In an extensive interview with CNBC, Apple CEO Tim Cook touched upon a whole range of topics on Apple’s future. We’ve picked out the most important things he said to get a better view on how Apple is doing – and what its plans for 2019 and beyond are.
New services
It looks as though Apple has some more services up its sleeve for 2019. Most likely Cook is referring to Apple’s long-rumored TV streaming service and/or paid News subscription. We’d love to be surprised with something less expected, though!
“On services, you will see us announce new services this year. There will more things coming. I don’t wanna tell you about what they are — I’m not gonna forecast precisely, the ramps and so forth. But they’re things that we feel really great about, that we’ve been working on for multiple years.”
My bologna
Cook was quick to shut down reports that the iPhone XR has been a flop. We’d bet “bologna” isn’t the word he wanted to use…
“I call bologna on that. Let me tell you how I view this. Here’s the truth, what the facts are. Since we began shipping the iPhone XR, it has been the most popular iPhone every day, every single day, from when we started shipping, until now.
It has a bunch of advanced technologies in it from the chip with the neural engine to security embedded to an edge-to-edge liquid retina display, the first in the industry, longest battery life ever in an iPhone.”
Wearable success
Apparently, the sales figures for Apple Watch and AirPods are looking pretty healthy.
“The revenue for wearables is already more than 50 percent more than iPod was at its peak. Now, this is a product that I think everybody would say it was an incredibly important product for Apple, full of innovation, and probably, the trigger for the company getting on a very different trajectory and into other markets.”
Healthcare
Cook believes that Apple is just getting started with its healthcare services and can really shake up the industry.
“This is an area that I believe, if you zoom out into the future, and you look back, and you ask the question, “What was Apple’s greatest contribution to mankind,” it will be about health.
Because our business has always been about enriching people’s lives. And as we’ve gotten into healthcare more and more through the Watch and through other things that we’ve created with ResearchKit and CareKit and putting your medical records on the iPhone, this is a huge deal.
And it’s something that is very important for people. We are democratizing it. We are taking what has been with the institution and empowering the individual to manage their health.”