Apple Year in Review 2024
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following story:
Apple Year in Review 2024
Happy Thursday. Hello everyone.
Above Avalon Gifts - DEADLINE. The final day to gift an Above Avalon membership is Tuesday (December 24th). The gifting page will be taken down on December 24th at 10 pm EST. While all gifted memberships will officially begin on January 6th, 2025, your gift recipient will be able to use their membership as soon as they are informed of the gift. This means gift recipients will have access to the member archive, and the private podcasts / Inside Orchard if that is their gift, over the holiday break.
If you purchased a one-time gift in 2023 and would like your gift recipient to continue receiving their membership benefits in 2025, a new gifted membership is needed.
A big thank you to those members who purchased gifts this holiday season. Once again, gifted group memberships were especially popular this year. More information on Above Avalon Gifts (and payment forms) is available here.
Turning to today’s update, we will go over my thoughts regarding Apple’s 2024. Our focus won’t be on what Apple should do in 2025 and beyond. We can tackle that topic in the new year.
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Google’s Veo 2 Is a Litmus Test, Blackmagic Debuts Camera for Vision Pro, Apple Sports App Update
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories:
Google’s Veo 2 Is a Litmus Test
Blackmagic Debuts Camera for Vision Pro
Apple Sports App Update
Hello everyone. We begin today’s update with my thoughts on how Google’s Veo 2 is a litmus test. The discussion then turns to good news on the Apple Immersive Video front. We conclude with a quick look at Apple’s Sports app.
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Thinking Through Headset / AR Glasses Competition and Landscape
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following story:
Thinking Through Headset / AR Glasses Competition and Landscape
Hello everyone. Following yesterday's update regarding Google/Samsung partnership news, today’s update will be focused on the competitive landscape facing headsets and AR glasses. There are a number of moving parts. Let's jump right in.
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Google “Unveils” Android XR, Samsung “Unveils” First Mixed Reality Headset, Everyone Is Copying Apple
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories:
Google “Unveils” Android XR
Samsung “Unveils” First Mixed Reality Headset
Everyone Is Copying Apple
For today’s update, we will discuss Android XR and Samsung’s new Android XR headset. The discussion will roll over into tomorrow’s update as well.
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Apple Releases Second Wave of Apple Intelligence, My Initial Thoughts on Visual Intelligence, Image Playground Beats Expectations
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories:
Apple Releases Second Wave of Apple Intelligence
My Initial Thoughts on Visual Intelligence
Image Playground Beats Expectations
With iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 now out, the second wave of Apple Intelligence features has gone live for the U.S. and localized English for Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the UK.
For many Apple users with supported hardware, this second wave will be the one that truly showcases Apple Intelligence. While Writing Tools and things like notification summaries may have their audiences, this second release phase includes Image Playground, Genmoji, Image Wand, visual intelligence, and ChatGPT integration, among other features.
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Spotify 3Q24 Earnings, Disney 4Q24 Earnings
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories:
Spotify 3Q24 Earnings
Disney 4Q24 Earnings
Hello everyone. Today’s update will take us to streaming land as we circle back to earnings from Spotify and Disney. The two companies reported earnings within the past month.
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Apple Places Retail Bet on Saudi Arabia, Vision Pro Wins Innovation of the Year Award, Vision Pro and Watching “TV”
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories:
Apple Places Retail Bet on Saudi Arabia
Vision Pro Wins Innovation of the Year Award
Vision Pro and Watching “TV”
Happy Tuesday. Information regarding Above Avalon Gifts 2024 has been posted to AboveAvalon.com at this page. Thank you to those of you who have already purchased a gift or reached out for more information.
We begin today’s update with news that Apple will bring its direct retail apparatus to Saudi Arabia. The discussion goes over the various implications associated with the move. We then turn to Apple Vision Pro, which Popular Science just named as the innovation of the year. The update concludes with a closer look at how Apple Vision Pro stands to change “TV” watching.
Let's jump into today's update.
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Apple’s Modem Launch Reportedly Nears, Apple vs. Qualcomm, Apple’s Modem Goals
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories:
Apple’s Modem Launch Reportedly Nears
Apple vs. Qualcomm
Apple’s Modem Goals
Hello everyone.
Above Avalon Gifts are back for the 2024 holiday season. This is the one time each year when various options are available for gifting an Above Avalon membership and the accompanying add-ons. There are six different one-time gifts available. Prices start at $90 for a three-month Above Avalon membership with podcast add-on. A regular 12-month membership for $200 is also available. Gifting an Above Avalon membership makes for a very unique gift, especially for that person who seemingly has everything. To purchase a gift, use this online form.
