Apple’s recent earnings weren’t pretty, but they also weren’t worse than expected after Tim Cook’s letter offering revised guidance a few weeks ago. They simply offered us a definitive confirmation of what many in the tech press and Apple community already suspected. Whether it is due to stagnation, high prices, overall slowdown in the smartphone market, China, or all of the above, the iPhone has plateaued. However, if you look beyond that basic fact, there is more to this story.
There have been rumors of a modest refresh to Apple’s AirPods for several months now. The initial reports were that said refresh would come last year and feature a wireless charging case and Hey Siri capability. That was eventually bumped to this year. There was a separate report last year that a bigger upgrade to the AirPods would come months to a year later that may include enhanced health or fitness tracking and better liquid resistance.
It’s been an up and down week for Apple
It’s been a week of highs and lows for Apple with some good news, some not so good, and other stories that seem to go either way depending on who’s doing the reporting. Let’s get into some of the highlights.
Earlier this week, we got word that Apple is once again at the top of the wearables heap. Analyst firm Canalys released their quarterly report on this up and coming category of devices, showing that Apple regained the top spot they had occupied earlier this year. They had been passed up by both Xiaomi and Fitbit in the Second Quarter, before the release of the Apple Watch Series 3 and their Watch Series 1 price cut. This lead to a lot of conjecture about the state of the smartphone, and its place alongside simpler fitness bands and the like.
I was finally able to get my hands on a pair of Apple’s latest hard to find hit. If you are still looking for a set of AirPods without the three to four week wait, keep an eye on AT&T, website. When they get them in stock, they process the orders quickly and have free shipping in the US. I got mine two business days after ordering, so I was happy with the experience, and was glad to not have to pay a premium or wait a month to get them.