For a moment on Monday, Apple's stock price dropped below $500 for the first time in nearly a year. That represents a large drop from Friday, where it closed at $520.30. The decline comes from reports that Apple has had to cut orders from LCD manufacturers because of lower iPhone 5 demand than expected. This is surely going to worry investors, as Apple has always performed above predictions, and not below. The company is also considering to create a cheaper iPhone in order to compete with cheap Android phones.
This isn't really a surprise ...
ReplyDeleteiPhone 5S rumors (which NEEDS to happen, annual hardware updates for your NUMBER ONE product line is inexcusable), iPhone 5 initial issues with scuffing and Wifi, iOS 6 being stale and the maps fiasco, not to mention lack of jailbreak.
I LOVE Apple products, but ever since the iPhone 4S's release I've started to get bored and watch Apple be surpassed by even WP8 in some areas.
They need to lock down contracts in China and other areas of the world. They really only dominate the US market.
And the WSJ doesn't know this for sure, I'll wait to see the financials for the quarter before making judgement. Isn't it common for post-holiday shipment cuts? People surely don't buy in January like they do in December.
Haven't the last few weeks (even months) been filled with rumors like "Apple to update iPhone even sooner than expected"? Wasn't there talk of a 5S, even a 6, already under development?
ReplyDeleteSo how is this a surprise to anyone?
Can you actually buy one from Google?
ReplyDeleteThey may be trying to fix some issues...
http://www.droid-life.com/2012/11/26...-a-glass-back/
Anecdotal evidence and a single data point, but:
ReplyDeleteI had a 3GS and after 3 years decided to upgrade to... an iPad mini with LTE. I wanted a bigger screen. I was then gifted an iPhone 5 but I returned it because its marginally bigger screen is just a slap in the face IMO. What I really wanted would be a 5-6" at least. A significant change.
If the iPad mini hadn't come out, I would probably be stuck with iPhone 5. So there you go, one ip5 got cannibalized by iPad mini.
You are 100% correct as far as I'm concerned. I honestly can't see a good reason to buy an iPhone over a top of the line Android phone. Unless you like smallish, non innovative devices, the iPhone hasn't much to offer.
ReplyDeleteReally? What's innovative about the Galaxy S3? Was the Ford Crown Victoria "innovative" because it was big?
DeleteOnly the TINIEST segment of the buying public seeks a burst of "excitement" every single year from their phone. I'm one of them... so are many tech forum-goers of course.
ReplyDeleteBut what most people want is the best phone possible, not the maximum amount of change for change's own sake. Change for change's sake is marketing--and that's not what I want driving the design of my phone.
The iPhone 5 would be "more exciting"--to that tiny group of people--if they changed a bunch of superficial stuff. Instead, it's merely far and away the best handheld device that has ever existed, with none of the absolute dealbreaker problems of Android*
* Poorer selection top-quality apps
* No FULL restore of everything when you get a warranty swap or upgrade to a new device
* Malware galore; even safe apps can harm your performance and battery life
* Open source "freedom" that means freedom for the carriers... not for you
* Speed, battery-life and ease of use still second best (despite certain specific features being nice on ANY platform, the big picture is still nicest on iOS)
* Worst of all: devices abandoned (no more updates) LONG before you even finish paying for them!
Android is fine for some... but it comes with HUGE compromises. The compromises in iOS are FAR fewer and smaller for me.
Large screen phones are the future whether Steve Jobs liked it or not. Apple can figure that out or watch as Samsung continually steals sales from Apple.
ReplyDeleteI certainly hope not. Large screens are just a gimmick. If we really devolve to cheap junk from Samsung because we equate "big" with "good," then our best days are behind us.
DeleteThe unrealistic expectation is that Apple is on a road with no bumps in it. For several years running, it seemed like nothing could go wrong. The competition is much tougher now and the road will be that much bumpier.
ReplyDeletehttp://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1525109&page=3
DeleteHuh, IJ Reilly
i love most Apple products, i have a 2011 MBA, a new 27" iMac, an Ipod video and an iPad 2. I even loved my iPhone 4 when it came out, i got it on launch night. The thing is there are better phones on the market now, the trend is going towards large screen phones with many new features that ios just does not have, the Nexus 4 for example simply blows the iPhone away imo. Apple would need to blow me away with the next iPhone for me to switch back, i really hope it happens but im doubtful.
ReplyDeleteCan't see Apple waiting to fall just to release the iPhone 5S now.
ReplyDeleteOuch, I really do not want them to get into a shorter refresh cycle but then again this is what you get when dealing with a fickle consumer base.
ReplyDeleteJust remember how many they sold the first week out....
ReplyDeleteIrfan, stop spamming the comment section as Anonymous.
ReplyDeleteWho's Irfan?
ReplyDeleteOne of our website moderators. He can be a bit crazy at times. His comments were deleted.
ReplyDelete