Apple chiefs feared that smartphone buyers ‘want what we don't have’
Samsung patent trial hears executives were worried by slowing iPhone sales growth and lack of cheaper or large-screen phone
Apple's executives expressed concern in April 2013 that “consumers want what we don’t have” in smartphones – specifically, larger screens or significantly cheaper phones – according to documents released in its patent trial with Samsung in California.
Samsung patent trial hears executives were worried by slowing iPhone sales growth and lack of cheaper or large-screen phone
Apple's executives expressed concern in April 2013 that “consumers want what we don’t have” in smartphones – specifically, larger screens or significantly cheaper phones – according to documents released in its patent trial with Samsung in California.
But separate rumours from supply chain sources quoted by Reuters suggest that the company plans to introduce a larger-screen phone this year as the high end of the smartphone market slows down.
A presentation from Apple’s planning meeting for the 2014 fiscal year, which runs from September 2013 to September 2014, shows that it was already focusing on the slowdown in the top-end smartphone market for smaller screens such as the iPhone.
Other internal Apple documents admitted as evidence by Samsung also show that the company was considering creating a low-cost iPhone based on the iPod Touch as far back as autumn 2010, to replace its then year-old iPhone 3GS.
A series of slides admitted as evidence in the Apple-Samsung trial being held in San Jose shows the growth in the smartphone market between 2011 and 2012. The slides show that of the 228m extra devices sold – up from 494m to 722m in 2012 – 91m were priced at more than $300 (£180) with a screen more than 4in diagonally; 159m were priced at less than $300; and there was a drop of 22m in sales of “everything else” – that is, phones priced over $300 but with screens of 4in or less, which includes all Apple’s present iPhone range.
Apple falls squarely into the “everything else” range. Although it upped the screen size of the iPhone in September 2012, introducing the iPhone 5 with a 4in screen rather than the 3.5in screen of the previous generations, the data from its internal presentation shows that executives are aware of the gap between its high-priced phones and the growing trend towards larger screens over 4in, spearheaded by products from companies including Samsung.
source: http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/apr/07/apple-smartphone-samsung-patent-trial-iphone
A presentation from Apple’s planning meeting for the 2014 fiscal year, which runs from September 2013 to September 2014, shows that it was already focusing on the slowdown in the top-end smartphone market for smaller screens such as the iPhone.
Other internal Apple documents admitted as evidence by Samsung also show that the company was considering creating a low-cost iPhone based on the iPod Touch as far back as autumn 2010, to replace its then year-old iPhone 3GS.
A series of slides admitted as evidence in the Apple-Samsung trial being held in San Jose shows the growth in the smartphone market between 2011 and 2012. The slides show that of the 228m extra devices sold – up from 494m to 722m in 2012 – 91m were priced at more than $300 (£180) with a screen more than 4in diagonally; 159m were priced at less than $300; and there was a drop of 22m in sales of “everything else” – that is, phones priced over $300 but with screens of 4in or less, which includes all Apple’s present iPhone range.
Apple falls squarely into the “everything else” range. Although it upped the screen size of the iPhone in September 2012, introducing the iPhone 5 with a 4in screen rather than the 3.5in screen of the previous generations, the data from its internal presentation shows that executives are aware of the gap between its high-priced phones and the growing trend towards larger screens over 4in, spearheaded by products from companies including Samsung.
source: http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/apr/07/apple-smartphone-samsung-patent-trial-iphone