“Apple may already be executing a plan that may, surprisingly, put Android into second place amongst operating systems globally,” DoctoRx writes for Seeking Alpha. “If so, there would be immense profit gains for AAPL above Street expectations.”
“Steve Jobs and Apple considered Windows a stolen product,” DoctoRx writes. “Then came Android, another ‘stolen product.’ The finger was pointed at Alphabet’s then-CEO Eric Schmidt, who was simultaneously a director of AAPL when Google changed its development path of its phone operating system. The change was reportedly from a keyboard-based device and system with a small screen that mimicked Blackberry to one that was a touchscreen-sensitive, iPhone-like one.”
“Apple does not forget, may not forgive, and just might enjoy revenge served cold,” DoctoRx writes. “According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, global smartphone revenues hit an all-time high of US$120 billion during the fourth quarter of 2017. Apple captured a record 51 percent global smartphone revenue share, accounting for more than the rest of the entire industry combined.”
“The ecosystem of the Watch and AirPods can differentiate the iPhone and thus drive sales. Apple has ‘done it again’ with both devices. The Apple Watch is so successful that in less than three years since reaching market, not just one but two industries are shrinking badly. One industry is basic wristwatches, which themselves were innovations many decades ago, replacing large timepieces (watches attached to clothing via fobs etc.). This industry has now gotten sick. The other industry that the Watch is disrupting is everyone else’s digital wrist device. Fitbit, we hardly knew ye!” DoctoRx writes. “I believe that along with the Watch, [AirPods] can help drive people in significant numbers to iPhones.”
“Apple now has a double advantage in the smartphone war,” DoctoRx writes. “First, it is forcing even best-in-class Android devices to compete with AAPL’s next-best line, the 8 series, while AAPL greets the future with the X and the next, improved version of the X. Second, only Apple offers best-in-class wearables that work seamlessly with its smartphone.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: And with clear leadership in augmented reality, significant enterprise gains, and the prospect of owning MicroLED for the foreseeable future, among many other advantages (security, privacy, ease-of-use, Continuity, industrial design, etc.), the sky’s the limit for Apple!
SEE ALSO:
Apple owns a two-year lead over Android imitators in 3D sensing race – March 20, 2018
Apple takes 59% of global wearables revenue on 21% unit share – March 2, 2018
Samsung Galaxy S9 thoroughly beaten by Apple’s iPhone X/8/8 Plus in early benchmarks – March 1, 2018
iPhone X drives smartphone revenue dominance; Apple made more money in Q417 than the rest of the smartphone makers combined – February 16, 2018
Samsung’s Galaxy S9 and S9+ look like total yawners – January 26, 2018
Apple’s custom silicon sets their products apart – December 7, 2017
Apple ships more microprocessors than Intel – October 2, 2017
Ming-Chi Kuo: Apple’s TrueDepth camera system puts iPhone X years ahead of Android competition – October 2, 2017
iPhone 8’s Apple A11 Bionic chip so destroys Android phones that Geekbench creator can’t even believe it – September 30, 2017
Then Apple had better start looking up, rather than just sitting there looking at its feet.
Devin Prater Assistive Technology Instructor certified by World Services for the Blind JAWS certified
>
“Looking up” and “looking at its feet” seem like unusual phrasing for an instructor of the blind.
I don’t find it too unusual since even blind people understand and use the body language involved in looking up and looking at feet.. Going blind doesn’t stop one from giving off visual cues, especially if they weren’t born blind.
At least Apple has a working set of eyes.
Devon Eating Prattler Assistivr Sarcasm Instructor certified by Universal Services for Smartarses JAWS “we’re going to need a bigger boat with ginormous-sized eyes” certified
I don’t think this the genuine applecynic.
DoctorX’s analysis is spot on, although it does not discuss the other important arrow in Apple’s quiver, that being the second hand smartphone market. Even though Apple’s global unit share of new smartphone sales never exceeds 20%, the global usage share of iPhone is nearly 40%. This means that roughly half of iPhone users globally are using a hand-me-down or a pre-owned iPhone.
These users of second hand iPhones are a key driver of future new iPhone sales and they significantly bolster the vitality of Apple’s ecosystem.
The fact that iPhone utterly dominates the second hand smartphone market clearly indicates the durable power of the iPhone brand. Put simply, iPhone is the smartphone that most people want, even if they can’t afford one.
Patrick, you hit a hidden button, no other article I’ve read speaks about.
