Apple this week was celebrating a major anniversary and nearing a huge revenue milestone. But along the way, a prominent investor was questioning whether its best days were in the past.
Apple this week celebrated the 10th anniversary of its iPhone unveiling in Jan. 2007. The company was also said to be nearing $1 trillion in cumulative revenue on just iOS-related devices over the last ten years. But all of that couldn’t silence detractors who think Apple can’t quite innovate the way it once did. And although Apple has been successful over the last decade, they say that doesn’t mean better days are ahead.
This is Coins2Day’s weekly roundup of the biggest Apple news this week. To see last week’s roundup, click here.
But there was more to Apple’s (AAPL) past week than a debate over its Golden Age. Questions surfaced over what the next iPhone might look like and whether Apple has some new products planned.
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In this week’s Apple news roundup, we’ll look at all that and more.
- Apple this week celebrated the 10th anniversary of its first iPhone unveiling at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, Calif. On Jan. 9, 2007. The iPhone went on to become the world’s most popular smartphone and one of the industry’s most popular products of all time. And now 10 years later, rumors abound Apple has big plans for a new 10th anniversary iPhone later this year.
- In the 10 years since Apple’s iPhone has been available, it’s been a cash cow. And in a research note this week, Asymco analyst Horace Dediu said that iOS-related products, including iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Apple Watch, and Apple TV could generate $980 billion in cumulative sales by mid-2017. Add that to the $100 billion in iOS services revenue Apple, and this year, the company’s total iOS-related revenue should top $1 trillion.
- Despite that unprecedented success in the technology industry, Apple’s best days might be behind it, billionaire investor Peter Theil says. In an interview with the New York Times, Thiel said that he believes “the age of Apple is over.” He added that he doesn’t believe Apple or any other company can deliver actual “innovation” in smartphones.
- Apple has big plans for the next iPhone, according to a new report. Apple is reportedly planning an iPhone this year that would feature glass panes on its front and back. A stainless steel metal frame would sit around its edge. The design would take cues from Apple’s iPhone 4, which similarly used glass and stainless steel in its design. Apple over the last few years has relied upon metal unibody designs.
- Apple is reportedly working with Zeiss to deliver new smart glasses sometime this year. The glasses would reportedly incorporate augmented-reality technology, allowing apps to place virtual elements over the real world. The smart glasses were reportedly planned for 2018, but Apple is now planning to unveil them sometime in 2017.
- Consumer Reports this week changed its tune on Apple’s new MacBook Pro with TouchBar. After the reviews company declined to recommend the computer over battery woes, Apple worked with Consumer Reports to find a bug that caused the computer’s battery to have trouble. Consumer Reports said this week that it retested the MacBook Pro and found that the machine now falls “well within the recommended range” in its ratings.
- Apple’s AirPods might have only gone on sale in mid-December, but in December, they accounted for 26% of all online wireless sales, according to data from shopping tracker Slice Intelligence. The AirPods topped Bose and Apple-owned Beats for tops in the wireless headphones market.
- Apple is planning to make a big push into original streaming video content this year, according to the Wall Street Journal. The company has reportedly “been in talks with veteran producers” about buying the rights to shows. The move would put Apple in competition with Netflix and Hulu, among other streamers that have invested in original content.
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One more thing… Interested in seeing what it was like to watch Steve Jobs unveil the first iPhone? Watch it here.
