Apple failed to match growth of rivals in 2024
This year we saw a rebound in smartphone sales that have been in a slump post 2020 but Apple saw almost non-existent growth. Android-based rivals — especially Chinese phone manufacturers — moved a ton more product than Apple, and that is almost certainly because of the underwhelming iPhone 16 launch we had.
iPhone sales only grew by around 0.4 percent, a meager increase for a company of its stature. On the other hand the rest of the smartphone industry saw a growth of 6.2 percent according to the IDC (International Data Corporation). A lot of this growth is the result of the world returning to normal after the 2020 fiasco. Budget Chinese phone offerings also helped growth by seeing increased adoption in lower income regions.
Forecasts say Apple will likely have a better year in 2025. AI, while the main focus of major phone manufacturers today, has failed to increase demand. The iPhone 16’s major selling point was Apple Intelligence and apparently it just wasn’t enough to excite most consumers. It also doesn’t help that it is being rolled out in phases and keeps getting delayed.
Coming soon. We promise. | Video credit — Apple
Aside from the iPhone 16 we also saw the Apple Vision Pro launch in February. Initially expected to become an instant hit despite its ridiculous price tag the headset failed to meet sales expectations. Soon after launch production was slowed down and now there are reports that it will cease completely by year’s end.
While the iPhone remains Apple’s bread and butter the company is also looking at opening up other streams of revenue. There are now reports of an iPad robot in the works as well as a smart home device that will interface with other Apple products. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reveals that Apple has lofty ambitions of producing AI-powered humanoid robots in the future.
Whether these robot assistants become a reality or go the way of the Apple car remains to be seen. What’s evident is that the iPhone 16 was a very boring upgrade and now everyone’s eyes are on the iPhone 17 Air and whether it can revive demand as Apple hopes.
Whether these robot assistants become a reality or go the way of the Apple car remains to be seen. What’s evident is that the iPhone 16 was a very boring upgrade and now everyone’s eyes are on the iPhone 17 Air and whether it can revive demand as Apple hopes.
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