There is no one challenging Apple on hardware right now. And all of these AI tools can run on Apple machines. So I am not sure that I see Apple falling from its current situation.
That said, Apple isn't really riding this wave of AI. So I feel that Apple isn't benefiting, thus it could likely be growing more than it is if it has an AI strategy that was effective.
So I don't think Apple is a "loser" but it also isn't a "winner." It is more of a spectator who is still strong in their own domain, at least for now.
Apple tried to ride the wave of AI and failed (Apple Intelligence?)
Apple has recently released a paper which says AI is all maths but a lot of people are saying that they are just "coping" with them losing the AI race.
Apple is one of the largest companies, with I guess a lot of cash and just power. So if they still can't win/compete effectively in the AI race when they had gone all in once does raise some questions about what really is happening within Apple.
> Apple tried to ride the wave of AI and failed (Apple Intelligence?)
It was a crappy product, I agree. I keep it disabled.
> Apple has recently released a paper which says AI is all maths but a lot of people are saying that they are just "coping" with them losing the AI race.
It is a single paper and not reflectively of company strategy.
> Apple is one of the largest companies, with I guess a lot of cash and just power. So if they still can't win/compete effectively in the AI race when they had gone all in once does raise some questions about what really is happening within Apple.
Apple has to compete with other hardware vendors primarily right? Samsung mostly. And they are doing that effectively.
Everyone's models are being obsoleted 6 months after they are released. It is a capital intensive market and it isn't clear anyone is actually profitable. I am not sure that Apple needs to get involved in this race, especially when there is little that is proprietary for more than a few months.
That said, if Apple did need to get into this race, they should just buy Anthropic. It is a no drama company that just delivers. It would match Apple's corporate style and it would likely deliver a lot of key features into the various OSes.
I mean that a large portion of Android platforms (even Samsung) are powered by Google. Therefore, to some degree, Apple (which owns its entire platform) is competing against Samsung+Google (on Samsung phones).
Similar conclusion - they're "losing" if the goal is marketshare and mindshare dominance. If the goal is just to carve their own niche, they're already there.
But, if you compare the growth into new spaces Apple did in the 2000s, then sure Apple of today hasn't done anything new in a while. Does it need to? Maybe from an investor point of view?
The hardware side is its own thing - some do not challenge their hardware because their goals are different like Facebook going cheap on VR rather than expensive).
While nobody has as complete of a portfolio on what the M-chips have accomplished, the GB10 and Ryzen AI Max Pro seem to be similar in capability, yet late to the party and at this point just one-offs.
But I don't think that really matters. Few people are buying based on deeply researched specs, so whatever is cheap and has battery life will do and there's happily plenty to choose from these days.
> There is no one challenging Apple on hardware right now.
This isn't true IMO. Everyone is challenging them and has for a long time. Android phones have better hardware, by any arbitrary metric. Camera, screen, battery, processor - Apple doesn't have a moat here. Don't get me wrong, their stuff is good. But is it the best? Ehhh... it's close, for sure.
Same thing with Macs, just a bit more in Apple's favor. Is M series good? Yes. Is it the best? IMO, no. x86 still has an edge in many applications. Some newer processors, like Intel's Lunar Lake, challenge M in both power and power consumption. Is ARM the future? IMO no - ARM is just a vessel. Low-wattage SOCs with RAM baked on are the future for mobile devices. Intel can do that, and they did, and it competes. But with all the benefits of x86.
I mean, I'm driving 2 1440p 240hz monitors right now on Lunar Lake over thunderbolt. Not a single dropped frame, ever. And at less than 30 watts - that's for everything, it's an SOC. Apple users a bit deceived - once you jump onto the Apple ship, you stop looking at competitors. But the competitors are good. Like, really good these days.
Apple's moat is their software. They keep a tight, tight grip on it. iPhones are popular in the US because of iMessage, pretty much exclusively. If Android phones could send and receive iMessage and transfer everything over, then it's over for Apple. They know that which is why it would never happen willingly.
If Apple's moat was hardware, they would have no problem distributing their software like candy. But they don't.
That said, Apple isn't really riding this wave of AI. So I feel that Apple isn't benefiting, thus it could likely be growing more than it is if it has an AI strategy that was effective.
So I don't think Apple is a "loser" but it also isn't a "winner." It is more of a spectator who is still strong in their own domain, at least for now.