Apple's strategy to maintain the throne: rely less on third parties and build its product ecosystem

Apple has become the first company in US history to reach two trillion dollars (1.67 trillion euros) in market value.

In the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, the technology giant has been forced to rethink its events and announce its news in virtual events without an audience.

Also to delay some of his most anticipated releases.

Even so, the company has already renewed its range of computers, iPads, Apple Watch and just this week it was the turn of a new smart speaker and the expected iPhone 12.

What is Apple's strategy to achieve the throne in the technology market?

"Apple does not want to be the manufacturer that

sells the

most computers,

and tablets," says Marc Alonso, content manager at Macnificos, a store specializing in Apple products.

According to him, the objective of the apple company has always been "to manufacture the best computers,

and

the market."

“Since the 1990s, with the return of Steve Jobs to the company, he has successfully focused on that, a strategy that Tim Cook, now at the helm of the company, has faithfully followed,” he says.

Alonso explains that this year Apple has presented news that, although

may seem that they do not represent a great change, show where the company is going and how it seeks to distance itself from the competition.

For him, the biggest announcement was the one Apple made in June at its developer conference.

The Cupertino company aims to usher in a new era by replacing Intel processors with its own ARM-based chips custom-designed for its Mac desktops and laptops.

This movement could be a before and after in Apple computers, which since 2006 have used Intel processors based on X86 architecture.

The new processors will be called Apple Silicon and will come out at the end of the year.

The total transition will be in 2021. The apple company would thus have greater control of the components of its devices.

Popular Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in March that the change would allow the company to save between 40% and 60% on the cost of its processors.

In addition, it would help you to stop relying on Intel's roadmap to update your devices and to differentiate yourself more from Windows-based computers.

Fernando Suárez, president of the Council of Computer Engineering Colleges, explains that Apple's strategy has traditionally focused on building an ecosystem of products based on its design not only of the hardware, but also of the operating system.

"This may have been its main difference with its competitors, since manufacturers generally use third-party operating systems such as Windows or Android," he says.

In addition, it highlights Apple's strong commitment in the personal health sector - with devices designed to monitor heart rate or blood oxygen levels - and in order to reinforce its brand image, which in a certain way "grants certain exclusivity to users ”.

The new iPhone 12

There are other Apple devices that this year also have a new processor.

Both the new iPhone 12 and the iPad Air feature the 5-nanometer A14 chip.

This chip increases the performance of its predecessor by 40% and improves graphics by 30%, according to the company.

The iPhone 12, which are probably Apple's most anticipated devices, were presented this week in a virtual event broadcast on its website and YouTube channel.

Suárez affirms that

Apple's

are no longer what they were.

And neither are the expectations of the users.

While "they represent a step forward in performance and performance [of the devices], there seems to be a certain exhaustion in terms of innovation."

César Córcoles, professor of Computer Science, Multimedia and Telecommunications Studies at the Open University of Catalonia (UOC) agrees with him: “In general, this week's announcements are quite continuous, not surprising and very much in line with what he has been doing the company these last two or three years ”.

The main novelty of the iPhone 12 is that they are compatible with 5G networks for the first time.

In addition, as usual, Apple has made improvements in the photographic field to try to make its cameras the best on the market.

Córcoles highlights that in the iPhone Pro and Pro Max the camera system integrates a LIDAR sensor, "which allows the mobile to capture the world in 3D."

"This should improve the performance of the cameras a bit, especially in focus, but above all it opens up many possibilities for creating augmented reality applications," he explains.

However, it remains to be seen if there is really a market interested in these types of applications.

Unlike other manufacturers, the Cupertino company continues to bet on small screens as well.

"I remember when Apple insisted that the size of the iPhone 4 was the ideal to handle it with one hand while the competition insisted on launching

huge

," says Alonso.

But changes in user consumption habits have led the company to adopt “less comfortable” sizes.

However, Apple has also launched the iPhone 12 Mini, a high-end terminal but with a compact 5.4-inch screen.

Alonso has no doubt that it will be one of the best-selling terminals.

According to Macnificos, only behind the iPhone 12 and very close to the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro.

"It is a matter of time before the rest of the brands begin to launch similarly sized models," he says.

The controversy of mobile phones without a charger or headphones

Suarez believes that the most notable shift has been Apple's environmental focus on its products.

The Cupertino company ensures that it is a carbon neutral company in all its global corporate operations and affirms that by 2030 it expects to have achieved zero climate impact throughout its business.

Under this premise and with the aim of reducing carbon emissions, it has announced that the iPhone 12 will not include a charger or headphones in the box.

That is, it will only come with the

charging cable

with USB type C connector.

The decision has generated some controversy.

Although there are those who in their homes have multiple chargers or headphones, this measure can also be seen as a way to remove these accessories from the box to reduce costs and then sell them separately.

"This type of decision always has detractors and people who are in favor," says Suárez, who is also president of the Professional College of Computer Engineering of Galicia.

He sees it more "as an aesthetic element than as a real measure because surely many users end up buying it separately."

Even so, he acknowledges that "many times we end up accumulating a lot of cables and chargers that we don't use": "In that sense it may also have part of logic".

For him, it is more objectionable that Apple has not joined the search for a universal charger, since if a person goes from a phone from another manufacturer to an iPhone they will be forced to buy a charger.