Apple Chief Acknowledges “Future Product” Alla iPhone 5
Posted by Michael Nace on Thursday Jul 26, 2012 Under Apple News, iPhone 5 Opinion
Apple CEO Tim Cook deftly managed to avoid tipping his hand about when the next iPhone might arrive. But he most certainly acknowledged that it’s on everyone’s mind — including Cupertino’s.
Many have wondered if and how current Apple CEO Tim Cook will manage in the wake of Steve Jobs, and if he will be able to brandish the same level of charisma and marketing cunning that helped Apple’s products and brand flourish in the past. That still remains to be seen. However, in recent comments to the media, Mr. Cook managed to talk about what is assumed to be the impending release of the iPhone 5 without ever giving us much of anything to chew on.
And that isn’t easy to do.
The line of questioning started when a Barclays analyst asked Cook, ”Do you have any idea with the iPhone, how much rumors and speculations hurt sales?” (I guess we know how Barclay’s feel s about the iPhone 5 News Blog and similar tech media blogs, huh?) Cook’s answer, as reported by the New York Daily News and others, was refreshingly sly:
“It’s difficult to sort out,” he said. “I am fairly convinced that there’s an incredible anticipation out there for a future product. And as you would expect, given what we would be able to deliver in the past… it’s a reasonable amount.”
It’s a reasonable amount of cloudy, is what his answer is. But Cook’s statement is still not a flat-out denial that this “future product” could very well be a new iPhone 5 released in the December quarter.
In other words, anticipation for and speculation surrounding the future release of the iPhone 5 is hurting sales now.
It’s hard to imagine, however, that Apple’s revenue model does account for the buzz and speculation that helps the iPhone, iPad, and virtually every other Apple product outsell its competitors pound for pound, so Tim Cook’s sense here that the speculation is a real drag on Apple’s sales is somewhat laughable. Sure, there’s always a downturn in iPhone sales in the couple of months heading into the new iPhone’s release, but every new iPhone release is more explosive that the one before it, and much of that explosion comes from the pent-up excitement and anticipation that the Apple rumor mills grind out.
Heck, conspiracy theorists even think that the 9to5Mac iPhone 5 prototype was planted by Cupertino to 1) throw us all off of the real iPhone 5, and 2) get people really psyched about it. My tin foil hat must have been cocked crooked just enough to have avoided succumbing to that conspiracy theory, but I still appreciate how it demonstrates the power of the rumor mill.
What I took out of the Cook comment was the extremely careful, nuanced use of “a future product.” That’s a thing of beauty, folks. Not “the future product” or, God forbid, “a future iPhone,” or “the future iPhone” — but the extremely generic “future product.” That is a well-manicured piece of language — so deliciously subtle and careful that, to me, it smacks of a very exciting iPhone 5 release. And once again, Cook is doing exactly what Steve Jobs used to do: completely ignore the next iteration of the iPhone so that people would talk about it more.
And it’s working. I like this guy!
The Daily News also surmised some release date hints from Cook as well:
And Cook’s referral to “the past” could be an indication that the company intends to continue with its established model of releasing a new phone each year. Last year, of course, Apple released the iPhone 4S in the fall.
Did you get that from what Cook said?
It would seem to me that Tim Cook was referring more to what level of product that Apple has been able to deliver in the past — not to the release date. But what’s important to remember here is that Mr. Cook’s comments were all in reaction to recent slumping earnings. We’ve seen in the past how other CEO’s from Apple partners and competitors leverage the iPhone in cooling down investors. In this case, that was clearly the motivating factor behind his comments. Certainly, there’s nothing to take away from these comments that gives us any more information than what we previously had about the iPhone 5.
By Michael Nace
Keep Reading:
July 26th, 2012 at 6:59 pm
I’m just surprised they didn’t derive anything from the vowel/consonant ratio in his sentences.
He may be coming into his own on this one. WWDC was OK, so maybe he’s getting his groove going.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
7 
0
July 26th, 2012 at 7:32 pm
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
4 
7
July 26th, 2012 at 7:33 pm
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
2 
7
July 27th, 2012 at 12:00 am
I think these pics from 9to5mac are a pretty good indication that the “leaked” photos of the iphone 5 probably are not the real deal. I’d be willing to bet that the i5 will not look like the “leaked” photos. It may have been a prototype at one time but I would doubt that they are the actual phone…especially because they came out right about the time that Tim Cook said that they are doubling down on secrecy. Either that comment was made because the next phone was leaked, or it was made to reassure everyone that whatever horrid looking photos come out (4S Stretch) will not be the phone that is actually released.
I’m hoping that Apple still has some magic inside their core….
Like?
4 
1
July 27th, 2012 at 12:03 am
Anybody else think that the pic of Tim Cook above looks like he’s posing as Derek Zoolander?
