What’s powering Apple’s $2T valuation, and where it’s headed
Posted
Focus on Technology
From The Hustle |
| On July 1, one of the world’s top Apple analysts, Neil Cybart, wrote an article titled “Apple is pulling away from the competition.”
Since then, Apple has gained $500B+ in market cap and -- on the road to becoming the world’s first $2T company -- smoked its Big Tech frenemies.
Apple has built its advantage for years
Each of its new products is designed to handle tasks once managed by sibling devices -- and in “an increasingly personal way,” Cybart told us yesterday.
Computing tasks are moving from the Mac to the iPhone to the Apple Watch -- while all of Apple’s products work seamlessly together (except the charger cables).
In comparison, Apple’s top tech competitors are all over the place:
Samsung is aimlessly launching products just to be “first” (i.e., foldable screens)
Amazon bet big on the Echo instead of wearables
Microsoft’s Surface has failed to break through with consumers
|
|
iPhone sales are slowing but other products are picking up the slack
Apple has built a sticky ecosystem around its flagship product with services and non-iPhone revenues accelerating in recent quarters.
Cybart estimates that of Apple customers, 50% own only one product (iPhone). Once these people go deeper into the ecosystem, watch out.
Expect millions of users to add additional items like the AirPods, Watch, subscription or -- as Cybart predicts -- a face wearable in the years to come.
The biggest risk to Apple?
To be sure, Apple has significant supply chain and business exposure to China (~17% -- or $40B+ of its 2019 revenue) as well as antitrust concerns (e.g., Epic Games).
However, Cybart tells us the biggest risk to the Cupertino giant is a lack of focus.
Customers are embracing Apple’s current strategy, he says -- but “if you see Apple stretch itself into areas where it doesn’t have the same user experience, that could start the gradual unwind of its ecosystem gains.” |
Keywords
Amazon,
Apple,
Business,
Microsoft,
Samsung,
Technology,
The Hustle