Apple
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Apple has survived 50 years by being the only company integrating hardware and software; if the company loses because of AI it will be because the point of integration changes.
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Apple is well and truly a services company; hardware is necessary but insufficient for future growth.
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Apple introduced some impressive product updates; the real news, though, were the prices, which suggested that Apple is fully embracing being a services company.
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For Apple, hitting middle age means a strategy primarily focused on monetizing its existing customers. It makes sense, but one wonders what happens next.
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A core part of what makes Apple Apple is its organization structure; Tim Cook has said it will never change. However, if Apple is serious about being a services company, change it must.
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Clayton Christensen continually predicts that Apple will be disrupted because his theory does not incorporate the importance of the user experience.
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The iPhone and Apple’s Services Strategy
Apple’s annual iPhone event may have marked Apple’s true shift into being a Services company
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App Store Search, WeWork to Shelve IPO?, The Vision Fund Wobbles
The New York Times has a compelling expose of how Apple dominates App Store search. Then, WeWork may not IPO, although its CEO will be fine; the bigger question, though is about SoftBank’s Vision Fund.
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Apple Versus Project Zero, Apple’s Poor Response, The China Paradox
Apple took on Google’s Project Zero over the weekend, and didn’t come out looking particularly good, particularly since China is a huge paradox for Apple.
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Tech Companies and Hardware, The Cost of Low Margins
Software-differentiated hardware companies are tech companies, but be careful about low margins leading to a destructive cycle where marketing costs drown a company.
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Apple Updates Siri Policy, The Missed Middle Way, Alexa and Automobiles
Apple has updated its Siri policy, but misses a middle way on privacy that Amazon gets right. Then, Alexa has an opening in cars, but probably not for long.
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Privacy Fundamentalism
The current privacy debate is making things worse by not considering trade-offs, the inherent nature of digital, or the far bigger problems that come with digitizing the offline world.
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Trump Orders Companies to Look for China Alternative, Apple’s Chokepoint, The Potential Tariff Impact
Apple’s risk in the trade war is becoming very real, with tariffs set to hit the end of this week. Tim Cook continues to leverage his relationship with President Trump, but that is only a temporary solution to a single chokepoint on the company’s business.
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Apple Card Launches, Without a Website; Revisiting Stratechery: If Steve Ballmer Ran Apple
Apple Card launched without a website, which suggests something fundamental about Apple’s nature. Then, revisiting a Stratechery article from six years ago.
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Revisiting Google’s Cloud Numbers, Apple Earnings, Additional Notes on Apple Earnings
Google’s cloud numbers are probably much worse than they appear. Then Apple delivered post-iPhone earnings that were impressive in what they said about Apple’s future.
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Tinder Bypasses Google Play Payments, App Store Fees and Differences, Apple Entering Modem Business?
Tinder is moving away from Google Play Store’s payment system, which makes sense given the app’s pricing power. Then, how the app store tax warps costs, and why Apple may not see much upside from getting into modems.