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
9 
1
July 27th, 2012 at 12:04 am
oops. I forgot the link to post #4 above:
http://9to5mac.com/2012/07/26/several-old-iphone-and-ipad-prototype-designs-surface-take-a-look-at-the-ios-devices-that-could-have-been/#
Like?
1 
0
July 27th, 2012 at 1:55 am
@Michael 9to5mac posted some photos of past prototypes for the iPhone 4. These prototypes surfaced because they were seemingly needed for all these patent disputes. Most of them are ugly and ewwwww but there were two that caught my eye: One had the dual glass/metal back we saw in these “leaked” prototypes and the other was an elongated iPhone as seen in the before mentioned “prototype”.
Like?
1 
0
July 27th, 2012 at 1:56 am
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
0 
6
July 27th, 2012 at 3:29 am
@GetSwole
They stopped the numbering sequence on the iPad because of the forthcoming mini iPad.
Like?
2 
2
July 27th, 2012 at 4:14 am
@Mike D. Your “Zoolander” reference is brilliant, made me chuckle.
Like?
3 
0
July 27th, 2012 at 4:22 am
Michael, it’s a bit of a leap of faith (and broken logic) to read Tim Cook’s comment and say:
“In other words, anticipation for and speculation surrounding the future release of the iPhone 5 is hurting sales now.”
It might mean what you said, but to rephrase his comment (“in other words”) and directly reference the iPhone 5 is not logical. He could just have easily been referring to the mini iPad or iTV or any other as-yet-unnanounced product that the general public are saving their money up for rather than spending it on an iPhone now.
If I want a new phone and the rumoured mini iPad (for example) and I cannot afford both, then if my desire for the future product (mini iPad) is greater than my desire for the current iPhone 4S, I’ll not spend my hard earned on the iPhone but wait for the iPad instead.
With the expected release of so many new Apple products over the next quarter etc. it could be any of these “future products” he was referring to.
Like?
2 
0
July 27th, 2012 at 10:15 am
@Oscar, i see the reasoning in your comment(#10) but the original question Tim Cook was asked according to the article was…….The line of questioning started when a Barclays analyst asked Cook, ”Do you have any idea with the iPhone, how much rumors and speculations hurt sales?”….So i understand why Michael logically assumed Tim was referring to the next iPhone.
Like?
1 
0
July 27th, 2012 at 10:36 am
@Vondre’ aka the other guy, it’s a little ambiguous. I took the iPhone reference in the question to mean the current 4S iPhone and how it had been hurt by rumours on the Apple rumour mill.
If you take the iPhone in the question to mean the 5 (or whatever it will be called) then yes, I understand the inference, I just worry about the amount of “reading into” comments that happens around anything Tim Cook (or SJ back in the day) says and I’m trying to keep my feet on the ground as regards the next iPhone rather than get too carried away but it all.
Having said that, if i didn’t want to get too carried away, perhaps I should visit here every day
Like?
0 
0
July 27th, 2012 at 10:38 am
“perhaps I should visit here every day”
Should’ve been
“perhaps I shouldn’t visit here every day”
Like?
0 
0
July 27th, 2012 at 10:45 am
Best buy is offering Iphone 4S 8GB for 49 bucks, first real movement to me signaling impending release of a new one.
Like?
3 
0
July 27th, 2012 at 10:49 am
“I just worry about the amount of “reading into” comments that happens around anything Tim Cook (or SJ back in the day) says and I’m trying to keep my feet on the ground as regards the next iPhone rather than get too carried away but it all.”
I hear that, Oscar. And to wit, my article in large part downplayed the much-heavier reading-into of Mr. Cook’s comments, all a when the iPhone will be released. But as Vondre said, Cook’s comment about “a future product” was an indirect answer to a very direct question about the iPhone. It is part of the Apple playbook to vigorously deny the existence of the next iPhone until it is officially announced, and I think that Cook;s use of “a future product” is a riff on that. I’ve heard Steve Jobs do the same thing in interviews — no matter how much the interviewer tried to lead him into talking about, even in the most abstract sense, he would never do it. And when people try to be inconspicuous with their comments, it is then that they often are the most conspicuous.
So, I think that’s what I was getting at there. Because if Cook was thinking of a “future product” as the Mini iPad or iTV, I think he would have answered that question differently, such as “There’s an incredible anticipation out there for not just one particular future product, but a wide range of possible future products, and all of that speculation may be affecting sales.”
Like?
0 
0
July 27th, 2012 at 11:20 am
@Mike D. “Zoolander”
Ok, if no one else will jump – I will. Maybe it’s Tim’s subtle reference to the Iphone new naming convention: wait for it: “The Iphone Magnum” Brilliant!!!
Happy Friday!
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
4 
0
July 27th, 2012 at 11:27 am
@Eric ha ha ha ha!!! I love it! Wouldn’t that be great if that’s how Tim Cook presented the new iphone
Like?
