Disney Discloses ESPN Subscriber Data, The iPhone Won Black Friday
Today's Above Avalon stories:
- Disney Discloses ESPN Subscriber Data
- The iPhone Won Black Friday
We begin this week with ESPN and the cable bundle. Disney released the latest subscriber numbers for ESPN and its network of channels. We take a closer look at the data and what it suggests about the current state of the cable bundle and more importantly, what it all means for Disney and Apple's video plans. We then shift over to the latest data on Black Friday sales and the trends found in some of the numbers when it comes to e-commerce data for iOS vs. Android, and smartphones vs. tablets. There are clear winners and losers.
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The iPad Mini Experiment, Vine Comes to Apple Watch, Apple's Black Friday
Today's Above Avalon stories:
- The iPad Mini Experiment
- Vine Comes to Apple Watch
- Apple's Black Friday
We begin today's email by discussing the iPad mini experiment. We look at why the device is the most intriguing iPad and how analyzing the iPad mini leads to better conclusions about the iPad's long-term trajectory. We then discuss Vine's new Apple Watch app and what it means for Apple Watch and third-party Watch apps. We conclude with a few words on Apple and Black Friday.
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Faraday Future, 3Q15 Smartphone Industry Profit Share Observation
Today's Above Avalon stories:
- Faraday Future
- 3Q15 Smartphone Industry Profit Share Observation
We kick off today's email with Faraday Future, an electric car start-up that is making some waves in tech and auto circles. Some think the company is a front for Project Titan, while others say it is an Elon Musk-backed operation. In reality, the clues suggest something different. We take a closer look at the story behind Faraday Future. Next, we shift over to news that Apple captured nearly 95% of the smartphone industry's profit last quarter. We discuss why the much more important takeaway for Apple related to the data has nothing to do with industry profit share.
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Swiss Watch Exports Down 9% in October, The Motivation Behind the New Apple Watch Charging Dock
Today's Above Avalon stories:
- Swiss Watch Exports Down 9% in October
- The Motivation Behind the New Apple Watch Charging Dock
We begin today's email by discussing Swiss Watch exports for the month of October. Trends continue to head in a negative direction and it is becoming more difficult to brush them off as one-offs or just due to currency moves. We then shift over to Apple's new $79 Apple Watch magnetic charging dock. While some may look at the dock as just an overpriced toy, I view it as a clear indication of Apple's Watch strategy playing itself out. The themes of luxury, accessories, and experiences need to be discussed. We conclude with a brief discussion of how luxury accessories can impact Apple's bottom line.
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"Apple-as-a-Service" Primer, The McLaren Technology Centre
Today's Above Avalon stories:
- "Apple-as-a-Service" Primer
- The McLaren Technology Centre
Today's email includes an "Apple-as-a-Service" Primer, taking a closer look at Goldman Sachs' big AAPL note yesterday and the topic of Apple transitioning to a services company.
There are seven parts:
- What Happened?
- Background
- What did Goldman Sachs say?
- Apple ARPU Details
- Peer Comparsion
- My Reaction
- Conclusion: Story vs. Strategy
We then have Thursday Q&A and a closer look at the McLaren Technology Centre outside of London.
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Thoughts on Apple TV, Jony Ive on Reinventing the Pencil
Today's Above Avalon stories:
- Thoughts on Apple TV
- Jony Ive on Reinventing the Pencil
We kick things off today with Apple TV. There is no denying it is a different kind of Apple product. While there are a number of noteworthy and intriguing features found in the latest product, the category's fundamental value is likely found elsewhere. In some respects, the Apple TV is a trojan horse wrapped in an App Store. We then shift over to one of the more interesting interviews given on iPad Pro/Apple Pencil, courtesy of Jony Ive and the website Wallpaper. We take a closer look at how Apple is positioning the Apple Pencil in relation to the broader theme of touch-based computing.
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Breaking Down the iPad Debate, Rdio Declares Bankruptcy
Today's Above Avalon stories:
- Breaking Down the iPad Debate
- Rdio Declares Bankruptcy
We begin today's email by taking a deep dive into this unfolding iPad debate. Tim Cook seemed to go back on some of his earlier comments about the iPad Pro replacing PCs. We take a closer look at the two ongoing debates concerning the iPad within Apple, one of which involves the Mac, the other which concerns iPhone. We then shift over to news that Rdio filed for bankruptcy and lined up Pandora to buy some of its assets. This development says a lot about the current state of the music streaming market and Apple's ultimate goal with music.
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Initial iPad Pro Impressions, Fossil Acquires Misfit
Today's Above Avalon stories:
- Initial iPad Pro Impressions
- Fossil Acquires Misfit
We kick things off with a closer look at the iPad Pro. I have been using the device since last week and have a number of impressions and takeaways. While some aspects of the device surprised me, other parts gave me even more confidence in long-standing views on the iPad category. We then shift over to the first large-scale wrist wearable M&A transaction: Fossil acquiring Misfit. Fossil reported earnings last week, and things aren't going so well with management indirectly blaming one company: Apple. We go over what is happening to Fossil and thoughts on the acquisition.
