Apple: The Phone Problem

Apple is quite weak in their laptops and desktops, but their phones seem to be the strongest. Due to the fact that all phones are expensive, Apple’s price disadvantage is a lot less noticeable. However, their technology is also outclassed by other competitors. The Huawei Mate 20 Pro, for example, has a much better camera and much longer battery life compared to the iPhone Xs Max while costing less. Apple still seems to be following the “one size fits all” approach as they only released 3 new phones in their last event as opposed to the hundreds of Android phones on the market.

Apple remains missing in a rather large sector, which is the budget/low end sector. Phones such as the Samsung Galaxy M20 and Redmi Note 7 have very modern designs, with a dewdrop notch and decent processor, while costing under $200. Apple’s lowest end phone (that can still be bought on the Apple store) is the iPhone SE which has a dated design (using the same chassis as the iPhone 5s) but slightly faster processor. In order for Apple to gain market share, it is essential that they compete in that area. However, the cheapest “new” phone that Apple has is the iPhone Xr, which is a bit too expensive even for most people.

The iPhone Xs and Xs Max have prices that are slipping into flagship territory, competing with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S10 and S10+, the Xiaomi Mi MIX 3, OnePlus 6T, Google Pixel 3, Huawei Mate 20 Pro and Mate 20 X, and many more. All of these listed Androids are much cheaper and generally have better designs. The only reason I could accept for people using Apple products is a better ecosystem, which is the only advantage Apple currently has over their competitors, although eventually the costs will outweigh the benefits.

Apple is starting to lose their grip on the smartphone industry. This figure below shows a line graph of the top 3 smartphone companies.

Apple has been on a downward trend since 2016 and this continues after being surpassed by Huawei last summer.

These facts point to a bleak future for Apple. It is now time for Apple to take the role of other companies and to play catch-up in order to keep up with the changing market trends.