Group gifts are also available – send a unique gift to a group of friends, family, or investment clubs. Gift two or more 12-month Above Avalon subscriptions on a recurring basis and receive 10% off. The discount rises to 20% if you gift two or more 12-month Above Avalon subscriptions with both the Podcast and Inside Orchard add-ons. For group membership gifts, you can reach out to me (via email or the contact form found on this page) with your interest and a customized gift and payment form will be created.
For all gifts, on a date of your choosing, your gift recipient will receive a welcome message informing them of the gifted membership and the benefits and privileges associated with Above Avalon membership. You have the option of adding a personalized message to this welcome email. All gifted memberships begin on January 6th, 2025, although your gift recipient can begin using their membership as soon as they are alerted of the gift.
For today’s update, we go over my thoughts on Bloomberg’s article regarding Apple’s modem plans.
Above Avalon membership is required to read this update. Members can read the update here.
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Jeff Bezos Focusing On AI at Amazon, Sundar Pichai Talks Woke Culture
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following story:
Jeff Bezos Focusing On AI at Amazon
Sundar Pichai Talks Woke Culture
Hello everyone.
We will wrap up the week with something a little bit different. Over the past nine and half years of daily updates, we have only talked about an interview that took place at the NYT Dealbook Summit in NYC once – in 2021 when Tim Cook (virtually) spoke. This year, Jeff Bezos and Sundar Pichai sat for interviews with Andrew Ross Sorkin. We will talk about both interviews in greater detail.
When it comes to this conference, personalities (Andrew Ross Sorkin) trump the organization (The New York Times) hosting the event. This plays a big role in explaining why companies that don’t receive fair treatment in news coverage by the NYT still participate in a conference put on by the NYT. My stance would be that Big Tech companies should give both the NYT and their conferences the cold shoulder but that’s me.
Let’s jump in.
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A Deep Dive Into Tim Cook’s “Big” Interview With Steven Levy
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following story:
A Deep Dive Into Tim Cook’s “Big” Interview With Steven Levy
Happy Wednesday. Steven Levy, writing for WIRED, is out with a comprehensive interview with Tim Cook. Levy has been covering Apple for decades. He was one of the original iPhone reviewers in 2007. Today’s update will be dedicated to discussing the interview.
Let’s jump right in.
Above Avalon membership is required to read this update. Members can read the update here.
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Choose either a monthly or annual membership. Payment is hosted by MoonClerk and secured by Stripe. Apple Pay and other mobile payment options are accepted. After signup, use this link to update your payment information and membership status at any time. Contact me with any questions.
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AAPL Hits All-Time High, AAPL Valuation Metrics, Observations on Big Tech Valuation
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories:
AAPL Hits All-Time High
AAPL Valuation Metrics
Observations on Big Tech Valuation
We begin today’s update with my thoughts on AAPL shares hitting all-time highs. The discussion will then turn to an examination of AAPL valuation metrics (forward P/E, EV/FCF, and free cash flow yield). In addition to looking at Apple’s valuation metrics, there is value found in taking a broader look at how Big Tech is trading from a valuation perspective. We will keep our focus to free cash flow / enterprise value. While there may not be one gold standard valuation metric that all market participants prioritize, free cash flow remains my go-to metric. The data removes much of the noise that is found with income statement line items.
Above Avalon membership is required to read this update. Members can read the update here.
Above Avalon Membership
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Apple’s 2024 Holiday Ad Goes Viral, Elon Musk Warming to Apple?
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories:
Apple’s 2024 Holiday Ad Goes Viral
Elon Musk Warming to Apple?
Hello everyone. It feels good to be back into the full swing of things. Given the way the calendar falls this year, we only have three weeks of updates remaining in 2024. It feels like those three weeks are going to fly by.
Above Avalon Gifts 2024 will launch next week. This is the one time each year that you can select from a variety of options for gifting an Above Avalon membership to someone and have them be notified of the gift on a date of your choosing (i.e. December 24th or 25th). For this year, the gift window will be open for two weeks starting on December 9th. Stay tuned for more information on that front.
The member forum migration from Slack to Discord continues to go smoothly. It’s good to see active discussions in many of the channels. Here’s a screenshot of all the channels.
If you have never used Discord before, you can use this invite to get up and running in the forum.
Apple’s 2024 Holiday Ad Goes Viral
In what has become an annual tradition, Apple released its holiday video ad depicting how technology can positively impact our lives.