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Angela Ahrendts Talks Apple Retail Strategy as Store Traffic Slows, Apple Is Working on a Person-to-Person Mobile Payments Service, Thursday Q&A
Today's Above Avalon stories:
- Angela Ahrendts Talks Apple Retail Strategy as Store Traffic Slows
- Apple Is Working on a Person-to-Person Mobile Payments Service
- Thursday Q&A: Where Do TAG Heuer/Luxury Watchmakers Go From Here?
We kick off today's email by looking at Apple Retail and specifically Angela Ahrendts' recent comments about long-term Apple Retail strategy. We look at Apple Retail foot traffic patterns to get a better grasp on Apple's current challenges and opportunities in the retail space. We then shift over to the WSJ scoop that Apple is working on a person-to-person mobile payments service. There are a number of things to consider about such a service. We conclude with this week's Thursday Q&A and TAG Heuer's next step.
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About These iPhone Order Cut Rumors..., A New Apple Medical Product?
Today's Above Avalon stories:
- About These iPhone Order Cut Rumors...
- A New Apple Medical Product?
We begin today's email by taking a deep dive into these iPhone order cut rumors that continue to spread on Wall Street. I've been getting an increasing number of questions about the topic as well. We go over what is being said and my overall thoughts on the situation. We then shift to one comment made by Tim Cook in a recent press interview about Apple possibly selling a new health product that may require FDA approval. We take a closer look at what I suspect that product may be and why it would need FDA approval.
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Tim Cook Positions iPad Pro as the iPad for Post-PC Era, The TAG Heuer Connected Smartwatch Press Conference Circus
Today's Above Avalon stories:
- Tim Cook Positions iPad Pro as the iPad for Post-PC Era
- The TAG Heuer Connected Smartwatch Press Conference Circus
This is shaping up to be quite a busy week with iPad Pro going on sale this Wednesday. We will kick off today's email with Tim Cook's interviews with The Telegraph and the Independent. There are a number of things that jumped out at me from the interviews concerning the iPad Pro and the post-PC era. We will then shift over to discuss TAG Heuer's smartwatch press conference yesterday in Manhattan. It was...unique.
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Toyota Throws in the Towel: Invests "Big" in Autonomous Driving, Current iPad Device Share
Today's Above Avalon stories:
- Toyota Throws in the Towel: Invests "Big" in Autonomous Driving
- Current iPad Device Share
We kick off a new week by talking Toyota and news that the automaker is opening a large Silicon Valley R&D center for autonomous driving among other things. Upon closer examination, Toyota provides a prime example of the trouble that will come to plague many of the legacy automakers in the coming years. The juxtaposition of Toyota to startups like Tesla and Project Titan are noteworthy. We then shift to iPad and look at new data highlighting the current iPad device share mix.
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Marc Newson on Apple Watch, New Details on Global Smartphone Market, Thursday Q&A
Today's Above Avalon stories:
- Marc Newson on Apple Watch
- New Details on Global Smartphone Market
- Thursday Q&A (questions from members): What do I make of the Gazelle sale?, What did Tim Cook mean when he said "The iPad is the clearest expression of our vision of the future of personal computing"?
We begin today's email by going over an interview Marc Newson gave to the Australian Financial Review. He had a few comments about Apple Watch that caught my attention. We then shift over to Kantar's latest smartphone report and discuss some interesting data points about the iOS (and Android) platforms. We conclude with Thursday Q&A and questions about Gazelle selling for $18M and Tim Cook's recent comments about the iPad.
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Apple Experimenting With iPhone and Apple Watch Bundling, Apple's Remarkable R&D Growth
Today's Above Avalon stories:
- Apple Experimenting With iPhone and Apple Watch Bundling
- Apple's Remarkable R&D Growth
We kick things off today by discussing recent news of Apple discounting the Apple Watch in a very few Apple Retail stores. As expected, there are many conspiracy theories as to what this may mean, but we will break it down and look at the most likely reasoning behind the promotion. We then shift over to a major takeaway from Apple's recent earnings report: R&D. We discuss why Apple's R&D trends seem to differ from other large cap tech and what it may mean for the Apple pipeline.
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Fitbit Earnings, GoPro Earnings (and Problem), Apple Is Buying Back Shares Like There's No Tomorrow (Continued)
Today's Above Avalon stories:
- Fitbit Earnings
- GoPro Earnings (and Problem)
- Apple Is Buying Back Shares Like There's No Tomorrow (continued)
Today we will cover Fitbit's 3Q15 earnings report, which was released yesterday. On a unit sales basis, Fitbit is the leader of the wearable space. However, there are still questions surrounding the company's future and its impact on Apple Watch. We then look at GoPro's difficult earnings report from last week and a few implications that it may have for Apple. We also discuss the never-ending stories about Apple acquiring GoPro. We conclude with two additional thoughts on Apple's buyback program.
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