Apple declares itself a mobile device company
Apple’s chief operating officer has declared that his employer does indeed identify itself as a “mobile device company†and takes pride in its ability to effectively manage both the hardware and software of its mobile devices.
Speaking during a question and answer period at the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference in San Francisco, Apple COO Tim Cook was asked if he thought that Apple considered itself to be a mobile device company. Cook was very clear in his reply, stating unequivocally that he considered the description to be correct. In fact, Cook said, “As we compared ourselves to every other company in the world, including Sony, Nokia, and Samsung … We found out that we were the largest [mobile company] in the world measured by revenue. So yes, you should look at Apple as a mobile device company.”
The iPhone, and to a slightly lesser degree the iPad Touch, are seen as critical factors in the continued growth that Apple has enjoyed during the recent global recession, far outstripping sales of Mac computers in terms of growth. It is not hard to see that Apple hopes to build on this success by continuing to build iPhone sales while add the new iPad tablet computer to its arsenal of mobile products. Apple has already sold over 75 million iPhones and Touches, according to a ChannelWeb story, and are looking to add a significant number (tens of millions) of iPads to those totals during its first year of sales.
Cook said, “We believe that we are uniquely positioned to do extremely well in a mobile device world because we can integrate together seamlessly software and hardware.” That was the beginning of a shot across Microsoft’s bow, which Cook completed by saying, “The traditional model, where one company does an operating system, another company does key core applications, and yet another company does hardware, really begins to fall apart significantly in a mobile device world.” In truth, it’s very difficult to argue with Cook’s assessment of the current mobile marketplace.
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February 25th, 2010
The traditional model works and is still very successful.Apple’s competition in this sector will be from Google/Android/Chrome.
Unless Apple buys a wireless provider and suddenly decides to toss out their very successful attention to making sure hardware and models don’t overlap, it will be limited. How’s that AT&T tethering working out?
This fixation on Microsoft as Bluto to Apple’s Popeye doesn’t work in this area. It’s not a major slice of their business.
Android doubled it’s share of the market in December from 2.5% to 5%. It’s hard to argue that Apple wasn’t looking at the rest of their hardware when deciding what capabilities to give the iPad.
Some of the disappointment many felt when the iPad was announced had to do with it’s lack of addressing the hole Apple has in a netbook rival
There is no question the iPad will sell.To do a repeat of the iPod and iPhone would take another iTunes and App Store.
That may happen, it would be stupid to underestimate Apple, but I’d give Google the nod if you look at scope and potential and the field because hardware manufacturers will be able to stick in SD slots and USB ports and cameras, multi-thread processors without worrying about stepping on MacBook sales.
I use my Google Voice account on my Touch Pro and my laptop. And it’s not like Linux isn’t already in a number of wildly different device’s firmware.
The Power PC platform had all the advantages Cook stated. It remains to be seen if this is just Apple TV and Tivo.
I don’t see the argument as very difficult at all. I already have an iPod Touch, I was looking for a device that lets me leave one of my mobile devices home.
February 25th, 2010
The iPad Touch eh? Anyways I am surprised they didn’t declare themselves a mobile device company when they released the iPhone. Article bookmarked