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Welcome to publicly traded companies and stock-based executive compensation.

marcinzm 4y ago
This seems more like any company simply trying to maximize revenue and profits rather than something to do with being public.
- fragmede 4y ago
  but only public companies have to maximize revenue to the Nth degree, publicly. If the company isn't public, you have a far smaller audience to impress, and one that can be made to understand nuance. Eg how is Dell doing? Few really know since they went private.
  - marcinzm 4y ago
    That’s a fine argument if you explain why a yearly release cycle hurts long term total revenue as well. To me it seems to help it.
com2kid 4y ago
It is also the consumer news cycle. When a company doesn't have a yearly big flagship product launch, people assume something is very very wrong. Let's pretend Samsung skips releasing a new Galaxy this year. Mums the word, no news at all, they just don't announce anything. Well crap, to the average person who wants a new phone, that is scary, they want a phone that is going to be supported, not a phone from a company that might go out of business tomorrow! Or at least stop making phones. And who wants to buy a 1 year old phone? Heck phones have a huge drop off in purchase within months after release, 6 months on the market and unless you need a phone, mine as well wait another 6 months and either get the model you're looking at on serious discount, or get something that'll last longer. And then the tech press will go crazy with speculation! "OMFG END OF THE WORLD FOR THAT COMPANY!!!" Ok, another fun fact, profitability of consumer electronics, at least in the US, generally relies upon holiday sales. iPhones pop out in September, which is about optimal timing for reviews to hit en-masse, to build mindshare, and have partners do their initial huge full price sales before holiday promos kick in. Start releasing every 18 months instead and you fall off that train, your choices are pretty much 12m or 24m cycles to hit that holiday release.
- Dylan16807 4y ago
  The main reason I go for the newest android phone possible is to make sure I get updates. Only in the last year have google and samsung increased their update commitments to the point that a year-old phone is acceptable.

This seems more like any company simply trying to maximize revenue and profits rather than something to do with being public.

fragmede 4y ago
but only public companies have to maximize revenue to the Nth degree, publicly. If the company isn't public, you have a far smaller audience to impress, and one that can be made to understand nuance. Eg how is Dell doing? Few really know since they went private.
- marcinzm 4y ago
  That’s a fine argument if you explain why a yearly release cycle hurts long term total revenue as well. To me it seems to help it.

com2kid 4y ago

It is also the consumer news cycle. When a company doesn't have a yearly big flagship product launch, people assume something is very very wrong. Let's pretend Samsung skips releasing a new Galaxy this year. Mums the word, no news at all, they just don't announce anything. Well crap, to the average person who wants a new phone, that is scary, they want a phone that is going to be supported, not a phone from a company that might go out of business tomorrow! Or at least stop making phones. And who wants to buy a 1 year old phone? Heck phones have a huge drop off in purchase within months after release, 6 months on the market and unless you need a phone, mine as well wait another 6 months and either get the model you're looking at on serious discount, or get something that'll last longer. And then the tech press will go crazy with speculation! "OMFG END OF THE WORLD FOR THAT COMPANY!!!" Ok, another fun fact, profitability of consumer electronics, at least in the US, generally relies upon holiday sales. iPhones pop out in September, which is about optimal timing for reviews to hit en-masse, to build mindshare, and have partners do their initial huge full price sales before holiday promos kick in. Start releasing every 18 months instead and you fall off that train, your choices are pretty much 12m or 24m cycles to hit that holiday release.

Dylan16807 4y ago
The main reason I go for the newest android phone possible is to make sure I get updates. Only in the last year have google and samsung increased their update commitments to the point that a year-old phone is acceptable.