103 ms·

Apple's Services Revenue Expected to Top $100B for First Time

16 points by mgh2 1y ago

alsetmusic 1y ago
Chasing services revenue has been the worst decision of the Tim Cook era: Ads for services I don't want or need, hassling me to finish "setting up" my phone by turning on features I don't want (like AppleIntelligence and Siri), notification badges on my Settings app trying to tell me about the crap Apple wants me to know about. There's a rumor that Apple will start allowing ads in their Maps app next year. I couldn't have imagined they'd debase themselves this much a decade ago.
moscoe 1y ago
Tim Cook’s legacy… the enshittification of Apple Computer.
- emchammer 1y ago
  It's sad, because the issues at stake, which used to be considered highly-technical and the domain of experts or hackers, are now things that everybody understands.
jack_tripper 1y ago
And it's gonna be $200B+ when they put ads in everything like Google. Shareholders will love it even more. I remember articles discussing how Steve Jobs was hated by Wall Street since he prioritized consumer experience above cost cutting and shareholder returns, while Tim Cook is loved by Wall Street since he prioritizes cost cutting and shareholder returns above consumer experience.
- mandeepj 1y ago
  > he prioritizes cost cutting I don't think Cook is into cost cutting. 1. Almost no layoffs. 2. Burnt money on Apple car 3. Burnt money on Wireless charger 4. Burnt $5B on Apple Park; Original budget was $1B 5. And, so many other research areas.
  - jack_tripper 1y ago
    >I don't think Cook is into cost cutting. Check the box contents of the first iPhone versus the latest iPhone. >4. Burnt $5B on Apple Park; Original budget was $1B Apple Park started under Steve Jobs. >5. And, so many other research areas. Their research is also mostly to cut costs. Develop a modem, not to sell modems and beat Qualcomm on the market, but to stop giving Qualcomm money and keep it for themselves as extra margins. Etc.
  - brailsafe 1y ago
    Idk that I'd call building a headquarters for your super huge company burning money in the same way an experimental car project might be, or the Vision Pro.
- jdlshore 1y ago
  Do you have evidence that they’re going to put ads in everything, or are you just catastrophizing? (Yes, I know there are already some ads. That’s not evidence that they’re going to put $100bb more in.)
  - wmeredith 1y ago
    Ads are coming to Apple Maps next year according to Mark Gurman at Bloomberg: https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-is-reportedly-getting-ready-to-introduce-ads-to-its-maps-app-170654072.html https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-is-reportedly-getting-re...
    - mgh2 1y ago
      Only in maps…
    - jdlshore 1y ago
      That’s pretty disappointing. I pay a premium for Apple devices because I perceive them as customer-first. Highlighting businesses because they pay more, and not because they’re better for my needs, is decidedly not customer-first. It’s absolutely something that could push me out of the Apple ecosystem.
quaddoggy 1y ago
A quote by Charlie Munger comes to mind: "Invest in a business any fool can run, because someday a fool will". He was, of course, speaking of Eddy Cue.
wmeredith 1y ago
Wall Street will go wild. Meanwhile, Apple's customers have just been handed the buggiest, jankiest set of operating systems that Apple has ever released. (In my estimation, as an Apple user of 30 years.)
- hkpack 1y ago
  As Apple customer I strongly disagree. Both iOS and macOS 26 look refreshing. Few visual bugs have almost zero impact on day to day life and TBH I love liquid glass effects. There were much more disastrous releases in the past, it is just everyone have an opinion about UI these days.
  - frosting1337 1y ago
    Also as an Apple customer, iOS and macOS' latest releases _look_ nice, but they're unpolished and iOS still has some bugs. They were correct in their assessment. New releases used to have actual quality to them, now they feel rushed out.
    - hkpack 1y ago
      I mean previous serious bugs included damaged file system, broken photo library, failing time machine backups, or when half of your files on iCloud drive disappears. I consider few glitching UI animations or misplaced transitions to be tolerable.
  - kylehotchkiss 1y ago
    Plus one! I love the visual refresh. The minor version bump with options to reduce the glass effect a little shows Apple is willing to iterate on the nits people have with it.

