Apple Unveils Updated MacBook Pros, My AAPL 4Q24 Estimates
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories:
Apple Unveils Updated MacBook Pros
My AAPL 4Q24 Estimates
Hello everyone. We are at that point of the week where some triage is needed. There is a lot of stuff unfolding and not enough time to cover it all. Big Tech earnings are now in full swing. We will discuss earnings from Apple competitors in due time. For now, our attention is needed elsewhere.
Programming Note. With Apple reporting FY4Q24 earnings tomorrow (Thursday), there won’t be a daily update published Thursday. Instead, there will be a special edition Friday update that goes over my thoughts and reactions to Apple’s earnings.
Apple Earnings Preview. Yesterday’s update, which was sent out very early today in the AM ET, went over the big picture heading into Apple's earnings on Thursday. The FY4Q24 expectations game is slightly biased to the upside for Apple. Compared to expectations facing Apple ahead of 3Q24 earnings, things are a tad tougher for Apple to surprise to the upside. However, the general framework still has an upward bias. Today’s discussion will continue my earnings preview so that we are fully prepared for tomorrow.
Updated MacBook Pros. For Day 3 of Apple’s Mac week, the company unveiled updated MacBook Pros and a M4 Max chip. Many of the broader points regarding Apple Intelligence and Mac strategy were discussed in the two most recent updates. There is no need to reiterate those points again with MacBook Pro. However, there are a few observations about the machines worth going over. We will quickly go over those (250-300 words) and then switch over to Apple’s earnings.
Financial Models Add-on. There are several updates to my iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch installed base models coming down the pipeline. In looking over the models a few weeks ago, my preference ended up being to wait until we got closer to 4Q24 earnings to update all of the models at once. Accordingly, my updated installed base models, which influenced my 4Q24 estimates, will go live tomorrow for those members with the Financial Models add-on. In addition, my updated Apple earnings model will be uploaded to the add-on in the AM. As a reminder to those of you with the add-on, to access the financial models, log into the Above Avalon payer portal (here) and once signed in you will see the "Digital Package" tab which will bring you to your personalized download page. More information on the Financial Models add-on is available here.
Apple Unveils Updated MacBook Pros
Earlier today, Apple unveiled updated MacBook Pros and a M4 Max chip. Along with a press release, Apple taped a 14-minute presentation (available here). For those of you who have watched the iMac and Mac mini presentations, the MacBook Pro presentation relied on the same general playbook. The MacBook Pro update was anchored by Apple Intelligence and Apple Silicon. The relevant presentation sections were tailored to show off workflows that would likely be given to MacBook Pro.
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The Redesigned Mac Mini, The Setup Facing Apple Ahead of 4Q24 Earnings
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories:
The Redesigned Mac Mini
The Setup Facing Apple Ahead of 4Q24 Earnings
Hello everyone. Today's update will kick off with new Apple product news, followed by the start of our Apple 4Q24 earnings preview. The earnings talk will flow into tomorrow’s update.
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A Different Kind of Apple Product Unveiling, The Updated iMac, Apple’s Mac Pitch to Windows Users
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories:
A Different Kind of Apple Product Unveiling
The Updated iMac
Apple’s Mac Pitch to Windows Users
Hello everyone. Welcome to Monday.
This is shaping up to be a busy week. Earlier today, Apple unveiled an updated iMac. As we will discuss shortly, Apple has pointed to more Mac news coming down the pipeline this week. We also have Apple Intelligence launching today.
On Thursday (Halloween), Apple reports FY4Q24 earnings.
Today’s update will focus on the updated iMac. The tentative plan will be to begin talking about Apple’s earnings tomorrow with that discussion rolling into Wednesday.
Let’s jump in.
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Navigating Through More Apple Vision Pro Production Noise, Vimeo Launches App for Apple Vision Pro
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories:
Navigating Through More Apple Vision Pro Production Noise
Vimeo Launches App for Apple Vision Pro
Hello everyone. We will wrap up the week in Apple Vision Pro land. In what has become an unfortunate trend, Apple Vision Pro misinformation continues to swirl online. Let’s jump right into the first story.
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Apple’s “New” Product Naming Nomenclature, More on Disney / App Store IAP
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories:
Apple’s “New” Product Naming Nomenclature
More on Disney / App Store IAP
Hello everyone. There was one follow-up to yesterday’s discussion regarding Disney and the App Store that we will get to today.
We begin with an observation that occurred to me last week when Apple unveiled the iPad mini.
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Netflix 3Q24 Earnings, Netflix and the Scripted Content High Road, Disney Moves Away From App Store In-App Purchase
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories:
Netflix 3Q24 Earnings
Netflix and the Scripted Content High Road
Disney Moves Away From App Store In-App Purchase
Happy Tuesday. We will kick things off with Netflix's earnings. The discussion will then turn to a noteworthy development on the App Store front regarding Disney.
Let's jump in.
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Thoughts on the Tim Cook Profile in WSJ Magazine
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following story:
Thoughts on the Tim Cook Profile in WSJ Magazine
Yesterday, WSJ Magazine published a Tim Cook profile (the piece is available via Apple News+ here) for its annual Innovators issue. Cook, along with a few other recipients, will be recognized at the WSJ's 14th Annual Innovator Awards next week.