Some of that is discussed in this article:
http://appleinsider.com/articles/18/03/14/refurbished-high-end-iphones-are-suffocating-the-growth-of-cheap-new-androids
Apple started selling refurbished iPhones in their online store in 2016. And they are eyeing third-world markets that want quality but can’t afford the high ASP that new Apple phones command
With a fragile glass back, the only way iPhones will see life in the second hand market is if buyers wrap them in fat protective cases.
Patrick is either an Apple employee or paid blogger. He is delusional if he thinks Apple dominates the second hand phone market. Apple doesn’t care about that market. It makes its money skimming 30% off every 3rd party app it distributes. Almost all from the same app developers that make android apps too. The easy money and the vocal Apple fanboy club have made Apple lazy. SE updates every 3 years if that. IPhone 6 bodies used for 3+ years. Last to market with hardware features like NFC, first to remove useful stuff like a truly user operated wifi control, headphone jack, etc.
Apple gave up long ago making money by being a hardware leader with superior tech. The phone Apple is advertising as hard as it can is a notched Samsung made by Foxconn. Well, mostly Samsung. The iPhone X also uses Hynix RAM, Qualcomm modems, a Broadcom charger control, an NXP controller for NFC, and Skyworks power amps. Cutting edge Apple innovation? That’s not how this industry works. The Apple supply chain “genius” has done nothing but outsource more and more. How you can claim the Apple hardware is dramatically superior when the guts are used by all the other phone makers too? Because Apple licenses irs chips for Sammy to make and reverse engineer?
As Apple software continues its trend toward Microsoftian quality levels and Apple outsources its iCloud service to Google, the objective observer has legitimate reasons to wonder if Apple has what it takes to be the best over the long term. The huge lead Jobs created has been whittled away. Some young upstart company will upstage Apple while Cook sleepwalks.
The iPhone X has already been put on 2 for 1 promotions at mobile phone shops. Is that why you think Apple is going to take the dominant position in the second hand market? Okay.
All of your points may be correct. But why then would Apple bother refurbishing iPhones, and why then are people buying them? Explain that, and maybe I’ll buy into your blanket contempt.
Realist might be having another visceral overreaction but he has some good points.
Remember it wasn’t that long ago, Apple refurbishments were Cook’s strategy to sell obsolete phones to emerging markets. India told Cook to take his old hardware and stick it where the sun isn’t shining. India needs jobs and are now on track to build new phones to serve the local population.
I don’t understand how a company with as much money as Apple is incapable of cutting Samsung out of the supply chain. Realist is totally correct that Samsung hardware is caught up to Apple within months. They are behind only in OS, but let’s not forget that Apple lost the Mac vs PC war by thinking that a superior OS would enable them to overcharge customers. Today when you look at the top apps on the Mac, many of them are Microsoft programs and most Mac owers I know have to run at least one Windows program through Parallels or whatever. Apple can and should do better for users.
With a fragile ego, Realist fails to see the only way iPhones will see life in the second hand market is if buyers wrap them in Ordinary protective cases.
Realist is either an Android employee or paid blogger. He is delusional if he thinks Android dominates anything but the cheapskate, dumb-as-dogshit-Android phone market. Realist doesn’t care about markets. Realist couldn’t make his money skimming 30% off every 3rd party app it distributesif it own an app store, bank or Monopoly board Game if he tried. Almost all from the same app developers that make android apps too.l, and look how shittyy those apps are!
The easy money and the vocal Apple fanboy club have made Apple smart. SE updates every 3 years if that, although Realist is so dumb he forgets SE was improved with more storage and a new SE 2 comes this year. IPhone 6 bodies used for 3+ years because they are the best on the market that Oppo and all other Xiaomi fools copy
Last to market with hardware features like NFC because NFC to this day is still an unencrypted piece of shitt like the brains in Realist’s head. first to remove useful stuff like a truly user operated wifi control, headphone jack, etc because Apple understands courage is rewarded while sheep are followed and then slaughtered for food. Realist can’t resist showing us he’s a foool!
Apple gave up long ago losing money by being a hardware leader with superior tech. I mean, let’s face it, Intel’s processors have barely improves year after year, Apple is smart to not waste money on things that make less than 5% difference to the average user.