16 points by mgh2 1y ago

Chasing services revenue has been the worst decision of the Tim Cook era: Ads for services I don't want or need, hassling me to finish "setting up" my phone by turning on features I don't want (like AppleIntelligence and Siri), notification badges on my Settings app trying to tell me about the crap Apple wants me to know about. There's a rumor that Apple will start allowing ads in their Maps app next year. I couldn't have imagined they'd debase themselves this much a decade ago.

moscoe 1y ago

Tim Cook’s legacy… the enshittification of Apple Computer.

emchammer 1y ago
It's sad, because the issues at stake, which used to be considered highly-technical and the domain of experts or hackers, are now things that everybody understands.

jack_tripper 1y ago

And it's gonna be $200B+ when they put ads in everything like Google. Shareholders will love it even more. I remember articles discussing how Steve Jobs was hated by Wall Street since he prioritized consumer experience above cost cutting and shareholder returns, while Tim Cook is loved by Wall Street since he prioritizes cost cutting and shareholder returns above consumer experience.

mandeepj 1y ago
> he prioritizes cost cutting I don't think Cook is into cost cutting. 1. Almost no layoffs. 2. Burnt money on Apple car 3. Burnt money on Wireless charger 4. Burnt $5B on Apple Park; Original budget was $1B 5. And, so many other research areas.
- jack_tripper 1y ago
  >I don't think Cook is into cost cutting. Check the box contents of the first iPhone versus the latest iPhone. >4. Burnt $5B on Apple Park; Original budget was $1B Apple Park started under Steve Jobs. >5. And, so many other research areas. Their research is also mostly to cut costs. Develop a modem, not to sell modems and beat Qualcomm on the market, but to stop giving Qualcomm money and keep it for themselves as extra margins. Etc.
- brailsafe 1y ago
  Idk that I'd call building a headquarters for your super huge company burning money in the same way an experimental car project might be, or the Vision Pro.
jdlshore 1y ago
Do you have evidence that they’re going to put ads in everything, or are you just catastrophizing? (Yes, I know there are already some ads. That’s not evidence that they’re going to put $100bb more in.)
- wmeredith 1y ago
  Ads are coming to Apple Maps next year according to Mark Gurman at Bloomberg: https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-is-reportedly-getting-ready-to-introduce-ads-to-its-maps-app-170654072.html https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-is-reportedly-getting-re...
  - mgh2 1y ago
    Only in maps…
  - jdlshore 1y ago
    That’s pretty disappointing. I pay a premium for Apple devices because I perceive them as customer-first. Highlighting businesses because they pay more, and not because they’re better for my needs, is decidedly not customer-first. It’s absolutely something that could push me out of the Apple ecosystem.

quaddoggy 1y ago

A quote by Charlie Munger comes to mind: "Invest in a business any fool can run, because someday a fool will". He was, of course, speaking of Eddy Cue.

wmeredith 1y ago

Wall Street will go wild. Meanwhile, Apple's customers have just been handed the buggiest, jankiest set of operating systems that Apple has ever released. (In my estimation, as an Apple user of 30 years.)

hkpack 1y ago
As Apple customer I strongly disagree. Both iOS and macOS 26 look refreshing. Few visual bugs have almost zero impact on day to day life and TBH I love liquid glass effects. There were much more disastrous releases in the past, it is just everyone have an opinion about UI these days.
- frosting1337 1y ago
  Also as an Apple customer, iOS and macOS' latest releases _look_ nice, but they're unpolished and iOS still has some bugs. They were correct in their assessment. New releases used to have actual quality to them, now they feel rushed out.
  - hkpack 1y ago
    I mean previous serious bugs included damaged file system, broken photo library, failing time machine backups, or when half of your files on iCloud drive disappears. I consider few glitching UI animations or misplaced transitions to be tolerable.
- kylehotchkiss 1y ago
  Plus one! I love the visual refresh. The minor version bump with options to reduce the glass effect a little shows Apple is willing to iterate on the nits people have with it.