It should be said that when the CEO of Apple speaks about upcoming launches you’re not going to get specifics. That’s nothing new whether it was Steve Jobs or Tim Cook, they speak in generalities comfortably but certainly won’t go further than that.
Tim Cook speaks to Wall Street, Investors
With rumors of the iPhone 7 line hotting up in recent weeks following Apple’s precipitous stock drop, Tim Cook took time out to allow himself to be interviewed on CNBC. The interviewer didn’t bother to ask, with good reason, about the rumored launch of a trinity of iPhones believed to be the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone Pro.
Rather, CNBC gave Tim Cook an opportunity to speak about its future products in vague terms and address Wall Street (almost as if there were a few CNBC employees/producers with Apple stock in their portfolios).
For the first time since Apple introduced the iconic iPhone line 13 years ago sales have gone down. This was announced by the Cupertino, CA giants in its last earnings call and the stock hasn’t been the same since.
Before getting back to Mr. Cook, the rumored “Pro” iPhone is meant to include a dual-lens camera as well as a number of features that right now are the domain of the company’s iPad Pro line. The iPad Pro, in addition to featuring fantastic sound owing to resonance chambers, includes support for Apple Pencil and Apple’s mobile keyboard unlike the “amateur” iPads.
When asked if Apple was in a downward spiral, as expected, Mr. Cook said absolutely not.
Specific products without specifics
Asked about the first decline in iPhone sales, Cook simply pointed out that most companies would be happy to have Apple’s sales numbers; it’s simply set the bar quite high.
“We just had actually an incredible quarter by absolute standards, 50 billion plus in revenues and 10 billion in profits,” Cook said.
“To put that in perspective the 10 billion is more than any other company makes so it was a pretty good quarter but not up to the Street’s expectations clearly,” he rightfully continued.
Sticking with the iPhone product line, Cook was grilled (again, he was asked nicely by a presumed stock holder) about the iPhone 7 where Cook said about what you would expect.
“We’re incredibly excited about things we’re working on. Incredibly excited. We’ve got great innovation in the pipeline, new iPhones that will incent you and other people that have iPhones today to upgrade to new iPhones.”
“We’re going to give you things that you can’t live without that you just don’t know you need today,” Cook boasted when talking about future iPhones. That has always been the objective of Apple. To do things that really enrich people’s lives. Features where you look back to before they were introuced and you wonder ‘how did I live without this?’”
There is little doubt that the smartwatch is here to stay as, well, we’re apparently too lazy to check our phones. But, the iPhone can’t track health and fitness like the Apple Watch. The Apple Watch II, while not expected this year, warranted a question and Cook was happy to answer.
“You’ll see the Apple Watch getting better and better. We’re still in learning mode. We’re learning fairly quickly, though. We know a lot more than we did a year ago.”
“I think that in a few years we will look back and people will say, ‘How could I have ever thought about not wearing this watch?”
While the interview lasted longer and the CEO continued to speak of Apple’s “comeback” it’s not clear if he has yet impressed the Street.
