Scott Forstall Archives - Bartle Doo Article Archives

With Apple shares still trading mostly sideways following the January earnings plunge, investors continue to search for the next important catalyst that can help the company return to its former glory.

The usual suspects are all here. New iPad models could come as early as next month, but may also be pushed out to later this year, because the tablets were updated at the end of 2012. The next iPhone is potentially due out this summer, as Apple may be moving that product cycle up to fend off competitors. The inevitable dividend boost, or some other form of capital return, is very likely imminent, because it’s that time of year.

However, there’s likely another underappreciated catalyst on the horizon that most investors aren’t considering: iOS 7.

Lucky number 7
Apple hosts its Worldwide Developer, or WWDC, in June. That’s less than three months away, and the company should expectedly preview the next major version of its mobile operating system platform iOS. Arguably, this year’s iOS 7 release may prove to be one of the most important versions for Apple’s ecosystem in years. There’s one specific reason why this version will be so critical: Jony Ive.

Late last year, Apple ousted former iOS chief Scott Forstall amid a rare executive shakeup at the highest echelons of the largest tech company. Forstall is the man who led iOS to become Apple’s dominant platform over the years, and it now powers over 70% of revenue. He’s also the executive who’s been widely criticized about Apple’s interface design direction. I’m not just referring to the skeuomorphism, but, rather, the overall interface.

Over the years, critics have continued to deride the iOS interface as dated, since the platform still looks mostly the same as when the original iPhone launched in 2007. There have been numerous changes over the years, but the core interface is largely unchanged. The toughest part for Apple investors? The critics are absolutely right.

Goodbye, first mover advantage
Google has come an incredibly long way with interface since the early days of Android. Hiring Matias Duarte out of Palm before that company was swallowed by Hewlett-Packard was a big part of that, since he brought many innovative new interface designs to the platform. In characteristic Google fashion, the search giant experimented with numerous ideas with Android interface before getting to the clean look it now sports.

Microsoft‘s Windows Phone interface has been widely hailed as featuring an innovative interface, even if that hasn’t translated into meaningful market share gains. The live tile approach is wildly different than both iOS and Android, for better or for worse.

BlackBerry is also exploring many new interface ideas with its new BlackBerry 10 platform. CEO Thorsten Heins even recently had some fighting words, calling the user interface five-years old (it’s actually six).

Apple was undeniably the first mover in capacitive touchscreen interfaces on smartphones, but it has been slow to embrace change as rivals …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

By Eric Jackson, Contributor According to his critics: Grow Apple’s (AAPL) market share. But keep margins above 44%. Put out 8 different versions of the iPhone simultaneously, including ones with larger screens, like Samsung. But keep the margins above 44% and recall you only get the full profit benefit of a new iPhone in the 2nd half of its production run. Spend billions on marketing like Samsung. But let the product sell itself so that it stays premium. Get more people in the emerging markets on to the iOS platform. But don’t put out a cheaper iPhone and sacrifice margins. Reinstate Google (GOOG) as the primary Maps supplier on iPhone. But strategically position Apple to be a leader in mobile, search, and maps in the future. Shut down Siri because it never works. But figure out how to leapfrog Google in search in the future. Use the $137 billion cash on the balance sheet. But don’t make wasteful high-priced acquisitions. Innovate. But wring every dollar of profit of your existing product portfolio. Build every product in the USA instead of China. But stop making premium priced products and don’t charge a dollar more for your existing products. Don’t try to be Steve Jobs. But do everything that Steve Jobs would have done. Don’t let the iPads cannibalize Mac sales. But sell way more iPads. Buy back more of your stock. But innovate, vertically integrate more through buying more microprocessor companies, and keep some powder dry to buy Twitter or a few other big companies. Get better in Web Services. But don’t spend money buying Yahoo (YHOO), Twitter, or Foursquare. Don’t give customers a bad experience by kicking out Google search, Maps, and YouTube. But don’t strengthen Google any more by supplying virtually all of their mobile search revenue. Don’t pursue costly patent battles. But protect your core IP and don’t let Samsung rip off your innovations. Move faster in China. But make money doing it. Hire back Scott Forstall. But also retain Bob Mansfield and Jony Ive the way Steve Jobs was able to. Ship the Apple TV immediately. But make sure it’s a perfect experience for the consumer so that it’s not another Maps screw-up before shipping. Move faster. But don’t rush. Kill Facebook (FB), Amazon (AMZN), and Google. But don’t spread yourself too thin and get distracted from the core focus. Deliver amazing products. But do it a lot faster and in a lot more varieties. “Innovate” a few more products out of thin air that people will buy 100 million of within two years. But do it every year if possible. Be more charismatic like Steve Jobs. But continue to be an expert on supply chain. Change Apple. But never let Apple change from how it was under Steve. [Long AAPL and YHOO]
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest

Bartle Doo Article Archives

Tag Archives: Scott Forstall

1 Underappreciated Apple Catalyst You're not Considering

How Tim Cook Should Really Be Running Apple

Articles Archive