Tencent Digital (Du Jie) Apple CEO Cook's visit to China this time is a bit earlier than before, and before the iPhone 7 launch in China, it seems quite unusual.
In accordance with past practice, the CEO, who is low-key but especially loves to go shopping in the Apple Store, will visit China every May and October. It is precisely after the annual spring and autumn conferences that he will be speaking. The intention is very clear, but it is really unexpected that in the month of August, when heavyweight products are released, they are less than a month away.
If you pay attention to Apple's financial statements for the past two months, you will think that Cooke is very intriguing in this special time. Apple's revenue and operating profit both fell in the Q2 and Q3 quarters of this year, and Greater China, which was highly valued by Cook, also fell. In this context, the iPhone, which accounts for nearly two-thirds of sales, is about to release its new products of the year. This is naturally a craps that CEO Cooke hopes to boost performance.
For iOS 10, he rarely praises
In fact, we know that Apple’s confidentiality measures are very strict. Even CEOs can’t talk about unreleased new products. However, during the interview, Cook repeatedly praised iOS 10, which will be officially launched in the autumn. He commented: “iOS 10 is our most significant version update, with 5 million people participating in beta testing in the Beta released last month."
In my opinion, as Cook, who has the final decision of the project, openly talks about an unreleased operating system, it is rare. Before the interview, Cook also listened to five domestic developers for the new iOS. The support and utilization of 10, although Apple has always been a typical representative of both hardware and software, but in recent years it can be found that its emphasis on the developer shows that the direction of the ecological chain is inclined, rather than repeatedly show their hardware.
In addition, Cook also talked about iOS 10's support for localization. For example, intelligent voice assistant Siri is trying to learn some Chinese characteristics and culture, even including Chinese poetry. For example, to read an ancient poem, Siri can help you find out who the author is; In addition, the new hybrid keyboard can support mixed Chinese and English input, and even can predict and correct, which is particularly evident in iMessage.
For market saturation, he does not agree
In fact, the details of this "showing good to Chinese consumers" can be seen from the press conference in the past two years and Cook's frequent visits to China. For the Chinese market, Cook has undoubtedly had special feelings. This opponent in the market, especially the domestic mobile phone that is expanding rapidly, can Apple still maintain its calm posture?
His answer started from the ecological chain. "I think the iOS user experience is much better than the Android phone, and we are unique in terms of customer satisfaction, whether it is China or the world." He also cited A previous survey on user satisfaction showed that the iPhone users using China Mobile have the highest satisfaction level. Apple ranks first in terms of user base, loyalty, and user value, and its advantage over domestic mobile phones is undoubtedly a support. His point of view.
Turning to the so-called market saturation and lack of innovation, Cook held the opposite view. "I don't think the smartphone market is saturated. In fact, there are many countries and markets in the world, and their smartphone penetration rate is still very low." Here also listed the example of the 4G development in the Indian market, and the problem that a large number of users of the functional machine are facing replacement.
So despite the slowdown in the growth rate of smartphones, it is still the largest market on Earth, because everyone has this demand, and starting from iPhone SE this product line has also become more diversified, which may be oriented to entry The market or functional machine users to make changes to consider.
For financial reports, he said that his vision should be long-term
But for Cook, an issue that cannot be avoided is the financial report. This problem made him once serious. After throwing this question, he reminded me to pay attention to two things: The first is the Apple channel in the last fiscal quarter. Inventory is reduced, but sales to consumers have increased, and this is not reflected in income.
The second point is the devaluation of the renminbi. The renminbi devaluated 9-10% last year. "As a multinational company, our income is calculated in U.S. dollars, but after converting into U.S. dollars, the income will be reduced accordingly."
At the same time, Cook once again mentioned the "strategic vision" problem. "We are looking at the long-term and will not care about some changes in a short period of time. Therefore, we are investing in technology, not just the current market or fiscal quarter. "But Cook admits that there will always be a period of ebb and flow in smart phones. Everyone will experience peaks and low tides. Obviously, Apple's next climax will soon be coming."
From this answer, you will see several clues. First, Apple cannot avoid the tide of the market. It can't appeal to the market but it has to follow this rule. This is not different from most manufacturers. Second, we Seeing that Apple invested in a lot of fields and technologies (Cook said in an earlier interview that Apple has acquired 15-20 companies on average every year for the past 4 years. In fact, they value the talents and knowledge they have. Although property rights), although not necessarily these technologies or patents will appear in the production of products, but Cook is full of confidence that Apple actually values ​​the future of technology, rather than the next one or two products.
For five years of work, he only has one word "love"
I have interviewed many CEOs before. Most of them will talk to you about the company's latest products or technologies, just like a product manager, but Cook is obviously not such a person. Apart from the conference, he rarely talks about specific products. What he and you described seem to have happened only a few years later. Obviously, this place he has been sitting for 5 years is already very familiar, and these 5 years have happened to him personally.
Cook once compared this job to "the best job in the world." He said to me: "I am a true lover of apples. I have great enthusiasm and love on Apple every day." Specifically, "I have come to China many times over the past five years. I love China very much because I saw entrepreneurs here have changed the world through the development of the App."
So you will find that every time Cook arrives in China, he will visit the developer during the trip. He will listen to the developer’s suggestions and see how they can implement their ideas through Apple’s tools and channels. Half-jokingly, he said that he is a fan of Sun Yong, the developer of "Yan," and these interactions with local developers undoubtedly translate into one Chinese element in iOS and other systems.
In today's meeting, I noticed a detail. Before the interview, the developers of Dripping Trip demonstrated a "skill" in iOS 10. You can use Siri to call the car. When Cook sees it through the voice, he can immediately call it. When I went to a special car, I was happily clapping his hands. I think he must have thought about the experience of playing with Liu Di, CEO of Didi, three months ago. The Chinese developer's quick reaction to the new system has become On many occasions, Cook emphasized the powerful argument that "China has a talent pool of 1.5 million developers."