“There is much debate and intrigue regarding how Apple’s expanding product line fits together. The addition of an entirely new product category with Apple Watch and new models such as iPad Pro have led some to wonder if Apple is losing focus or is unsure as to where the technology puck is headed,” Neil Cybart writes for Above Avalon. “However, in a somewhat unpublicized interview for the new iMacs this past October, Phil Schiller, Apple SVP of Marketing, described a new theory for Apple’s product line, which I am calling ‘The Grand Unified Theory of Apple Products.’ This theory provides a glimpse into how Apple looks at the world and more importantly, some clues as to where Apple product categories are likely headed over the next few years.”
“One theme that has come to represent the Tim Cook era is product line expansion. Over the past four years, Apple has doubled its product lineup from 12 distinct models to more than 24, including a new product category,” Cybart writes. “Much of this product expansion has come in the form of additional models reaching lower price ranges. Apple followed a similar method with the iPod in the early and mid-2000s. The difference now is we are seeing this occur with multiple product categories at the same time.”
“This past October, Phil Schiller, in a rare interview with Steven Levy, talked about the new iMac. He took the opportunity to discuss a new way of thinking about the Apple product line, and I found it to be most revealing from a strategic perspective,” Cybart writes. “Instead of describing how each product has a new unique role in our lives or simply placing Apple’s entire product category on the same spectrum with an Apple Watch on one end and an iMac on the other, Schiller gave each product a job: make consumers feel like they don’t need a larger, more powerful, Apple device in their lives.”
There are three major takeaways from Schiller’s new product theory:
1) The Apple Watch is a classic Apple bet
2) Greater iPhone differentiation is coming
3) Don’t expect an iPad/Mac hybrid
Much more in the full article – recommended – here.
MacDailyNews Take: Taking Schiller’s comments applying them to each product category (see full article) illustrates Apple’s motivations and goals very clearly.