All department price cuts! IPhone 13 started a “price war”, Cook defended his final glory for ten years? _Apple

In terms of performance configuration, the entire iPhone 13 series are equipped with a brand-new A15 bionic chip, using 5nm process technology, built-in 6-core GPU and 16-core neural network engine. The difference is that the 13 and 13 mini have a built-in 4-core GPU, and the 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max have a built-in 5-core GPU.

In terms of appearance, the entire iPhone 13 series has reduced the area of ​​“bangs” by nearly 20% by redesigning the Face ID, and re-planning the internal space of the fuselage, adding more new features and larger batteries.

However, the iPhone 13 and 13 mini do not support the 120Hz “high refresh” that the outside world is looking forward to. Apple specifically left this feature to the two high-end models of the 13 Pro and Pro Max. In addition, in terms of battery life, due to the new internal design, Apple said that a larger battery can be inserted into the body of the iPhone 13 series. Therefore, the battery life of each model of the iPhone 13 is 1.5 to 2.5 hours higher than that of the iPhone 12 last year.

It is worth mentioning that Apple has added up to 1TB of storage space to the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max, which is also the largest memory capacity of the iPhone so far, while the iPhone 13 series continues to maintain a maximum storage space of 512GB.

The image part is the focus of this iPhone 13 series upgrade. In terms of hardware, in addition to the sensor shift optical image stabilization function on the iPhone 12 Pro Max last year, Apple has transferred it to the iPhone 13 and 13 mini; in terms of software, Apple has launched a new feature in all iPhone 13 series this year, namely movies. model. By shooting video in this mode, the camera can predict and automatically switch the subject.

Released at the same time as the iPhone 13 series, there are also iPad 2021/iPad mini 6. Compared with the mediocre iPad 2021, which is priced as low as 2499 yuan, the iPad mini 6 may be more pleasing to consumers. The new iPad mini uses a full-screen design for the first time, and is equipped with the same A15 bionic chip as the new iPhone, as well as a power button Touch ID, 5G network and USB-C interface, and the price starts at 3799 yuan.

Like the iPad mini 6, it has a “full screen” design for the first time, as well as a new generation of Apple Watch 7. Compared with the previous generation S6, the display area has increased by 20%, and the frame has become narrower by about 40%. The overseas price of this series starts at US$399, and the price of the Bank of China is temporarily undecided.

It is not difficult to see that, whether it is the new iPhone 13 series or the new generation of iPad and Apple Watch, the configuration upgrades of Apple products are within the routine scope, and there are not too many highlights and innovations. In fact, critics of Apple’s “squeezing toothpaste” and “weak innovation” have been common in recent years. Regarding related topics, the reporter of “Business School” contacted and interviewed relevant personnel of Apple, but had not yet responded as of press time.

Zhang Shule, a commentator in the TMT industry, commented that “the new series of Apple products do not have too strong disruptive innovation intentions. Apple is returning to the role of a software manufacturer. More cross-screen experiences to open up the Apple ecological chain and form a universal full-screen experience.”

Although the innovation intention is insufficient, according to the data forecast of major research institutions, the stocking scale of the new generation iPhone series will exceed that of the iPhone12 series, and its shipments will continue to increase.

Among them, the China Galaxy Securities Research Report predicts that this year’s new iPhone shipments will reach 85 million to 90 million units, and the overall iPhone shipments will reach 220 million to 223 million units, a year-on-year increase of about 13%; and the industry’s well-known “Apple Forecast King”, Tianfeng International analyst Guo Mingchi also believes that the iPhone’s share in the high-end market will further increase in the second half of 2021. The new iPhone’s shipments will reach 88 million units in the second half of this year. The volume is 75 million units.

However, in the opinion of Sun Yanbiao, Dean of the First Mobile Phone Industry Research Institute, “Even though the iPhone 13 series continues the previous generation’s mobile tactics, it is not certain whether sales can continue to grow on the basis of the previous generation. Apple’s mobile tactics The fundamental reason is that its mobile phones are not upgraded enough, and more accurate product coverage is needed to maintain iPhone’s global sales. Judging from the performance of the past few years, Apple’s mobile tactics can be said to be more effective.”

The myth of market value, is it a value reflection or a capital bubble?

Just as Rome was not built in a day, the “market value myth” created by Apple is far from a day’s work.

When Cook succeeded Jobs as Apple’s CEO in 2011, Apple’s market value was still less than $400 billion. But today, ten years later, Cook has led Apple to advance all the way, constantly setting new records for its own market value.

On August 2, 2018, Apple became the first technology company with a market value of over US$1 trillion; two years later, on August 19, 2020, Apple’s market value exceeded US$2 trillion. As of now, the market value of Apple has reached 2.47 trillion US dollars. If it is advancing at a growth rate of one trillion in two years, then at this time next year, Apple’s market value will climb to the three trillion dollar mark just around the corner.

