Where should Apple go after the large-screen iPhone?

2014 was a mixed year for Apple . On the one hand, the large-screen iPhone 6 and Plus were extremely successful, successfully seizing the large-screen mobile phone market share of manufacturers such as Samsung; but at the same time, iPad products experienced a significant decline, and even the new iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 seemed to be unable to do anything.

As for other products, the 5K resolution iMac is amazing, but its high price may not bring good market performance. The much-anticipated new MacBook Air did not appear, which is regrettable. As for iPod products, they have basically stopped updating, after all, music players have been replaced by smartphones.

The next question is: After experiencing the stimulus of the large-screen iPhone, how will Apple continue to achieve profit growth in 2015? Let's take a look at the following analysis.

iPhone

The surge in iPhone sales this year is largely due to the replacement craze brought about by the large-screen iPhone. Users have always had to accept 4-inch iPhones, while the market trend is 5 inches or even larger. The accumulated demand over the past few years has led to an increase in sales of iPhone 6 and Plus, and has successfully captured the market share of Samsung's high-end large-screen phones. But looking at the entire market, the impact of iPhone 6/Plus on Android is not that big, because Apple's large-screen iPhone is only for the high-end market, while there is no shortage of large-screen phones below 3,000 yuan in the Android market.

Next year, Apple should continue to launch an upgraded model, the "iPhone 6s", with the same overall design, improved hardware specifications and iOS 9. The iPhone 6 and Plus may be sold at a reduced price, and it is also very likely that a new 4-inch model will be introduced for the mid-range market. In this case, it is expected that the iPhone sales next year will be lower than this year.

iPad

Even with declining sales, the iPad remains the best-selling tablet computer series in the market, bringing in $30 billion in revenue for Apple in fiscal 2014. Of course, the problem facing the iPad series is its less-than-optimistic growth prospects, and Apple's minor updates this year are clearly not attractive enough.

Compared with mobile phones, the replacement cycle of tablets is longer. The latest analysis shows that it takes three to four years, instead of one to two years. So in this case, if Apple wants to increase iPad sales next year, the best way is to launch a new product, such as the rumored 12-inch iPad. By increasing the screen size, adding split-screen multitasking, etc., changing the usage of the iPad, and combining it with IBM 's enterprise services, it may be able to temporarily increase the market sales of the iPad.

Mac

The overall situation of Mac is more eye-catching than iPad in 2014, and Intel will launch the new Broadwell chipset next year, and a new round of product updates is expected to begin. However, since iMac has already got a 5K screen this year, it is expected that there will not be much change next year. The most anticipated thing is the rumored new MacBook Air.

The MacBook Air has not received a major update for a long time, especially the retina screen. It is widely rumored that Apple will launch a 12-inch MacBook Air with a retina screen. At the same time, due to the characteristics of the Broadwell chip, a fanless design can be used to obtain lower power consumption and longer battery life, which is very consistent with its positioning.

Apple Watch

Although Apple Watch is a new product released by Apple in 2014, it will not be available until early 2015, so it may be one of the biggest challenges facing Apple. The development of smart watches is still immature, and Apple Watch still has some limitations in battery life and usage form, but its characteristics are fashion, multiple versions and rich accessories, which may bring some new trends to the smart watch market.

iPod and Apple TV

The iPod Classic was discontinued in 2014, and the iPod Touch and Nano series have not been updated, which basically means that its future is uncertain. Music players are obviously no longer the mainstream in the digital market, and perhaps soon, the iPod will become a symbol of history.

As for the "little hobby" Apple TV, it will never be the focus of Apple. The previously rumored iTV TV device does not seem to appear in the short term. Apple TV may get hardware and software updates next year, but it will still be limited to a limited market.

Software Platform

Apple's main challenge in 2015 also includes how to improve various software platforms as quickly as possible. iOS and OS X are expected to receive minor updates in the future, but the more important part lies in the planning and development of health, smart home, mobile payment, smart watch, and car platforms. Apple's platform strategy battle line is stretched too long, which distracts the attention of the entire company. How to effectively concentrate resources to improve them as quickly as possible is what Apple needs to consider.

In addition, Apple has not yet made any product or integration plans after acquiring Beats. This year's iCloud security issues and other negative information are also hard to ignore, which Apple needs to solve as soon as possible.

Summarize

Obviously, under Cook's leadership, Apple is becoming bigger and bigger, hoping to enter every part of people's lives. But the changes in the technology field are unpredictable and very fast. Giants such as Nokia and BlackBerry were almost abandoned by users in an instant, and Apple cannot escape this hidden danger. In 2015, what Apple needs to do is not only to maintain profit margins, but also to prove to users that its products and platforms are reliable and easy to use in order to achieve sustainable development.

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.