The shadow of Steve Jobs is gone and as it recedes, so does the brand that came to represent “cool and innovative”. Tim Cook is a good captain once the course is set but under his leadership Apple is having serious issues and losing market share.
The headline said “Failure of leadership” to describe Apple’s mess of a strategy around its car development. People are leaving or getting fired and it seems that Apple is abandoning any idea of integrating its OS into cars. Just another series of missteps. Consider the following:
1ne: The iMac hasn’t been updated in over 4 years and is losing share to new Windows 10 machines.
2wo: iPhone 7 sales are reported to be weak and there are serious issues around the new phone.
3hree: The Beats acquisition is looking more and more like wasted money.
4our: OS X is dated and in desperate need of a major overhaul.
Of course, Apple still has a lot of cash on hand via hefty profit margins, but one could make a strong argument that Apple is no longer a “cool brand” it once was.
What should Apple do to get their mojo back?
- Do not release a new iPhone very year to please investors. Only release a new iPhone when it has enough features that make owners say “I want one!”.
- Put more emphasis back on OS X. The smart phone market is saturated, but the desktop market is starting to get hot again. Mail and Safari need to be updated and iMessage needs an overhaul as well.
- Ditch Beats. When you purchase an Apple product you were once assured that you were getting the best in the category. That’s not true with Beats. Their products are being raked over the coals by reviewers who complain of poor audio and design.
- Discontinue the MacBook. Sorry, but the thin laptop is pricey and underperforms compared to new laptops from companies like HP.
- Discontinue the IWatch. Sales have been disappointing and nobody needs one, or really wants one.
- Focus on the iPad to better compete against the Surface. Apple is losing share in tablets because people don’t need to upgrade, but Microsoft is kicking ass with the Surface.
I am a dire hard Apple person, but I’m using a Dell Edge laptop to type this because it’s a better laptop at more than 45% of an equivalent Apple laptop. Tim Cook is not a visionary and is a very wealthy man because he executed Steve Jobs plans. Now they are developing a new campus while their VP’s walk on stage at Apple events like rock stars. Apple has jumped the shark.
