Apple Inc: the Future Of Consumer Electronics? - A Mediocre Phone to Change the World?
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In a world of 3G, how can an overpriced Apple phone that is 2.5G claim to be the next generation of mobile cellular? That's the problem; it won't be the next generation of cellular technology, but it is the next frontier for handhelds which are connected to the Internet. As a phone, the iPhone is boring. As a "gadget" it is divine. Forget phone, the iPhone has being tagged by analysts as "network media."
Apple seems to have created a "cross over" product, thereby either creating a whole new category (if they haven't then the brand will surely fail). If a new category has been created, it will create a whole new industry as competitors rush to "copy" its features. Currently the product has features that make it yards ahead of what currently obtains in smart phones and handhelds. David Chamberlain, principal analyst for wireless issues at market research firm In-Stat, states that ten thousand engineers in Asia are working on new products because of the iPhone. The iPhone is so ahead of its time that there are few modifications that have been projected for it.
However Apple doesn't seem too intent on aggressively pushing the iPhone; witness their decision to sign an exclusive agreement with Cingular. Apple's overseas plans are also happening at a relaxed pace. The company will not sell the device in Europe until the end of 2007; Asia will have to wait until 2008.
The Surprise Apple TV
The Apple TV sold more units than iPods in early January, and is a surprise best seller. Future modifications may include rearranging the iTunes store to sell shows for whole seasons, thereby creating alternative demand apart from cable and satellite. Also a web browser could be incorporated into future versions of the Apple TV. Analysts already predict that this could be the next big thing in the living room. But events are clouding Apple's strong-looking future. Their talisman, Steve Jobs, may or may not be around in the next few years.
Steve's Job
According to Bloomberg's David_Pauly, "The man in jeans and black turtle neck may be indispensable." Steve Jobs co-founded Apple with "the other Steve" Wozniak, and has taken Apple Computer Inc to Apple Inc while earning them almost $20 billion per year. The problem however is that Steve Jobs may not be the lowest paid CEO on earth for much longer, as the waves of scandal that have been sweeping across the tech sector seem set to wash over Steve Jobs.
Next: Apple's Option Scandal >>
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