more sales, though.
I find it difficult to imagine Apple going through another iterative upgrade with competitors pushing so hard for so long and with them still using 5W chargers etc.
If I had to go out on a limb I'd go for improvements to 3D sensing and associated software (including real time 3D modelling). Much improved battery tech (at every stage). Far more camera versatility. Better AI. More attractive shell finishes.
It might not be game changing, as all of that is already available on Android flagships, but it should help to sell more iPhones - if they also adjust pricing down.
I definitely expect the handsets to be more newsworthy than last year's which were largely overshadowed by the Series 4 Apple Watch.
More attractive shell finishes? Only in the mind of Huawei marketing (which I sometimes wonder if you work for) is metallic gradient finishes a more attractive design.
And, if he does? I say Good! Because he has brought a lot of fact based truth to those parroting the propaganda and fear mongering of Trump and his hardliners.
We saw the results of letting a political agenda drive facts in 2001 - 2003: "Iraq is part of the Axis of evil", "We KNOW the WMDs are there!". Now we seem to be repeating the same process with Huawei and Iran.
I am grateful that he brought some facts and truth to the table here.
You sound like you are more than okay with China's Hong Kong extradition law, which some 1 million residents have been protesting.
You are so enraged by Donald Trump that you don't even see the illiberal forces in China that are rolling back Hong Kong's democracy.
Next up, China will be invading Taiwan. Will the U.S. and the West just stand aside and let another Democracy fall?
Useful idiot pretty much describes your viewpoint.
So you are now justifying Trump's attacks on Huawei and his trade war with China on the HongKong protests? What happened to Huawei being a security threat? I haven't heard that claim lately.
The simple truth: Trump and his supporters seem to latch onto any convenient excuse to justify their wars -- whichever excuse will sound credible and sell to the base.
Bush did the same to sell his war on Iraq. Not buying the sales pitch doesn't make me the "useful idiot"
"If Huawei is looking to demonstrate the reliability of its equipment, maybe it could figure out a way to keep mobile service functional in downtown Hong Kong during protests and marches."
But of course, Huawei is tightly interconnected with China's government, provides them surveillance technology as well as telecom, so how can they possibly allow protestors to use the network?
Sucks that Huawei can't prove it isn't controlled by the Chinese Government, nor are they transparent enough to allow the West to do so.
I place the 2018 models on an 'S' cycle and therefore would hope for a major renovation of the 2019 devices.
I'm sure camera versatility will lead to more sales, though.
I find it difficult to imagine Apple going through another iterative upgrade with competitors pushing so hard for so long and with them still using 5W chargers etc.
If I had to go out on a limb I'd go for improvements to 3D sensing and associated software (including real time 3D modelling). Much improved battery tech (at every stage). Far more camera versatility. Better AI. More attractive shell finishes.
It might not be game changing, as all of that is already available on Android flagships, but it should help to sell more iPhones - if they also adjust pricing down.
I definitely expect the handsets to be more newsworthy than last year's which were largely overshadowed by the Series 4 Apple Watch.
More attractive shell finishes? Only in the mind of Huawei marketing (which I sometimes wonder if you work for) is metallic gradient finishes a more attractive design.
And, if he does? I say Good! Because he has brought a lot of fact based truth to those parroting the propaganda and fear mongering of Trump and his hardliners.
We saw the results of letting a political agenda drive facts in 2001 - 2003: "Iraq is part of the Axis of evil", "We KNOW the WMDs are there!". Now we seem to be repeating the same process with Huawei and Iran.
I am grateful that he brought some facts and truth to the table here.
You sound like you are more than okay with China's Hong Kong extradition law, which some 1 million residents have been protesting.
You are so enraged by Donald Trump that you don't even see the illiberal forces in China that are rolling back Hong Kong's democracy.
Next up, China will be invading Taiwan. Will the U.S. and the West just stand aside and let another Democracy fall?
Useful idiot pretty much describes your viewpoint.
