So it's the end of the financial quarter, and folks are raving about how Apple sold almost as many iPads as Mac computers. And despite the fuss over the antenna, the iPhone 4 looks to be a hit. Momentum should carry Apple through Q3 pretty well. Kids are going back to school, and Macs, iPads and iPhones will certainly be on lots of kids' back-to-school lists. Of course Q4 means the holiday season, so in terms of hardware - iPads, iPods, iPhones, and Macs, Apple should do well for the rest of the year.
A few years ago, we might have looked forward to a major Q1 announcement for MacWorld. Just a few years ago, we saw the unveiing of the MacBook Air at MacWorld, and marveled at its weight and thin profile. But for new products, MacWorld just isn't in the cards any more. As Apple pointed out, it was always a bit silly to introduce new products in January, after the start of the school year and the winter holidays.
So the question is, what will Apple have for us in Q1 of 2011? With the iPhone 4 already 6 months old, and the iPad some 9 months old, can new faster Mac computers fill in the gap? Or will Apple surprise us again? I have no idea, but there are three scenarios that come to mind:
(1) Hardware: A fix or improvement to unsung hardware that's very significant. Maybe AppleTV will get fixed, or we'll see biometric sensors (that really work) to authenticate access to our devices. Maybe the Nike-iPod thing will go further, with a FitBit acquisition.
(2) Software & Services: Apple has bought a lot of important IP, from geolocation (Poly9) to AI-enabled services (Siri). Apple doesn't roll out services until they're ready, but everyone knows that they don't rest on past accomplishments. Maybe we'll something there.
(3) Commercial services: Now that Apple has its own ad network, maybe we'll see more revenue flowing through that. Even if we don't, it's possible that the iPad could introduce more traffic to the AppStore than we'd anticipated. And with new iPad owners, we see new first-tim App Store customers coming in every day.
So there you have it, three reasons to not panic that hsving launched the iPad, iPhone 4, and new Mac computers in 2010, Apple will run out of mojo in 2011.
Stay thirsty, my friends.
Posts
