Apple is terrible when it learns to compromise

If something keeps running along its original path, it is easy to make people tired or even sleepy, unless they can keep looking for new stimulation points. If Apple in the Steve Jobs era was in this mode, no one would doubt that this was the style of the eccentric and slightly paranoid Steve Jobs, and it was this style that forged Apple's greatness.

But Cook does not have this stigma. Continuing to rely on the old reputation and the enthusiasm of existing fans will not help Apple go further, so Apple has learned to compromise. Cook knows what benefits compromise will bring. First, the appearance of iPad Mini made Apple's tablet more approachable, and then the iPhone 5S gold version made people see Apple's goodwill in catering to market demand. No longer over-emphasizing individuality, and changing its profit model based on market demand is the biggest anomaly that Cook has brought to Apple.

Of course, innovation is still necessary, but with the increasing homogeneity of smart mobile terminals, any innovation is becoming increasingly difficult. When a model and product architecture have matured, it takes greater courage and even more unique creativity to completely overturn it. Obviously, no manufacturer has yet demonstrated such excellence.

In this case, catering to market demand, catering to user demand, and continuing the transition of the corporate structure based on their needs is not a wise choice. In this regard, Cook obviously knows better what support a compromised Apple can bring to it. The capital market continues to rise, the market value remains high, and Apple is still at the top.

In fact, Apple's stock price has reached its highest point in history before the iPhone 6 was released. Today, Apple's stock price has surpassed the $100 mark, breaking the company's record of $705 before the split (September 2012). According to the current total market value, Apple is now worth $612.2 billion, currently ranking first in the world.

A simple comparison will show us how huge Apple's market value is. According to calculations, Apple's current market value has far exceeded the sum of the market values ​​of General Electric (GE) and Walmart. GE and Walmart are leaders in their respective fields, and both companies rank very high in the Fortune 500, with current market values ​​of $262.4 billion and $244.1 billion respectively. For example, the market forecast market value of Alibaba, which is about to go public, is only $150 billion, and Apple is equivalent to four Alibabas.

So why did Apple choose to compromise? In addition to the huge benefits that compromise has brought to Apple, there are several other factors: First, the rise of emerging markets. As we all know, the old European and American markets are gradually becoming saturated, with weak growth, especially the high-end market, which is exactly Apple's market.

On the contrary, the emerging markets are rising and their demands are extremely huge, and the contribution of these markets to Apple is also increasing, such as the Chinese market. Therefore, catering to the demands of emerging markets has become a need for Apple. For example, large-screen mobile phones are very popular in emerging markets, and Apple has to cater to this change. It is reported that the iPhone 6 will be launched with a 5.5-inch screen.

The second is the application needs of the user group. Entering the era of mobile Internet, people are increasingly accustomed to using smartphones instead of other terminal products, such as computers. In this way, applications and operations on mobile phones will be very frequent, and the original small screen will be stretched. At this time, the emergence of large-screen mobile phones just fills the gap in user needs, allowing people to use mobile phones to get more application experience, thus starting a virtuous circle.

In addition, with the popularity of mobile payment and commerce, and the gradual emergence of O2O applications, smartphones can play an even greater role. It is reported that iPhone 6 will introduce mobile payment applications, which is based on the market opportunities of this demand.

The third is the pressure from competitors. For Apple, although Samsung is the only competitor that can directly compete with it, in more markets, many emerging mobile phone manufacturers are quite competitive in terms of applications and product changes, especially their prices are more affordable. Although there may be a big gap between them and Apple in terms of product quality, in emerging markets that care more about product cost performance, this product system can gain support from users. The diverse appearance, size, localized applications, etc. are all challenges to Apple.

Against this backdrop, Apple made compromises and concessions to get as close to the market as possible, especially the local market, moving from excellence to excellence, from being unique to catering to the market, and seeking opportunities in change.

Of course, the premise of change is to continue to innovate, even if it is micro-innovation, which is what Apple has been looking for, because without innovation, it will not continue to be sought after. The iWatch, which has been widely rumored to be coming out, is also the best proof of Apple's pursuit of innovation.

It can be said that Apple, which has learned to compromise, is scary, because quality determines reputation. When competitors do not forget to praise the quality of Apple products in the war of words, it means that its quality is already good enough. The rest is the transformation of user needs. Compromise is to cater to the market and user needs. When users find that Apple is becoming more and more people-friendly, it will also support its continued expansion and long-term dominance of the market. Such an Apple is undoubtedly formidable.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.