Now that we’re in 2016, a lot of people have a lot of hopes and dreams. But for tech conglomerate Apple, few insiders predict a happy, uplifting year.
Some insiders come to this conclusion by looking at how 2015 ended. Some say Apple ended the year ‘just fine’, despite how they pushed new device after new device and service after new service on the consumer. Some tech insiders argue 2015’s Apple products deserve a C grade, at best. But wait…there’s more. For the first time in many years, Apple is poised to be on the downward side. According to a Business Insider article, 2016 is expected to be the first year iPhone sales end up in the red. And iPad sales are are falling with little sings of increase. The Apple Watch is highly anticipated, but so are their competitors’ smartwatches. The Apple Watch isn’t the only candy store in town when it comes to smartwatches. Apple’s software services, like iTunes, Apple Maps, and Apple Pay, have been deemed just okay. In the last several quarters, iPhone and iPad sales have plummeted. Sales in their other products and services are either stagnant or barely rising. Some experts warn Apple sales could fall 10% in Q1 2016 alone. That may not sound like much, but to Apple, that’s tens of billions of dollars in profit loss.
To Apple ‘just fine’ isn’t good enough. If the late Steve Jobs heard his company described as doing ‘just fine’, he’d probably roll over in his grave. For many years, Apple has been expected to lead and revolutionize all tech industries. Here lies part of the problem. Apple had been leading their competitors, now the competition is winning. Their competitors are many, their competitors are getting smarter and better, and they’re everywhere. In my neighborhood, there may be an Apple Store, but there’s also a Microsoft Windows store across the street from them. No longer can Apple be satisfied with just being the leader. It has to step it’s game up. Everybody else is. What do you think 2016 will hold for Apple?