Concepts

Hardware

  • Beyond the iPhone

    Apple’s event may have been lacking on the surface, but it laid the groundwork for innovations that will be revealed in time. And yes, it was courageous.


  • Microsoft and Apple Double Down

    Both Microsoft and Apple made news yesterday, and while one was unexpected and the other predictable, both are effectively doubling down on their strategies. And both may not matter.


  • Tony Fadell Out at Nest, Why I Was Wrong About Google and Nest, Google’s Focus

    Tony Fadell is out at Nest, likely signifying the beginning of the end of a deal I initially praised. Examining why I was wrong gives a lens to understand what went wrong.


  • Google’s Go-to-Market Gap

    Google is unique in that their business was built on being the best. The company, though, benefited from the open web. That is not the case in mobile.


  • Doubting the iPhone Revisited, What Has Changed, On Being Bearish

    Today I revisit last year’s piece Stop Doubting the iPhone and why I may have been wrong. What data and assumptions have changed, and why?


  • Everything as a Service

    We have likely reached Peak iPhone, and if not, it’s only a matter of time; physical goods can only scale so far. The future, thanks to the Internet, is everything-as-a-service


  • Apple’s Run, Apple Earnings and the iPhone Upgrade Cycle, The iPhone in China

    Apple had an amazing run, but now there are very real questions about the iPhone, in no small part because Apple itself doesn’t seem sure what is going on.


  • Apple’s Organizational Crossroads

    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.


  • Twitter Follow-up, Apple’s Good Earnings, Apple is Not a Services Company

    Understanding why Twitter failed has strategic implications today. Then, Apple’s earnings were better than they looked, but despite the CFO’s protestations, they are still not a services company.


  • Xiaomi’s Struggles, Samsung Hardware Rumors

    Xiaomi is struggling to justify its valuation; in fact there have been signs for a long time that their valuation was unrealistic all along. Plus, Samsung returns to hardware differentiation.