So you are now justifying Trump's attacks on Huawei and his trade war with China on the HongKong protests? What happened to Huawei being a security threat? I haven't heard that claim lately.
The simple truth: Trump and his supporters seem to latch onto any convenient excuse to justify their wars -- whichever excuse will sound credible and sell to the base.
Bush did the same to sell his war on Iraq. Not buying the sales pitch doesn't make me the "useful idiot"
"If Huawei is looking to demonstrate the reliability of its equipment, maybe it could figure out a way to keep mobile service functional in downtown Hong Kong during protests and marches."
But of course, Huawei is tightly interconnected with China's government, provides them surveillance technology as well as telecom, so how can they possibly allow protestors to use the network?
Sucks that Huawei can't prove it isn't controlled by the Chinese Government, nor are they transparent enough to allow the West to do so.
Huawei has always made it crystal clear that the carriers control their own networks.
What you are linking to has nothing to do with Huawei.
If you have evidence to the contrary, now is the time to provide it.
You would certainly know better that I how much surveillance technology that Huawei has in Hong Kong, but even if it that is also under the Chinese Government's control, rather than Huawei's, it bring into question, again, how close an association that Huawei has with the Chinese Government.
Comments
That's why we now have the Apple Watch, it doesn't excite analysts, because analysts are myopic. Their "predictions" have been based entirely on what the market has already shown them in prior years. They'll only talk about the Apple Watch after competitors wake up and make a serious attempt to copy it. This hardly matters to Apple's performance, since it's an iPhone-priced product growing at a rate that bears similarity to the iPhone. IDC and their ilk don't talk about revenue, because it's patently clear that Apple has already dominated this category, and this would only make them redundant to the companies that pay for their existence.
The comedy of analysts has always been their annual predictions of an imminent iPhone down turn, yes it finally happened (even if it may have been brought on early by market conditions) but it was inevitable, every product will reach a market saturation. So analysts claiming a figurative victory lap requires an audience with a memory span smaller than a year. Again, it's still irrelevant, just like the watch: the iPhone commands an impressive share of revenue, to the same level as it has in the past, it's no less successful than ever.
1) This is definitive proof that the smart phone market has matured.
2) Apple will correct their biggest failing of last year: Prices
Aside from 5G and foldable phones there just isn't a lot of innovation left for smart phones. That's what happens in mature markets. It happened in PCs a couple decades ago and, not only did the industry get culled and consolidated, but it shifted from selling innovation to selling based on price. The same process is starting in the smart phone market -- which is one of the reasons you see Apple branching out into other areas.
... And, to top it off: Apple doesn't do gimmicks. Any change must improve the user experience.
While its hard to believe that Apple would sell an iPhone 11 for less than the equivalent Xs last year, I think they will find ways provide more for less -- such as improved charging, more storage and memory, etc... For instance, they could jump the base 64Gb on the Xs to 128Gb at the same price while providing faster charging or even wireless charging.
Another way they could do a back door price cut would be to continue selling the Xs line -- but at a much steeper discount than what they have done for older model in prior years.
THEN they will announce their 5G phone coming out in early 2020.
Fashion is also dangerous however as a wrong move or poorly timed move can kill a product (I think few people saw a brown Zune being a success but years later a brown Mate 10 Pro was praised).
Curves, feel and shell design are three major areas of phone aesthetics and form a key part of the marketing effort.
Last year the P20 Pro Twilight finish was a spectacular success. It was carried over and refined for the P30 Series and to critical acclaim. New colours, finishes and even textures can be used to attract users.
Apple is no stranger to the realities of marketing and the impact of colours and finish on certain groups. The candy iMacs landed with perfect timing and looked great. The same applied to the nano iPods and to a lesser degree the iPod Mini. Perhaps the clamshell laptops were a misstep. The Flower Power and Dalmatian iMacs were complete flops. The iPhone 5C was another flop (on colours and finish IMO)
Apple took some steps back into more colour/finish experimentation with the XR, for example and I think the result was a marketing win on some levels. However, a gradient would be a welcome addition. We are now seeing nano coatings and layered manufacturing techniques to literally play with light.
