“Taking a look at the increased amount of money Apple has been pouring into R&D beginning last summer, it is looking increasingly likely management gave the green light for Apple’s next big project,” Neil Cybart writes for Above Avalon. “I suspect Apple has begun work on battery, telematics, and autonomous driving initiatives related to personal transport.”
“Apple is now spending close to $2 billion per quarter on R&D, an amount that is downright remarkable when considering Apple’s very lean product line-up can still fit on just one of Jony’s wooden design studio tables,” Cybart writes. “In the past, the bulk of Apple’s R&D program has been focused on specific projects and goals. This stands at contrast with a strategy of setting up a number of R&D labs with no clear directive other than to find future products. If Apple is spending R&D, it is a good bet they have a specific goal in mind for those dollars.”
“Starting last summer, Apple’s quarterly R&D expense has increased $500 million from the previous year. This pace is up from the $200-$300 million quarterly increase during the Apple Watch development phase. For perspective, it has been reported that Apple spent just $125 million developing the iPhone,” Cybart writes. “Looking at the recent jump in R&D, I suspect we are seeing the early stages of Apple beginning to add talent and processes for future personal transportation initiatives.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: A little birdy tell us that, when it comes to what you’ve seen so far from Apple, you’ve hardly seen anything yet.
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