The phone Apple is advertising as hard as it can is a notched Samsung made by Foxconn! Apple is smart to let others take the manufacturing risk while Apple piles up BILLIONS in cash! Well, mostly Samsung, Apple is not stupid to put all its eggs in one enemy basket. The iPhone X also uses Hynix RAM, Qualcomm modems, a Broadcom charger control, an NXP controller for NFC, and Skyworks power amps. See? Apple is smart to have so many suppliers. F Samsung and F foools like Realist who would be realost if they ever had the privilege of leading a company anywhere other than a ditch. Cutting edge Apple innovation? That’s how this industry works, Apple takes the shiiit others make, turns it into stuff people actually want and love that actually works, and sells BILLIONS.
Meanwhile Realist pisees into his soup and claims it is liquid salt.
The Apple supply chain “genius” has outsourced more and more while bringing ARM processor design in house, MicroLED design in house, GPU design in house. How you can claim the Androod Qualcomm hardware is dramatically superior when none of Apple’s guts are used by all the other phone makers too? Only a foool like Realist says dummm thing like “Because Apple licenses irs chips for Sammy to make and reverse engineer?”
Haha this is so dimmmb. Samsung can just buy an iPhone off the shelf and reverse engineer that, and anyway, Apple uses TMSC.
As Apple software continues its trend toward Microsoftian quality levels and Apple outsources its iCloud service to Google, the objective observer has legitimate reasons to wonder if Apple has what it takes to be the best over the long term. Of course the answer is yes, Apple uses resources as it needs to, Realist just suqqs his coqq and wants us all to be amazed at his “flexibility”. The huge lead Jobs created has been strengthened. Some young upstart company will upstage Apple while Cook sleepwalks is something that only happens in Realist’s unrealistic readings of his toilet droppings.
The iPhone X has already been put on 2 for 1 promotions at mobile phone shops by desperate Telcos wanting to outsell the other, while Apple laughs all the way to the bank on telco subsidies.
Having so many phones in the market people will upgrade from is why I think Apple is going to take the dominant position in the second hand market. Okay, you really are a dense morooniq piece of absolute shiiity trash, Realost.
Sad to see you’re so slow, Bo
Android unit sales, you know, the metric that Wall Street and the media use to argue that Apple is doomed, is driven in large part because of the weakness in the Android secondary market – very few wants a used Android. This creates an artificial “churn” which does not accurately reflect preference (unit market share).
I would be on the lookout for sharp changes in unit market share as pricing for the iPhone X drops $100 per year over the next 3 years, as Apple’s current pricing strategy does for “last year’s” model.
Which do you think is a better measure of actual use of smartphones sold in both primary and secondary markets, accurate sales numbers or actual usage numbers based on unique devices accessing Apple/Google primary services (e.g. iCloud, App Stores, etc.)
The Android Galaxy S9 is a BOGO product from the start. That, alone, proves that Apple is hurting Samsung at the high-end. With the iPhone hand-me-downs and refurbs at the mid to lower end of the market, who needs Android? I am still using an iPhone 5s and it works quite well.
Even Apple cannot keep old hardware current forever, but Apple does a pretty good job with its frequent software updates. My experience with macOS and iOS updates has been generally excellent over the past decade.
In contrast, few Android handsets are updated (except, perhaps, for some security patches) after they are sold. Unlike Apple, which tends to improve the functionality of its iOS devices over time, Android devices age less gracefully.
“Realist” has an overly negative point of view that I would argue is not all that realistic.
Some of the older phones are keepers.. I have a Samsung Galaxy S2 ‘Epic 4G Touch’ (Sprint exclusive) that I continue to use as a mini tablet. As far as I know it is the first capacitive screen smartphone with no physical button on the front face.
So you’re happy to leave yourself exposed to Android hacks of ancient Android OS versions?
I hope you don’t surf the web with that ancient S2, or the photos or Mrs Xennex might end up on pr0nhub dot com sooner than you might think
As a mini tablet I do use it to browse now and then but primary use (since I have other tablets and a more recent smartphone) is as a notepad and spreadsheet/DB work area. There is no cellular connection and Wifi is also not used unless during an occasional browse session. The point is, the device is still very useful for me.
Don’t know what you use your devices for, but since you indicate concern I wonder if you’ve been a victim?
That being said, by the looks of some recent commercials it didn’t take long for iPhone 8 to also become BOGO. Perhaps Apple is feeling more pressure than you think from the Galaxy S9 release.
It is possible but very hard to verify since there is no ‘second hand’ sales being tracked. We simply have to depend on Apple’s ‘active’ device count to guess at what the totals are.
51% revenue share, but more importantly 80-90% profit share of global smartphone $$$
It’s interesting how Apple’s “Caretaker CEO” (per MDN) has Apple’s most dominant and important product pulling away from the competition at an ever accelerating rate. It’s the same scenario for other, less talked about, product categories. I’ll have to say; I don’t understand MDN’s use of the word ‘caretaker’.
