tmay

blastdoor said:

radarthekat said:

It might not be crazy for Apple to buy an EV maker. 

Rivian has a focused product line participating in two very popular segments over the last few decades; trucks and SUVs. 

Apple could take on Rivian as a wholly-owned subsidiary, shielding it from Liability in any accident lawsuits that might come along.

A large company buying a small company brings the small company’s products to a very large customer base, while also providing funding to scale up manufacturing.  Apple’s Beats acquisition likely paid back Apple’s $3b investment in a few years just from selling Beats through Apple’s brick & mortar and online stores, as an example. 

Apple could contribute significant technology to Rivian along with tight integration to Apple’s ecosystem.

in any case this news suggests to us that Apple is not quite done thinking about a future of some sort in the EV/transportation market.  And that’s a good thing. 

I agree. The price is down a lot since the IPO, it isn't led by a narcissistic white supremacist drug addict, and the product is pretty good. 

If it made sense to buy Beats, I could see it making sense to buy Rivian. 

avon b7 said:

tmay said:

nubus said:

danox said:

And there are still many people even today who still say Apple should go cheap to pick up marketshare......

Apple should go lower to sell more devices. To sell into markets where people aren't either white or rich and way too often a combination. To let kids and elderly have access to a device that isn't riddled with malware. And... to sell services, AirPods, family subscriptions, cases etc. as the total value of the customer isn't limited to the cost of a single device.

And Apple should go higher. Perhaps make some colors more expensive like the current MBP and the former black iBook. Give it 24 GB RAM or something that doesn't require a lot of R&D.

There is a tremendous market for second hand and refurbished iPhones, so I would discount the argument for a "lower priced, higher volume, lower margin" iPhone. Arguably, the SE isn't ever a great seller, likely due to carrier plans that can place a current iPhone into the hands of just about any consumer at a reasonable monthly payment.

A higher priced, low volume iPhone, doesn't make much sense to me, whatever the configuration, and I can't imagine that 24 GB or RAM is going to be of much use to consumers. Your Mileage Varied.

Definitely a mileage case but refurbished or second hand options, while possible, are not 'new' so spending hard earned cash on a 'not new' option is always a bitter pill to swallow if you really want an iPhone. 

It's different when that's what you want right from the outset. 

Apple is the 'upsell company' so the notion of upsell runs right through the range (and to the point of eliminating the most desired options from the product matrix of the previous year).

That's how it is, so the hardware cow will stay fat while people continue to buy. Maybe one of its legs is trembling a little (China, where discounting has been necessary) but I'm sure Apple sees itself as a services company at some point and that may well lead to more (and more competitive) SE type devices. 

The 'S' naming has gone but its spirit remains. 

As long as people accept upsell as being the driving force things won't change much but as has been seen in China, nothing is guaranteed. 

Definitely a mileage case but refurbished or second hand options, while possible, are not 'new' so spending hard earned cash on a 'not new' option is always a bitter pill to swallow if you really want an iPhone. 

Consumers are obviously purchasing used and refurbished iPhones, as well as Android OS devices, given the massive trade ins that occur all through the year, so "bitter pill" is bullshit. I have no doubt that Apple's iPhone user base continues to expand due to a lifecycle potentially including multiple owners.

avon b7 said:

40domi said:

Hardly surprising 15's are very very good phones, especially the Pro's!
Once people saw through the fake hype AI on the Samsung S24 range and particularly how blatantly Samsung copied the iPhone 15's, they went and bought the real deal, an iPHONE 

From Counterpoint:

"The strong performance of the S24 series can be attributed to Samsung’s early refresh of the series, and its efforts in generative AI (GenAI) technology. The S24 series was the first to reach the market with GenAI features and capabilities, allowing users to create unique content and experience a new level of interaction with their smartphones."

It is suggesting those features actually gave the model a push. 

What you need to remember here is that they are talking about 'share' of 'models'.

For two companies with roughly the same output for any given quarter, the one with less models is likely to come out on top. 

avon b7 said:

22july2013 said:

But still you ... keep buying devices assembled in communist China. How coherent.

I didn't read the points that you and jimh2 were discussing, but I'm here just to point out that some (four) iPhone models are assembled in India, not China. And even those that are assembled in China are assembled by Foxconn, whose HQ (and paid taxes) are in Taiwan. India isn't a particularly strong democracy on the democracy meter, but Taiwan sure is (it's even higher than the USA.) Still, I advise my friends to buy the iPhone models assembled in India. But I suspect that many of the components used in India come from China. I do my best to avoid China. I never buy any product in any store unless I check if it's made in China (or other horrible countries) and I pay more for things that aren't made there.

I think you are missing some key points here. 

It isn't just manufacturing. Apple itself has reportedly had strong economic ties with that 'horrible' country:

https://www.theinformation.com/articles/facing-hostile-chinese-authorities-apple-ceo-signed-275-billion-deal-with-them

And what of the workers? Are they horrible too? 

Is it because it's a communist country? Because so is Vietnam. 

If you want change, you are far better off pushing your own democratic government for that but, for all the bluster, the US still has a gigantic trade relationship with China and it is not going to change any time soon.

You can also send a message to Apple by not buying their products at all. Why buy an Apple product made in India when it is the company (not the product) that is more than willing to do business in 'horrible' China? 

Isn't every country on the planet doing business with China? China has pulled millions of people out of poverty thanks to that business. It has made life better for the inhabitants of those countries (US included) through cheaper products. 

Yes, local manufacturing has reduced as a result but no one has cared until now, that China is now vying for the top positions in the different leagues. And moving production back to local settings will push prices up. Apple already knows that anything produced by TSMC locally will be more expensive so I'm glad you accept that without question. 

I'm not sure others will though.