Apple’s Next Move: Be More Like Microsoft

“Samsung announced Monday that Apple’s iTunes software—and the video library it lets people make purchases from—will be available on its smart TVs. In addition, these TVs will support AirPlay 2, Apple’s wireless standard that allows Apple’s iPhones and other devices to stream content directly to those TVs. That was followed by a flurry of AirPlay 2 announcements from other TV makers including LG, Vizio and Sony. In December, Amazon announced that Apple Music was coming to Echo speakers.” – Christopher Mims, The Wall Street Journal

Apple’s Tim Cook maintains optimism despite iPhone sales slide

“A total of more than 900 million iPhones were in active use at the end of 2018, Apple revealed on Tuesday, up 75 million or 9 percent over the past year. Ben Bajarin, analyst at Creative Strategies, said that the statistic — which Apple has never disclosed before — was ‘much bigger than most people thought.’” – Tim Bradsaw, The Financial Times

Apple Is Planning 3-D Cameras for New iPhones in AR Push

“Apple plans to launch iPhones with a more-powerful 3-D camera as soon as next year, stepping up the company’s push into augmented reality, according to people familiar with the plans. The rear-facing, longer-range 3-D camera is designed to scan the environment to create three-dimensional reconstructions of the real world.” – Mark Gurman and Debby Wu, Bloomberg News

Apple Plans Bigger Video Presence As ‘The Bundle Breaks Down’

Apple CEO Tim Cook “outlined a handful of ways in which Apple plans to play in that space, including the Apple TV device, selling third-party video subscriptions, and original content.” – Alex Weprin, Media Daily News

Apple the next Nokia?

Facebook pays teens to install VPN that spies on them

Facebook Is Paying Teens to Install a ‘Research’ App That Lets It Monitor Their Phones

Apple Bans App Used by Facebook in Escalating Privacy Fight

Apple says it’s banning Facebook’s research app that collects users’ personal information

How to Check If Your Kid Is Using Facebook’s ‘Banned’ Research App

 

Apple’s results were in line with lowered guidance that CEO Tim Cook provided on Jan. 2, when the company said a significant slowdown in China and supply constraints are limiting growth. Read more…

Apple Metrics from Conference Call:

Paid subscribers to Apple Music: 50 million

Apple News readers in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia: 85 million (up from 70 million in 2016).

Apple Pay transactions doubled to 1.8 billion in 2018.

Installed base of Apple devices: 1.4 billion, up 100 million from a year earlier, including 900 million iPhones.

Instagram-influenced purchases rose 91% in 2018 from a year earlier, but Facebook is the market leader, influencing 6x more purchases in 2018, according to adtech firm StitcherAds.

  • Retailers spent 47% more on Facebook & Instagram holiday campaigns in 2018 from the prior year.
  • Retailers saw a 14% increase in Facebook-attributed in-store sales from a year earlier.
  • Over the holiday season, 2.7x more purchases occurred on mobile devices vs. desktop.
  • Cost per click declined about 10% from a year earlier.
  • CPM fell 17% from a year earlier.

Higher levels of screen time among toddlers were associated with slower mental development, according to a study cited by JAMA Pediatrics.

About 98% of U.S. children ages 0 to 8 years live in a home with an internet-connected device and spend more than two hours a day on average looking at screens, according to Common Sense Media.

Children who observe screens without an interactive or physical component are more sedentary and aren’t practicing gross motor skills, such as walking and running. Screens can also disrupt interactions with caregivers by limiting opportunities for verbal and nonverbal social exchanges, which are essential for fostering optimal growth and development.