Apple smartly used the profile to put the spotlight back on its products.
In today’s update, we go over my thoughts on the profile. In addition to the broader themes found in the profile, we go over a few areas where the WSJ profile was lacking.
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Apple Pay Turns 10 Years Old, Apple Pay and the Long Game
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories:
Apple Pay Turns 10 Years Old
Apple Pay and the Long Game
With Apple Pay’s 10th anniversary coming up this Sunday (unveiled on October 20th, 2014), Apple decided to give its decade-long mobile payments and wallet effort some PR attention. We go over my thoughts on Apple Pay at 10 years.
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Apple Updates the iPad Mini, Apple Intelligence and Device Support, A Different Way to Think About Apple Intelligence
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories:
Apple Updates the iPad Mini
Apple Intelligence and Device Support
A Different Way to Think About Apple Intelligence
Hello everyone. Happy Wednesday. Yesterday, Apple unveiled an updated iPad mini. We will begin today’s email with my thoughts on the iPad mini and the update. The discussion will then evolve into a few thoughts regarding Apple Intelligence.
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Hodinkee Sells to British Retailer, Hodinkee and Apple Watch, The Luxury Watch Downturn
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories:
Hodinkee Sells to British Retailer
Hodinkee and Apple Watch
The Luxury Watch Downturn
Happy Tuesday. It’s good to be back after a long weekend.
Today’s update will have a watch theme as we discuss some odd developments that have unfolded in the mechanical watch world. It’s difficult to not make some connections between those developments and Apple Watch momentum.
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Thoughts on Apple’s NBA All-Star Weekend Film in Apple Immersive Video, Apple Immersive Video and Sports Questions, The Big Picture
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories:
Thoughts on Apple’s NBA All-Star Weekend Film in Apple Immersive Video
Apple Immersive Video and Sports Questions
The Big Picture
Hello everyone. For today’s special Friday edition of Above Avalon Daily, we are going to wrap up our Apple Immersive Video discussion.
We had very good reason to believe that Apple was going to release an Apple Immersive Video film for 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend. Here was a tweet of mine from February depicting Apple’s immersive cameras at the Slam Dunk contest.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver had also dropped hints of the NBA working with Apple on such a project. Apple then included a few clips from the event in an Apple Immersive Video trailer.
Eight months later, timed to coincide with the start of the new NBA season, Apple will be releasing its 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend film in Apple Immersive Video to Apple Vision Pro wearers next Friday.
A few days ago, I received a pre-screening of the short film.
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Apple Releases First Scripted Film in Apple Immersive Video, Thoughts After Watching “Submerged,” The Future of Video
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories:
Apple Releases First Scripted Film in Apple Immersive Video
Thoughts After Watching “Submerged”
The Future of Video
Happy Thursday.
Two hours ago, Apple released “Submerged,” its first scripted film captured in Apple Immersive Video for Apple Vision Pro. Earlier this week, I pre-screened “Submerged” along with a new Apple Immersive Video film of the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend.
My initial impressions from “Submerged” will be found below. The plan is to talk about the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend film tomorrow.
Let’s jump right in.
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Meta Admits Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses Are Used to Train AI, Meta’s Achilles' Heel, Smart Glasses Used for Doxing
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories:
Meta Admits Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses Are Used to Train AI
Meta’s Achilles' Heel
Smart Glasses Used for Doxing
Following Monday's discussion regarding Vision Pro apps, we will stay in smart glasses / headsets / spatial computing land for today's update. A news story out of Harvard involving Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, face search engines, and large language models caught my attention over the weekend. Before we get to that, some disappointing news on the Meta smart glasses front as it pertains to data collection.
Let’s jump right in.
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Apple’s “Cozy” WWDC, Vision Pro Apps, Vision Pro and App Bridges
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories:
Apple’s “Cozy” WWDC
Vision Pro Apps
Vision Pro and App Bridges
We will kick off a new week of updates with Apple Vision Pro and apps. The discussion looks at a small event Apple held at Apple Park last week for developers. We then look at Apple Vision Pro apps and the idea of app bridges.
Let’s jump right in.
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A Few Thoughts on Apple Vision Pro Passthrough, Google Has Juno Pulled From App Store, Microsoft Discontinues HoloLens 2
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories:
A Few Thoughts on Apple Vision Pro Passthrough
Google Has Juno Pulled From App Store
Microsoft Discontinues HoloLens 2
Hello everyone. Some follow-up to our Apple/OpenAI discussion from Monday. The Financial Times is reporting OpenAI asked companies investing in its latest capital raise to not back rival companies. If true, that could have played a role in Apple backing out of an OpenAI investment. It is not necessarily in Apple’s interest to see OpenAI exceed or excel while OpenAI competitors struggle. Apple Intelligence can benefit from integrating various third-party multimodal models.
Shifting to today’s update, there will be an Apple Vision Pro / headset theme to the discussion.
Let’s jump in.
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