Apple’s boring decade
Apple’s fall event is still the Super Bowl of consumer tech, but now it feels more like watching a dynasty team run the ball up the middle. The iPhone 17 Pro is sturdier, with Ceramic Shield 2 and a unibody aluminum frame. The overheating problems of the titanium 15 Pro are fixed with a […]
[Essay] Apple’s lost decade
Apple made a strategic choice a decade ago and it chose comfort (and a lot of money) Instead of building the future, it took a dividend from the present. While Google plowed billions into search, data infrastructure, and foundational AI research, Apple signed a check to license Google Search as the default on Safari. That […]
Apple vs. AI. Aluminum vs. Algorithms
Here’s a fun thought experiment: someone shows up and says, “You can keep all your Apple stuff, or you can keep generative AI, but not both.” Okay. Well, let’s be honest. The iPhone is cool, sure. But it’s a piece of glass with some cameras and a locked-down ecosystem that gets more parental by […]
[Book review] Apple in China: The Capture of the World’s Greatest Company
I just finished reading Patrick McGee’s book on Apple and here are my insights: 1. Vulnerability by Design – Apple made itself vulnerable by design. By instructing Chinese suppliers how to manufacture world‑class iPhones (from micrometer tolerances to assembly-line choreography) Apple inadvertently built also China’s industrial power. McGee quotes internal docs revealing Apple spent ~$275 billion […]
Toy story: How great companies get disrupted by seemingly insignificant innovations
In 1997, Clayton Christensen introduced the world to a concept called the Innovator’s Dilemma, a phenomenal book explaining why well-managed companies often falter when faced with disruptive innovation. Christensen illustrated how incumbents, despite having abundant resources and expert management, get disrupted precisely because they’re great at serving their existing customers and, I would add, making […]
Apple, Perplexity, and the Mirage of Moats
The Bloomberg reports that Apple is exploring an acquisition of Perplexity AI is unsurprising in one sense and deeply revealing in another. On the surface, Apple’s acquisition of a buzzy AI startup fits the recent pattern: Microsoft acquires (sort of) OpenAI, Google leans into DeepMind and Gemini, and Amazon throws money at Anthropic… and Apple? […]
“Where is my supply chain?”
Source: Homa Appliances / Unsplash.com The good news is, Apple is still making iPhones. The bad news? Apple’s still making iPhones in China. So, sure, President Trump briefly toyed with slapping a 125% tariff on everything made in China, but the iPhone was quietly spared. Why? Because neither China nor America really wants Apple to […]
Apple’s main reason to launch iPhone 16e
Beyond a new entry phone, there is a long game here: total vertical integration. Here are some reasons why Apple is moving in this direction: 1/ Cutting dependency on Qualcomm Apple has been reliant on Qualcomm for 5G modems, a relationship marked by legal battles. By bringing modem development in-house, Apple is doing what it […]
Apple’s strategy (2024 – ongoing)
Apple-iPad-Pro-Apple-Pencil-Pro-240507 Ipad Pro 2024 (Source: Apple) In a recent announcement, Apple unveiled its first AI-focused iPad and accompanying accessories + the ultra AI-capable M4 chip. As we’ve discussed in previous newsletters, Apple derives the majority of its revenue from iPhones, accounting for over 50% of its sales. The company has a consistent strategy of charging […]
Appel’s Vision Pro supply chain shows one thing = niche product
Source: Macrumors.com Ming-Chi Kuo (analyst) about the Appel’s Vision Pro supply chain: 1/ U.S. market demand Initially, Vision Pro saw a significant demand spike with pre-orders selling out soon after the opening on January 19th. However, demand quickly plateaued, leading to an improved shipping time of 3-5 days by early March, indicating a slowdown. 2/ […]