Who would have thought almost 10 years after it’s into that the iPad would not only continue to lead the tablet market but that it would be extending it’s lead
The latest IDC numbers for the fourth quarter shows iPad with a 36.5 percent share of the global tablet market.
That was lead by the success of the 10.2-inch iPad which accounted for 65 percent of iPad shipments in the quarter
IDC estimated that in total Apple shipped 15.9 million iPads in the last quarter.
They show Apple’s share of the table market up 22.7 percent from a year ago.
And looking at the full year Apple accounted to 34.6 percent of the market shipping an estimated 49.9 million iPads up 15.2 percent from the 2018 numbers.
And all of this while overall the tablet market is shrinking with overall shipments down 1.5 percent year over year.
iPhone shows sales growth in India
Counterpoint Research has new numbers on iPhone sales in India that seem to show lower cost devices like the iPhone SE and and the iPhone 11 are helping juice sales.
They say iPhone shipments in India grew 41 percent in 2019
They also say Apple was the fastest growing premium smartphone brand in India
“Ultra-premium” is defined as devices selling above 45,000 rupees (~USD $634)
They also expect shipments to grow this year
Should be helped by reports that Apple manufacturing partner Wistron is now locally assembling iPhone printed circuit boards for the first time.
And that nowr iPhones are being made in India on a Completely Knocked Down (CKD) basis
Meaning individual components are shipped to India and all assembly is done in the region
This should allow for reduced production costs and would possibly allow for price cuts and heavier promotional discounts.
AppleTV+ subscriptions low according to analyst
Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi thinks very few Apple customers have taken advantage of their free year of Apple TV+
Less than 10 percent according to a Investors Business Daily post.
If true, that would mean that AppleTV+ has possibly less than 10 million subscribers
Seems to contradict two recent reports
One from a survey cited by the Wall Street Journal that estimated Apple TV+ subscribers at 33.6 million, beating out Disney+
A report that 6 out of the 10 top streaming series last month were shows on Apple TV+
The analyst is basing his guess on Apple last quarterly results call and believes Apple has not effectively promoted it’s video service.
A cord cutting service call Fixed surfed Apple TV subscribers to find out who would renew free subscriptions one their trials were over
59 percent of subscribers on free one year subscriptions said yes, but just 28 percent of those on 7-day trials felt like they’d continue
Overall satisfaction with the shows on the service as good 7 out of 10
Most cited value for the money as being the reason they would not re-subscribe.
I think Apple needs to offer a much longer standard free trial. At least 30 days if not longer.
Apple Watch outsold all Swiss watches in 2019
Apple doesn’t share individual devices sales numbers but new data from Strategy Analytics estimates that Apple shipped 31 million Apple Watches worldwide in 2019
To add perspective they pointed out that the entire Swiss Watch industry shipped 21 million units on 2019
The numbers also show that Apple’s watch saw growth of 36 percent year over year up from 22.5 million units sold last year.
Latest Apple betas hint at interesting new features
There are references to a “CarKey” API
The assumption is that Apple might be planning to allow your iPhone to double as your Car key using it’s built in NFC chip
It’s assumed the functionally could be used to lock, unlock, and also possibly start the car.
Appears to leverage FaceID for authentication.
It would be used to authenticate with the cars onboard system and work similarly to current radio-based keyless entry systems.
Apple would be partnering with automakers on this initiative, suggesting that CarKey could become a factory-installed option like CarPlay.
There are also references that show the possibility of sharing the key to other devices.
Could limit the abilities of the shared key, to say only lock and unlock the car.
I would assume, but not mentioned, the ability to set a time period on the “shared” key.
I’ll also point out that this could be useful in a future world where Apple offers cars as a service.
iCloud Shared Folders
Apple might finally be shipping this
Brings iCloud one step closer to services like Dropbox
Can share the contents of a folder with anyone you choose.
You can allow only those specific people that you select to view a folder, or anyone with a link.
Folders can also be set to read-only.
Support for In-app purchases on Apple Watch
Looks like there could be an updated Apple TV 4K in the works
Code name reference to a new model.
Seems to show it would be based on arm64e architecture which indicates an A12 or A13 chip.
References to AMD CPUs in the latest macOS Catalina betas
According to Engadget based on a Reddit post, so take it with a grain of salt
Claims a reference to the “Renoir” codename, meaning a Ryzen 4000 series chip.
Probably Apple simply playing with options. Could also be there to put pressure on Intel.
Apple’s indie repair program under fire
Motherboard got a look at the contracts that small business would need to sign to become a part of Apple’s Independent Repair Program (IRP)
This is the program that would allow non-Apple Authorized Service Providers to get access to genuine Apple parts, training, and resources for repairs
The terms are being called “crazy” and “onerous”
Businesses must sign an NDA before they even get the contract that Motherboard got a copy of.
Some of the terms that are being criticized:
Apple has the right to perform unannounced audits and inspections looking for “prohibited” repair parts and can impose fines if they are found
if Apple determines that more than two percent of a repair business' transactions involve prohibited products, the business would be obligated to pay Apple $1,000 for every transaction that occurred during the audit period
They can continue those audits for up to five years after the shop has left the repair program
Shops must also display and disclose that they are NOT Apple Authorized Service Providers and get customers written acknowledgement that they understand that.