Over the years, some of the most memorable Apple holiday ads have involved children and teens using Apple to create (digital) gifts for their families. The 2013 ad may jump out at some of you – the one with what looked like disinterested teenager who was actually secretly recording a family video.
Above Avalon membership is required to read this update. Members can read the update here.
Above Avalon Membership
Choose either a monthly or annual membership. Payment is hosted by MoonClerk and secured by Stripe. Apple Pay and other mobile payment options are accepted. After signup, use this link to update your payment information and membership status at any time. Contact me with any questions.
Contact me directly if you would like to purchase multiple subscriptions (five or more) for your team or company.
Member Privileges and Benefits
Become an Above Avalon member and receive the following privileges and benefits:
Exclusive Analysis. Receive my daily newsletter and reports containing analysis and perspective, 100% related to Apple.
Member Archive. Access all previous analysis sent to members.
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Above Avalon Support. Play an active role in supporting Above Avalon as an independent voice and resource.
Tim Cook in China for Third Time This Year, Trump Threatens 10% China Tariffs, Amazon Invests Another $4B in Anthropic
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following story:
Tim Cook in China for Third Time This Year
Trump Threatens 10% China Tariffs
Amazon Invests Another $4B in Anthropic
We kick off today’s update with my thoughts on Tim Cook’s third visit to China in 2024 and what appears to be political maneuvering and massaging tied to President Trump winning a second term. The discussion then turns to Trump threatening a 10% tariff put on Chinese goods. We conclude the update with Amazon putting more money in Anthropic.
Above Avalon membership is required to read this update. Members can read the update here.
Above Avalon Membership
Choose either a monthly or annual membership. Payment is hosted by MoonClerk and secured by Stripe. Apple Pay and other mobile payment options are accepted. After signup, use this link to update your payment information and membership status at any time. Contact me with any questions.
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Member Privileges and Benefits
Become an Above Avalon member and receive the following privileges and benefits:
Exclusive Analysis. Receive my daily newsletter and reports containing analysis and perspective, 100% related to Apple.
Member Archive. Access all previous analysis sent to members.
Member Forums. Interact with other members in the Above Avalon team in Discord.
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Above Avalon Support. Play an active role in supporting Above Avalon as an independent voice and resource.
DOJ Provides Proposed Remedies for Google Antitrust, Indonesia Goes After Apple, Apple Selling Ads Directly on Apple News
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following story:
DOJ Provides Proposed Remedies for Google Antitrust
Indonesia Goes After Apple
Apple Selling Ads Directly on Apple News
We begin today’s update with my thoughts on the U.S. Department of Justice’s proposed remedies for the Court to consider in its case against Google. The discussion then turns to Apple and Indonesia going back-and-forth on investment negotiations. The update concludes with Apple’s ads push on Apple News.
Above Avalon membership is required to read this update. Members can read the update here.
Above Avalon Membership
Choose either a monthly or annual membership. Payment is hosted by MoonClerk and secured by Stripe. Apple Pay and other mobile payment options are accepted. After signup, use this link to update your payment information and membership status at any time. Contact me with any questions.
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Member Privileges and Benefits
Become an Above Avalon member and receive the following privileges and benefits:
Exclusive Analysis. Receive my daily newsletter and reports containing analysis and perspective, 100% related to Apple.
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Amazon Unveils New Echo Shows, The Smart Home, Apple Stationary Display Rumors
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following story:
Amazon Unveils New Echo Shows
The Smart Home
Apple Stationary Display Rumors
Happy Thursday. Today’s update will contain some good old-fashioned product strategy talk. We will begin with Amazon, then shift more broadly to the smart home, concluding with my thoughts on some Apple product rumors.
Let’s jump right in.
Above Avalon membership is required to read this update. Members can read the update here.
Above Avalon Membership
Choose either a monthly or annual membership. Payment is hosted by MoonClerk and secured by Stripe. Apple Pay and other mobile payment options are accepted. After signup, use this link to update your payment information and membership status at any time. Contact me with any questions.
Contact me directly if you would like to purchase multiple subscriptions (five or more) for your team or company.
Member Privileges and Benefits
Become an Above Avalon member and receive the following privileges and benefits:
Exclusive Analysis. Receive my daily newsletter and reports containing analysis and perspective, 100% related to Apple.
Member Archive. Access all previous analysis sent to members.
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Above Avalon Support. Play an active role in supporting Above Avalon as an independent voice and resource.