How did Apple perform in 2019? Read these 10 stories and you'll understand

In 2019, Apple had some major and minor incidents. At the end of the year, we need to review them. Throughout 2019, Apple did not have any scandals and sat comfortably in the midst of global changes. But there is no such thing as a saintly company. Even Apple can make mistakes.

Overall, Apple did well in five areas and made mistakes in three areas. Let's talk about the five areas it did right: First, the mobile phone camera has improved and kept up with the highest standards in the industry; second, it separated the iPad from iOS and launched iPadOS; third, it made some sacrifices to extend the battery life of the phone; fourth, it reconciled with Qualcomm; and fifth, it set an example for the industry with new advertising technology. There are also three areas where it did not do well: first, Siri and HomePod are still mediocre; second, the iPhone is still priced a bit high and the market demand is sluggish; third, AirPower died.

If you want to learn more about Apple in 2019, you should read these 10 stories:

Launching a lot of new products

Before the beginning of 2019, Apple CEO Cook promised fans that there would be heavyweight products launched throughout 2019. Sure enough, in this year, Apple launched the following products:

iPhone 11, Apple Watch Series 5 (with ECG app), credit card, new AirPods, AirPods Pro, seventh-generation iPad, iPad Air, iPad mini, Mac Pro, Pro Display XDR, 16-inch MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, Research App, Apple TV+, Apple News+, Arcade streaming service, macOS Catalina, iOS 13, iPad OS, tvOS 13, watchOS 6, Final Cut Pro X, Logic Pro X, iPod touch, Siri Shortcuts.

In addition, Apple has opened new stores in multiple regions, made extensive use of solar energy, and refurbished its App.

iPhone 11 and U1 chip

Apple has embedded a U1 chip inside the iPhone 11, which allows you to share files with nearby AirDrop users. Ultra Wideband technology suggests that U1 is just the beginning, and that Apple will create more new products and services in the coming years because of U1.

Apple has also heavily introduced machine learning technology on the iPhone 11, which makes the phone's camera smarter. In addition, Apple has improved its voice recognition technology, which brings us one step closer to a "voice-first AI predictive" user interface.

Serve

This year, Apple launched its own streaming service, Apple TV+, which caused a sensation. In addition to Apple TV+, there are also Arcade streaming game services and News+. The new services are good and have been recognized by users.

Cook once said that he wanted to increase Apple's service industry's annual revenue to $50 billion. From 2016 to 2018, Apple's service industry revenue was $24.3 billion, $29.97 billion, and $37.1 billion, respectively. In the first three quarters of 2019, the service industry revenue was $46.3 billion. There should be no suspense that Cook will achieve his goal.

iPad Evolves into a Productivity Tool

The iPad was born in 2019, and has made a lot of progress in the past two years. Apple launched iPadOS, which greatly enhanced the productivity and office capabilities of the iPad Pro.

With the addition of Sidecar mode, the distance between Mac and iPad has been further shortened, and because it supports Apple Pencil, it is more convenient to use iPad for work.

There are many tasks that we would have preferred to do with a computer, and since the iPad has evolved, we can use it to replace a computer. Some people speculate that Apple will eventually put the A-series chips in the Mac, and if that is the case, the industry will change again.

In order to attract developers, Apple launched the Catalyst project, which aims to allow developers to easily optimize iPad apps and use them on other devices.

Ivy leaves

In 2019, Apple's legendary designer Jony Ive left. Of course, Ive will still serve Apple as an "outsider", but his design direction may change: in the future, he will only design some expensive products for the rich, and will no longer design for mass users.

For the Apple empire, Ive's departure is definitely a shocking event, but it is not necessarily a bad thing, because after Ive's departure, Apple has the opportunity to optimize design decisions and determine a new direction for hardware design.

Maybe we’ll see a black version of AirPods someday, so stay tuned.

Apple acquires Intel's modem business

Apple has reached a peace agreement with Qualcomm and spent $1 billion to acquire Intel's modem business. This proves that the 5G iPhone is very important, not only to Apple, but also to the development of the 5G industry.

Some people believe that the fact that Apple signed a peace agreement with Qualcomm and spent money on acquisitions shows that Apple encountered challenges in developing 5G technology, and patents and licensing are obstacles that Apple cannot bypass.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Apple will launch a 5G iPhone with a built-in Qualcomm modem in 2020. By 2021 or 2022, Apple may equip the iPhone with its own 5G modem.

credit card

Apple Card may not be the best credit card, but it's not far from being the best. Recently, Apple has launched a new initiative: Apple Card users can pay monthly for iPhone purchases without interest. This move seems to suggest that Apple will move towards the "Apple as a Service" model. What will Apple do next? It may continue to consolidate its financial services products.

Siri and Privacy

Apple always says that it values ​​user privacy. I believe it is telling the truth. Apple does better than its competitors in terms of privacy. However, there was an accident some time ago. In order to optimize Siri, Apple secretly recorded user conversations. Fans were furious when they found out. Apple responded that it has adjusted its policy and will process recordings within the company, so the information will be more secure. Users can also prohibit Siri from recording.

Butterfly Keyboard

Apple's 16-inch MacBook Pro is great. On this laptop, Apple finally ditched the infamous butterfly keyboard and replaced it with a new keyboard that's safer and more robust. Finally, history has been turned. To please professional users, Apple also launched a more powerful Mac Pro system and Pro Display XDR. Now consumer users are waiting, hoping that a new Mac will be launched next spring.

Difficulties in China

In 2019, China was a headache for Apple. In the second fiscal quarter of this year, Apple's revenue in Greater China was approximately US$10.218 billion, compared with approximately US$13.024 billion in the same period last year, a year-on-year decline of 22%. Revenue in the third quarter also declined year-on-year, but the decline was small. Will Apple's business in China rebound in 2020? It is still unclear.