0 
1
July 27th, 2012 at 12:07 pm
@oscar, after reading your reply and re-reading the article i feel the analyst who posed the question should have been more direct as to which phone he was referring to. i understand your point about the ambiguity but im inclined to take into consideration the timing of the question( as far as the impending release of the next gen iPhone and the current slump in sales of the 4S) and i read it as ”Do you have any idea with the iPhone 5, how much rumors and speculations hurt sales of the 4/4S?” of “Do you have any idea with the iPhone 4S, how much rumors and speculation about the iPhone 5 hurt current sales of the 4/4S”. Please note that im not trying to start a argument or anything just showing how we are bothing getting different understandings from the same quote and that i understand how you came to your conclusion as well. No harm intended…..
P.S. i feel the same way about checking blogs on a daily basis for iPhone news. i get all worked up reading all the rumors and imagining a super iPhone with a ton of features and top of the line specs, lol.
Like?
0 
0
July 27th, 2012 at 1:04 pm
If i’m to bet on a new iphone name, i’m gona put my penny on “iPhone Pro”, i mean if Steve Jobs’ belief in having just “one phone” is starting to fade, and that Apple may make another concurrent model, this would open things up. Honestly, i highly doubt Apple isn’t interested in the lower end of the market with all the competition now, and you can’t just keep offering the outgoing model as the lower product.
An analogy i can think of is, i don’t know how well everyone know about cars, but let’s say the VAG (Volkswagen) group is Android, and BMW is maybe BMW or Mercedes. You see VAG just plagued the market with a lot of different models, having different brands from Audi, VW, Porsche, Skoda whatever and basically you have a car at every price range in different shapes. BMW used to have very clear models, just a few, the 3,5,7series with different variants that’s it. OK as VAG plagued, BMW in recent years, you can see them starting to have models that are just so slightly different to fill every narrow niche.. they prove to be successful up till now, being the largest luxury carmaker, of course the consequence is you may lose tradition and a bit of brand image but that will depend how they handle it.. so do you really think Aple can survive forever by just keeping their current strategy? Yes for now, but competition will only get more fierce.
Like?
0 
0
July 27th, 2012 at 1:48 pm
I got an email from Best Buy indicating I could get the ip4 8GB for $49.99 with a 2 year contract on either Verizon or AT&T, but I don’t yet see that price on either of their websites. So if the ip4 is coming down in price, perhaps the ip4S is not far behind?
Like?
0 
0
July 27th, 2012 at 1:54 pm
@Lynette, Best Buy seems to do that pretty frequently. A few weeks before WWDC Best Buy and Target both did that and everybody started taking that as an indication that the new iphone was certainly going to be released at the WWDC. That sale and the WWDC came and passed without a new iphone.
I wouldn’t take any sales on the iphone 4/4S to be an indication of a near future release of the new iphone until the major carriers (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint) are directly offering those sales….specifically on the 4S.
Like?
0 
0
July 27th, 2012 at 3:05 pm
For the iphone price drops, I thought Apple was even heavier handed in their pricing structure than they were in their product development secrecy.
It looks like that may have changed, or they’re giving out Best Buy cash to have an effective price of $49. (i.e. $199 – $150 BB card = $49!)
Like?
0 
0
July 27th, 2012 at 3:21 pm
@Eric:
THAT.WAS.AWESOME!!!!
iPhone Magnum it is!
Like?
1 
0
July 28th, 2012 at 1:44 am
Hmm, I’m not concerned with what’s it called, I still call my “new iPad” the iPad 3 because everyone else who sees me holding it calls it that anyways! I just want it in my hand, operating, featuring some wonderful new specs! Oh, and as soon as possible please and thank-you, Apple! That’ll be all!
Like?
0 
0
July 29th, 2012 at 12:59 pm
I swear, if apple gives us a stretched iPhone, with a metal back and a different style speaker and mic look I will never buy an iPhone again. EVER. That’s pathetic. What are they doing up the at Cupertino? JONY ive!! TIM? Aghh Steve job is probably gonna come back from his grave. Just don’t Dissapoint us… we’ve already been Dissapointed already.
Like?
1 
0
July 29th, 2012 at 3:57 pm
“It’s difficult to sort out,” he said. “I am fairly convinced that there’s an incredible anticipation out there for a future product. And as you would expect, given what we would be able to deliver in the past… it’s a reasonable amount.”
Does he mean ‘given what we have been able to deliver in the past’?
Like?
0 
0
July 30th, 2012 at 5:03 am
@Vondre,
“Please note that im not trying to start a argument”
Nor am I, it’s good to have differing opinions though. If everyone was the same it’d be boring. A good dissecting of Apple’s comments is what these blogs is all about.
Like?
1 
0