Apple Car rumor roundup: Project Titan and what it means

“Project Purple was the iPhone. Gizmo was the Apple Watch. And Titan?” Rene Ritchie writes for iMore. “Well, that’s believed to encompass Apple’s automotive ambitions — aka, the car.”

“Just like iPhone started off as a tablet, became a phone, and then expanded to a tablet again, Apple Car will likely take a twisting, turning path to market. That’s if it ever comes to market. Plenty of Apple projects, including the television set, never have,” Ritchie writes. “The car feels different, though. For one thing, due to regulatory issues, it’s forced to be more public than most of Apple’s special projects. Second, the logistical revolution is real and Apple is uniquely positioned to be one of the major players in that space. Because autonomous cars won’t just be about the destination, they’ll be about the differentiated experience of the journey.”

Ritchie writes, “Apple supply-chain exfiltrator extraordinaire, Kuo Ming-Chi of TF International Securities, has sent out a new note to investors [on August 15, 2018] and, as usual, it’s making the rounds.”

We expect that Apple Car, which will likely be launched in 2023–2025, will be the next star product. The reasons for this are as follows: (1) Potentially huge replacement demands are emerging in the auto sector because it is being redefined by new technologies. The case is the same as the smartphone sector 10 years ago; (2) Apple’s leading technology advantages (e.g. AR) would redefine cars and differentiate Apple Car from peers’ products; (3) Apple’s service will grow significantly by entering the huge car finance market via Apple Car, and (4) Apple can do a better integration of hardware, software, and service than current competitors in the consumer electronics sector and potential competitors in the auto sector. — Kuo Ming-Chi, TF International Securities

Much more in the full article – recommended – here.

MacDailyNews Take: We’ve got some vehicles that are getting up there. Can we milk them until the “Apple Car” appears? Probably not. One more round of traditional vehicle purchases and then, hopefully…

SEE ALSO:
Ming-Chi Kuo: Apple to launch revolutionary Apple Car within 5-7 years – August 15, 2018
Doug Field, former Tesla engineering chief, returns to Apple – August 10, 2018
Apple’s autonomous vehicle fleet grows to 62 vehicles in California – May 29, 2018