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
Amazon Earnings, Amazon’s Cloud War
Amazon’s earnings were even better than reported: it looks like the retail business is gaining real economies of scale, and AWS was even stronger than it appeared.
Facebook Earnings, Facebook and New Market Disruption, Facebook’s Share Reclassification
In a market where it’s peers have been struggling Facebook crushed it again, proving out The Facebook Epoch. However, could the company’s potential be even greater than that? Plus why the company’s share reclassification makes me uncomfortable.
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.
Prince, Bowie, and Beyoncé; Google’s Margin Squeeze; Microsoft’s Miss
Prince and David Bowie both understood the Internet, but took drastically different approaches. Then, Google’s business is fine, but it has almost certainly peaked, and the company could learn something from Microsoft about managing expectations.
Google Accused of Antitrust Violations, What Now for Google?, The Danger of Unicorns
Google set up Android to avoid anti-trust; what they didn’t plan for was an extra monopoly, which means they’re very likely guilty. Plus, why I’m officially scared of unicorns
Services and Apple’s Strategy, The Power of a P&L, Intel Restructures
First, a follow-up on Apple’s Organizational Crossroads including why a focus on services could make more strategic sense than one might think, and why P&L responsibility can be a powerful tool. Then, Intel is restructuring in the face of increased margin pressure and in pursuit of a vision that is, from the company’s perspective, more radical than it may appear.
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.
Facebook, Phones, and Phonebooks
There are two types of social networks, and Facebook wants to be both. The problem is that the company already chose public sharing over private communication.