I think it would be a nice option have in the spread and would keep the aesthetics moving as change is also a key ingredient of Fashion.
People will claim that most phones end up in a case and there is no denying that. The real question is what phone ends up in the case and that depends on the one you get, which, very often, is determined by fashion aspects.
Mizuho's analysis sounds more like maundering from a critic of children's TV.
I say Good! Because he has brought a lot of fact based truth to those parroting the propaganda and fear mongering of Trump and his hardliners.
We saw the results of letting a political agenda drive facts in 2001 - 2003: "Iraq is part of the Axis of evil", "We KNOW the WMDs are there!".
Now we seem to be repeating the same process with Huawei and Iran.
I am grateful that he brought some facts and truth to the table here.
You are so enraged by Donald Trump that you don't even see the illiberal forces in China that are rolling back Hong Kong's democracy.
Next up, China will be invading Taiwan. Will the U.S. and the West just stand aside and let another Democracy fall?
Useful idiot pretty much describes your viewpoint.
https://www.dpreview.com/news/9341580632/hong-kong-photojournalists-police-press-conference-riot-gear-protest-extradition-bill
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/13/world/asia/hong-kong-telegram-protests.html
http://www.jeromecohen.net/jerrys-blog/hong-kongs-extradition-law
But that would require less features. iPhones have not increased in price like the propaganda would have you believe. Apple has added expensive hardware and features which added to the final price.
It would be nice if they could pull off MORE with LESS expensive models. I think maybe this is their goal with Micro-LED development.
That guy said Apple should add gradient finishes because it's "trendy". Apple has never cared about trends.
Drop the price and you reduce the value in the consumer mind and good luck raising it again.
Dropping price in a saturated market provides short term growth.
Apple knows what they’re doing by maintaining innovation, some people upgrade for game FPS, camera, 5G, etc. The consumer decides when to upgrade and iPhone users are a captive audience across to upgrade, accessorize and sell services.
Try to see things as 'offering what consumers want'. This should ring a bell with you:
https://www.engadget.com/2014/04/07/internal-apple-slide-consumers-want-what-we-dont-have/
There was a very strong 'trend' towards larger screens at the time but larger screens were not 'trendy'.
They were simply a trend that satisfied a specific demand. Can you see the difference between the two?
Those were Apple internal slides and not for public viewing. I'm sure there have been more over the years and now possibly more than ever.
Now, let's talk specifically about what I said.
I said Apple would do well in offering a gradient finish. The reason being that they have proven to have great appeai over the last year or two. That doesn't mean all iPhones should have gradient finishes. Not all Huawei phones do either.
Yes, gradients are also 'trendy' if you like but aesthetics are part and parcel of the entire smartphone industry and Apple is no exception to that fact. The overriding factor should be offering consumers what they want and clearly many people want gradients. It is also clear that people like colour options too. A gradient is simply another twist in the subject.
What happened to Huawei being a security threat? I haven't heard that claim lately.
The simple truth:
Trump and his supporters seem to latch onto any convenient excuse to justify their wars -- whichever excuse will sound credible and sell to the base.
Bush did the same to sell his war on Iraq.
Not buying the sales pitch doesn't make me the "useful idiot"
If the feature were truly compelling it might have gained more prominence than it has on other systems but for it to be workable you have to have a selection of Apple devices.
I'm sure AI will make these kinds of features bulletproof in the future but we are still not there yet.
"If Huawei is looking to demonstrate the reliability of its equipment, maybe it could figure out a way to keep mobile service functional in downtown Hong Kong during protests and marches."
But of course, Huawei is tightly interconnected with China's government, provides them surveillance technology as well as telecom, so how can they possibly allow protestors to use the network?
Sucks that Huawei can't prove it isn't controlled by the Chinese Government, nor are they transparent enough to allow the West to do so.
https://twitter.com/natashakhanhk
What you are linking to has nothing to do with Huawei.
If you have evidence to the contrary, now is the time to provide it.