Bart Y

Curiouserandcurious said:

Apple's problem is that everyone who wants an Apple Watch already has one. And their incremental changes aren't going to drive upgrade cycles. The Ultra was new and different, but the buy-in was a big deterrent for the mass market. Things like Micro-LED screens won't do it. A total rethink is what it will take. I can't think of anything the Apple Watch 9 I’m way too old for this, and I can’t believe I’m admitting it, as I’m one of these guys that wear AW for fitness functionality and could care less about appearance or watch face or even access or functionality. Just give me some basic information that I want on the watch face and let me run Map my Fitness or Map my run on it and stay out of my way. I can’t even remember how to use Apple Pay on the thing and use my phone instead. But the new Snoopy watch face has sucked me in somehow, and I’m totally hooked. I look at my watch throughout the day, just to see the snoopy watch face. I’ve given up all watch face information and functionality that I ever cared about.  If Apple had managed to instead make this snoopy watch face a fashion statement and connected to an upgrade dependency, there could’ve been something impactful here in terms of sales.  Rest of us would’ve grumbled sure. But this once again makes me wonder, is Apple Watch really a product line for Apple, or does this just enrich the iPhone apple ecosystem and customer loyalty? They don’t seem to be all that concerned about upgrade cycles or sales volume.  Personally, that makes me like AW and also apple better. 

Glad you love the new Snoopy watch face and that helps you to consider an upgrade.   As you’ve surmised, Apple is providing new models for everyone who wants one.  They aren’t forcing anyone to upgrade and those who feel there isn’t enough change to upgrade, they’re fine with folks continuing to happily use their Apple Watch, whatever the model and series.  These folks will know the Apple Watch has great longevity, strength, and functionality for years.

As for using Apple Pay on Apple Watch, it’s very simple once you’ve set up your credit card into Apple Wallet, and you’re synced with your iPhone, your card is loaded onto Wallet App on Apple Watch.  Check you iPhone’s Watch App to confirm and settings for other card info and notifications.

If all that is good, then simply double press the Watch side button and your Apple Pay credit card appears.  Then simply place your watch face over the card reader terminal’s Tap sign ))> and wait for the confirmation beep and or haptic.  The terminal should say “transaction complete” or “transaction approved”, and you’re done!  No muss, no fuss, no touching the terminal, no need to pull your iPhone out, no need for your iPhone or even wallet to be on your person if you forgot it/them at home or in your car.  Watch can do Apple Pay without anything so long as you’ve properly unlocked it.

it really is that simple and that convenient for the merchants who will take Apple Pay.  Notably WalMart, Home Depot, Lowe’s, and a few others won’t take NFC payments like Apple Pay and Google Pay, preferring for you to use their proprietary pay services so they can gather your info, tie in to your bank debit or credit card info, and track your purchases and buying behaviors so they can sell that info, share it, or target ads to you.  Apple does none of that except give you a summary of your transactions for your own records or analysis, plus makes the transactions tokenized so the merchant and CC system NEVER sees your CV numbers.

Just another way Apple protects your privacy and provides another “just works brilliantly” service to your Apple devices ecosystem.

Google needs Apple and Apple user search access much more than Apple needs Google.  Sure, Google’s payments mean a lot to Apple’s Service revenues top and bottom lines, but $15-19B a year is nothing compared to how much ad revenue and data gathering Google would lose from not being default on iOS.  Even a 50% switch away to DDG, Bing, or other search engines would impact Google’s ad revenues severely.  

FYQ1 2023 was not “slow”, it was on target to do well, but the China lockdown supply disruption brought iPhone sales revenues down -8% and gross revenue down -5% YOY from record highs in Q1 2022.  That decline  has followed Apple’s quarters throughout the year, yet Apple has been chipping away at it.  So much so that by end of Q3, the YTD decline is only iPhones -4% and gross revenue only -3% in one of the most turbulent and inflationary macroeconomic environments any company has faced.

if Apple has a solid Q4 with the iPhone 15 introduction, FY2023 revenues has the potential to be only down -1.5-2% to even flat which would be quite an accomplishment IMO.

if Q1 shows a strong demand plus favorable mix towards the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models, that would show Apple’s user upgrade demographics remain strong and resilient, plus Apple keeps attracting Android switchers and new users worldwide.  The revenue recovery will take time but I think Apple is poised to have at least their 2nd most productive and profitable Q1 on record if not set a new All time revenue record beyond previous $123.95.

An article about supposedly “bad” Apple cables, as in overpriced, not defective.  AI gives a number of alternatives, then provides links to Best Buy to purchase them.  Shall we presume AI gets a commission on any purchases?  Does that mean this is more of a revenue generating article which may influence the content?  

When the AirPods Pro came out, I forever ditched the stupid, tangled wire mess that were wired earbuds.  Always getting tangled, always catching on something, being ripped out of my ears, and caught on clothing or stuff.  Made carrying anything over the shoulder impossible.