I do. The purpose behind using the term is to whip up masses (and draw hits). It has no basis in fact.
The HomePod with the iPhone chip embedded in it is another advantage. The brain is what makes the HomePod sound so good, it coordinates the scanning of the room and adjusts the multiple speakers independently. Unfortunately the HomePod launched with features like stereo missing and this caused the significance of the chip and the processing being overlooked.
Manufacturers of course have embedded chips in all kinds of devices like microwaves etc but I think the power of Apple’s own design processors locked with Apple’s software is a league above the rest (just like Apple Watch is above ordinary fitness bands) . I think we will see Apple leverage this ability in all kinds of places , they already they are using custom chips and controllers to boost iPhone and iMac Pro speeds and functions.
“The Apple Watch is so successful that in less than three years since reaching market, not just one but two industries are shrinking badly.”
Yep. The Apple Watch sucks and isn’t selling./s
Wall Street continues to count market share percentage as the most important metric of any market, so Apple will always be said to be falling short. How large is the Android OS global smartphone market share percentage by now? About 90% compared to Apple’s 10%. Only Apple is doomed. Each quarter Apple sells fewer iPhones, the company is quickly said to be in deep trouble due to the overwhelming power of Android smartphones. It’s fairly obvious analysts and investors don’t see Apple winning anything meaningful.
This is the first time I’ve ever heard anything about iPhones outclassing Android smartphones. I usually hear something like, “iPhones are too expensive and no better than Android smartphones.” I’m not sure why that is but that’s a common meme. Maybe a lot of that trash talk is from fake news creators on Facebook.
I’m patiently waiting for the day when the iPhone might actually gain market share percentage from Android smartphones but I’m not sure Apple is even interested in doing such a thing. iPhones will never be as low-cost as Android smartphones and that’s probably going to keep Android smartphone market share percentage high forever.
If you think in terms of smartphones being “good enough” after 3 or 4 years of use, then consider what an Android user will be looking at 2 years from now when the iPhone X will be priced at $799 (even less on the secondary market), while the Galaxy S11 (without VCSEL technology) remains priced over $900 (expanded memory version).
Depending on how Project Treble is implemented in future Android devices, Android devices of every price point will have a much better chance of being ‘current’ in security and OS updates. Most may also be used longer due to longer battery lifecycles due to larger capacity or simply being easily user replaceable.
The secondary market is hard to really determine since it includes both ‘resold’ as well as hand-me-down devices.
Apple will apparently soon be the first trillion dollar company. No other company can do that anytime soon. Wall Street had better get with the program.
Some food for thought.. As of today AMZN has passed GOOG and narrowed it’s Market cap gap with AAPL from over $313B at the end of 2017 to about $121B in less than 3 months. Mid year is about the time Amazon starts up their Prime Day again…
Apple may be winning with hardware. But Android is winning on the quality / diversity of its productivity apps. Our apps were actually better 4 years ago than they are now. If it wasn’t for Google and increasingly Microsoft our apps would be pathetic. The Appstore is still a mess.
I too have been puzzled at how a completely vertically integrated company with HW and SW like Apple can have worse native productivity Apps than the competition that is not as tightly integrated.
I decided to visit MDN again, and I see that some old acquaintances are still posting. Perhaps I will even see Fwhatever and botty again.
Don’t let the negative news get you down. I have seen so many cycles of “Apple is doomed” that I pay very little attention to them. If you lived through the dark ages of the 1990s after the release of Windows 3.0 (the first truly viable competitor to the Mac) and the price/performance free fall of the Mac until the switch to the PowerPC processors and the failure of the AIM alliance to evolve the PPC to maintain its advantages over the Intel offerings, then everything since then is a pleasant walk in the park. I had to fight hard to keep my PowerMac at work back in the mid- to late-1990s against a CIO in bed with Microsoft and determined to impose a “homogeneous” computing environment, even though that was just a delusional and impossible fantasy of a Microsoft fanboy. You may have legitimate gripes against Apple and the Mac and macOS and iOS. But don’t expect things to be magically better elsewhere, or you are doomed to disappointment.
Sounds like your CIO had homofobia
Fsck I’m cynical
Cautela, este costuma não ser caminho ideal. http://blog.abcdet.com.br/2015/08/27/dicas-que-ajudam-na-procura-por-pessoas-desaparecidas/