During this period, along with the rapid growth of Apple’s market value, there have been controversies and doubts that have never stopped. And the myth of Apple’s market value, will there be a day of collapse? Behind this high market value, does it reflect actual value or the so-called capital bubble?

Zhang Shule believes that, “Although Apple’s high market value has a certain bubble, it is far lower than most Internet technology companies that follow the story line. After all, Apple’s product continuity and profitability are an indisputable fact. If Apple has maintained it for more than ten years If the role of “spokesperson for innovation” of Internet technology companies is replaced, the market value ceiling will appear. But even so, this will hardly affect the sustainability of Apple’s own profitability.”

Zhang Xiaorong, Dean of Deepin Technology Research Institute, added that “Apple’s stock market value has risen all the way, mainly because the company itself has maintained high performance, and due to the continuous over-issue of U.S. dollars in the past two years, a large amount of funds have poured into the U.S. stock market, which is further invisible. Pushed up Apple’s stock price.”

As Zhang Xiaorong said, if Apple’s market value myth is not underpinned by its performance, it will be difficult to achieve the world’s largest market value of listed companies today. In July of this year, Apple announced its third-quarter financial report for fiscal 2021. According to data, Apple’s total sales in the third quarter reached 81.41 billion yuan, an increase of 36% year-on-year; net profit was 21.744 billion US dollars, an increase of 93% year-on-year.

Obviously, this is another report card that exceeded expectations. This performance has become the norm for Apple in recent quarters. In Apple’s revenue structure, the iPhone is the main force that does its part. The revenue generated by the iPhone alone accounts for almost half of Apple’s total revenue (48.6%).

It is worth mentioning that Apple is still intending to penetrate into the field of smart homes and smart cars to further consolidate its own closed-loop industrial ecology. When the Apple Car smart car will be unveiled one day, I wonder if Apple’s market value will be doubled on the basis of two trillion US dollars?

How do you evaluate Apple in the Cook era?

August 24, 2021 is the 10th anniversary of Cook’s appointment as Apple CEO. Looking back over the past ten years, Apple’s changes from product to business level are particularly obvious.

From the Steve Jobs era, only one iPhone was launched every year, to the Cook era, several mid-to-high-end models can be updated in a year; from outside of iTunes, it is almost entirely profitable from hardware sales, and it has become online content and value-added services. Flowering; Apple’s market value was less than US$400 billion when Jobs stepped down, and now Apple’s market value is close to US$250 billion.

Perhaps many “fruit fans” still miss Jobs, miss his personal charm and forward-looking vision, miss his unparalleled creativity and imagination to Apple. But it is undeniable that Cook, as the successor, led Apple to a more “popular sense” of success, that is, wealth appreciation.

Of course, Cook has also brought many new experiences to many users in the past ten years. For example, the extended layout of wearable devices such as Apple Watch and Airpods, as well as the continuous exploration of the iPad in the application ecology, can represent the great results that Apple has achieved in the past decade.

How to evaluate the Apple of Cook’s tenth anniversary? Compared to the Steve Jobs era, what is the deepest impression of Apple in the Cook era? This is a topic of different opinions.

Zhang Xiaorong believes, “The characteristic of the Jobs era is to open up the market through technological innovation, and the characteristic of the Cook era is to improve performance and achieve growth. The difference between the two reflects the difference between the heads of a great company. If Jobs is rich and adventurous. Spiritual genius entrepreneur, then Cook is a professional manager with a more stable operation.”

In Zhang Shule’s view, “stable but not mediocre” is the biggest characteristic of Apple in the past decade. “The Apple of the Cook era moved inertially in the general direction planned by Jobs. It is true that the lack of disruptive innovation makes Cook regarded as a mediocre leader, but in fact disruptive innovation itself is a coincidence. There are so many things like Jobs. This created a legend of subversive innovation, which was difficult to replicate and required a certain time. But Cook formed a seemingly modest, but let Apple hold the opportunity to seek change in stability again.”

If Apple in the Steve Jobs era is full of “romantic” colors, and the pursuit of minimalism and refined product design is amazing and fascinating, Apple in the Cook era focuses on commerce and efficiency, thus adding more The expression of “pragmatism”.

However, after Apple has experienced a very successful decade, it may be difficult for the “next decade” to be carried out completely under Cook’s rule. Because Cook once said in an interview that he will step down as Apple’s CEO within ten years.

Maybe it is too early to talk about where Apple will go without Cook, but this day will come sooner or later. But now, focusing on new products such as the new generation of iPhone 13 is what the outside world cares most about.Return to Sohu to see more