They must also provide consent that shows customers know that Apple does not warranty repairs made by Independent Repair Providers
Shops are not allowed to use “counterfeit Products or service parts,” and “products or service parts that infringe on Apple’s intellectual property.”
There is no clear list or explanation of what parts would “infringe” or be considered “counterfeit”
All this said, these kinds of terms are nothing new for Apple. Just as an Apple Authorized Service Provider.
Many that have already signed up for the IRP are just happy to have access to genuine Apple parts and resources to be able to better service their customers.
It’s definitely a mixed bag here.
China coronavirus impacts Apple production
Nikkei is reporting that AirPods suppliers Luxshare-ICT, Goertek, and Inventec have been shut down since the beginning of the Lunar New Year
Worse overall component supplies in China or low because of the outbreak.
That means even when production starts to ramp up again it’s going to be slow going
Could push back supply shipments by as much as two weeks or more depending.
AirPods, already in high demand, will likely see see significant delays and shortages in the coming weeks or months.
There are also already prediction of significant impacts to iPhone and other shipments as well.
Ming Chi Kuo thinks Apple has already moved some iPhone production to locations in India and Taiwan to help reduce the impacts on iPhone shipments
Still these facilities have more limited capacities vs the sites in China.
They reality of all of this is of course that non of these impacts matter at all in the face of the human toll
The virus has now claimed more victims than SARS
It’s a horrible epidemic that we can only hope is brought under control quickly.
If you’ve ever tried visiting iCloud.com on a mobile device you know support was limited or you were told to access the service from apps and functionality on your device.
Looks like Apple has recently changed that.
You can now access a number of the services via a browser on iOS and Android devices on mobile.
For Phones you can access Photos, Notes, Reminders, and Find iPhone
On tablets you can access Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Photos, iCloud Drive, Notes, Reminders, Find Friends, and Find iPhone
Requesting the “desktop” version of the site on a phone doesn’t change which web apps you have access to.
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Feedback, commentary, opinions
Recommendation on learning automation
We've covered Automation using tools like Automator and Shortcuts on the show in the past
It one of those things you can learn that can really save a lot of time or can solve a particular need that you might have.
Getting into automation can seem daunting, but once you learn it you'll find lots of ways to use it.
Eric sent in a recommendation for a podcast that can get you going with Automation.
Last podcast I was talking about Apple’s services revenue after their earnings call and mentioned that while good we don’t know how it will be once they start to get income from all the “free” Apple TV accounts that may or may not convert to subscriptions this year
As noted earlier this is up for debate how many folks are actually using their free subscription.
Turns out, because of generally accepted accounting principles (GAPP) Apple is already counting all those “free” subs as revenue.
John wrote in to educate me that under GAPP what Apple does is subtract the cost of all those free subs from the device revenue that they are associated with and then move that over to the Services revenue column.
That could be good or bad depending on how you’re looking at it.
When all those free subs come up I’d be surprised if more than 10-25% of folks re-up.
We could see a BIG drop off in revenue at that point (of course device revenue would go up proportionally)
Still if the “free” subscriber numbers are low as some allege then it may not be that bad.
More thoughts on future iMac
I’ve been receiving all kinds of great suggestions and ideas from you
Dan says:
Let the iMac mount on that $1K Pro XDR Display arm
Not sure a $1500 iMac on a $1K arm seems like a wise financial choice, but I get the vibe you’re going for Dan
Also mentions adding ergonomics like level adjust and tilt, but XDR stand limits that.
No more HDD (I totally agree)
Keep the port selection (I assume with updates like TB3)
Daniel says:
Get rid of the 21-inch. I agree. Let’s see 24-inch and 27-inch
Maybe also offer a 32-inch option
Make SSD standard. YES!!
Make it possible for the user to adjust the height, swivel and tilt of the display
Add FaceID support. I think this would be great.
Make it easy to add/install a second drive.
I’ll go further and say RAM too.
Daniel also brings up adding a more affordable 24-inch Apple display option.
Something that matches the iMac design ascetic
I think at least a 4K, or better 5K, option.
Would be a great display option for Mac mini buyers as well
Ask Siri what your passwords are.
If you use iCloud Keychain to save and store your web passwords, did you know you could ask Siri to help the next time you forget what that password is?
Simply ask Siri, “What is my [name] passwords?”
Siri will open up Settings and after authenticating (Face or Touch ID) you will be shown the password.
This works on the Mac or iOS
If you prefer the manual route
Open up Settings on iOS
Go to Passwords & Accounts
Tap on Website & App Passwords
Authenticate
Search or browse to the account. Tap it to get the password
Open up Safari on the Mac
Click on Safari > Preferences…
Click on the 'Passwords` tab
A uthenticate.
Search for or select the account you're looking for.
Click the item in the results list and it will display your password.
Thing of the moment: FlickType
Typing on the Apple Watch can be tricky. I’m a big fan of the Gesture Type keyboard, but many want some more standardized.
You’d think it’d be impossible to offer a “QWERTY” style keyboard on such a small display, but according to listener Dan you’d be wrong
