seanismorris

Apple needs something like this to make the ridiculous power of its phones useful...

Apple does a better job of getting used phones back in front of potential customers.  If I look at a wireless providers phones, used and refurbished iPhones show up with new phones.  Because Apple is trusted to refurbish phones into “like new” condition buying one is safe.

Buying a refurbished or used Android is probably an eBay experience... it’s Russian roulette on quality.

Additionally, Android manufactures have dropped the ball on the post sales experience, this shows up across the board, but especially in security and OS updates.  I’m not going to buy a used 2 year old Android because I have no idea how long it will be supported.

Poor resell value is no surprise.  If I buy an Android it’s going to be new.  The most likely reason to consider Android is if their high end phone is the same price as a one generation back iPhone.

The Trump administration seems to be looking for a “win” rather than addressing the main problem, which is intellectual property theft.  It’s not mentioned here, but if there is nothing new in that regard China won this round.

We’ll see what the final agreement looks like.  It’s a bit premature to say that the “trade war” is over, or even that the end is in sight. It will be over when it’s over... until the next round of renegotiations.

The “drop some barriers preventing American companies from operating in the country” is a big deal... if it actually happens.  It’s going to be difficult to enforce...

The headlines about “trade deficits” sparking the trade war is B.S for the guy on the street.  Apple’s components (for example) are build all over the place, same with autos, the fact things get assembled in China distorts the picture.

Bottom line is tariffs aren’t a good thing, and were a heavy handed approach to spark negotiations.  The U.S & China will benefit, and therefor Apple (etc) when they’re gone.

Fingers crossed on IP.

SpamSandwich said:

anantksundaram said:

At this point, one can't be faulted for believing that this project seems to have all the markers of -- and same fate as -- the AppleTV and a TV by Apple...

That Project Titan is just “a hobby”?

Not entirely “a hobby” but Cook’s interest probably started on self-driving cars after developing Apple Maps and creating CarPlay, and talking to car manufacturers.  Apple’s strength is interface design, and making things user friendly.  Self-driving cars isn’t that...

Apple probably thought “we’re a software company, we can do this better”.  The problem is auto companies have a lot more experience with the problems facing drivers, like road conditions, legislation, etc.

Google also had a 5-6 year head start on Apple. Google has extensive experience with AI and “big data” so they had an advantage over everyone.  Remember how terrible Siri was?  That’s the same kind of thing.  It’s taken a lot of time and resources at Apple to make it decent.

We don’t really know what Apple’s “end game” is with Project Titan.  Going from car count, GM is allocating considerately more resources.  They have something like 4x more vehicles on the road... so, to some extent Apple’s efforts are comparably “a hobby”.

I think Project Titan will put self-driving cars on the back burner, but keep an autos focus.  I think AR while driving is intriguing, and could be more immediately useful.  I think Apple wants drivers using CarPlay + Maps (revenue stream), and AR providers better synergy to what GM (for example) is doing.

AppleExposed said:

seanismorris said:

Project Titan was a “me too” project.  

Everyone is working on the self driving car, but the technology isn’t there yet.  Apple isn’t really in the business of inventing the hardware...

If Apple was one of the top companies in self driving, that would be different.  But with companies like GM (automakers) doing so much better (than Apple) it’s kind of a waste of resources.

You're so wrong it's disgusting.

Apple has been working on this before the self-driving bandwagon. Far from "me too".

Also you and neither of us here can say who's doing better than Apple when we have no idea what they've done or what they're doing.

Apple could have released a crappy car 3 years ago as a "me too" project but it's far from that and Apple only releases polished products.

From AppleInsider
”Fresh statistics from California's Department of Motor Vehicles reveals Apple's self-driving car testbed as the worst performing system on the road in terms of disengagements, or instances when the vehicle is forced to exit autonomous mode and return control to a human pilot.”

”From December 2018 through November 2019, Apple's fleet of heavily modified Lexus RX450h SUVs recorded an average of 871.65 disengagements for every 1,000 miles traveled, putting the company in last place among 28 firms testing autonomous vehicles on California roads.”

“On the other end of the spectrum was Google's Waymo, which managed an impressive 0.09 disengagements per 1,000 miles, or one disengagement every 11,154 miles, over the same period. GM Cruise vehicles were able to log an average of 5,204 miles between disengagements”

Last time I checked 871.65 vs. 0.09 disengagements per 1,000 miles is really really terrible.  Now... we can probably make up some excuses, but the fact Project Titan is under new management, and the fact this isn’t the first time hundreds of employees have been layer off.  I think anyone can do the math on how the project is going. 

As for the project being “me too”..

”Google's development of self-driving technology began in January 17, 2009[3]at the company's secretive X lab run by co-founder Sergey Brin.”

VS

“The [Project Titan] project was rumored to be approved by Apple CEO Tim Cook in late 2014 and assigned to Vice President Steve Zadesky, a former Ford engineer as project in-charge.”

Pretty much everyone (including Qualcomm) is working self-driving cars.  Raise your hand if you want to be a passenger in a self-driving car in the snow or heavy rain.  I think the answer is “hell no!” for at least another decade.  Apple can do consider innovation in the auto space, but they’re burning cash for no reason (with self driving cars).  That’s my conclusion, at it looks like that’s the conclusion on management.

By the way, nobody still thinks Apple is still working on building a “car”.  There’s no evidence that was ever their goal... they’re using Lexus’s in their testing.