Above Avalon

Above Avalon

108: iPhone Courage

Oct 6 • 32 min

The amount of risk Apple is taking with iPhone X should not be underestimated. Episode 108 takes a closer look at how Apple is displaying courage by not letting fear of change and customer rejection dictate iPhone design decisions. The discussion begins…

107: Back from Apple Park

Sep 22 • 33 min

Episode 107 is dedicated to discussing Steve Jobs Theater. We begin with my impressions from attending Apple’s inaugural event at Steve Jobs Theater. The discussion then turns to how Steve Jobs Theater is an Apple product, and a closer look at the…

106: Getting Ready for Steve Jobs Theater

Sep 8 • 36 min

Apple’s largest product event in years is just a few days away. In episode 106, we look at the big picture ahead of the inaugural event at Steve Jobs Theater. We begin by going over the top three trends taking place in the smartphone market. The…

105: Apple in China

Sep 1 • 36 min

In episode 105, we focus on Apple’s business in China in an effort to answer whether the country represents more of an opportunity or risk for Apple. The discussion begins by going over some of the numbers, including those that show Apple’s volatile…

104: Obscene Amounts of Cash

Aug 18 • 41 min

Episode 104 is dedicated to discussing how Apple’s business model predisposes the company to cash generation unlike that of any other firm in Silicon Valley. The discussion begins by comparing Apple’s financials to those of the leading consumer-facing…

103: Apple Glasses Are Inevitable

Jul 28 • 38 min

Episode 103 marks the introduction of a brand new topic to the Above Avalon podcast: augmented reality glasses. All of the pieces are coming together for Apple to sell glasses. We begin the episode with the reason why now is the time to talk about Apple…

102: Apple Cash Influence

Jul 21 • 40 min

Episode 102 has a financial tone as we discuss how Wall Street is thinking about Apple in a new way. After breaking up the last five years of Apple stock performance into four eras, we go over my theory on why Wall Street now looks at Apple’s excess cash…

101: iPhone Turns Ten

Jun 30 • 31 min

This week marks the tenth anniversary of Apple launching the iPhone. Episode 101 is focused on how ten years of iPhone sales changed Apple. After going over three sets of data that stand out when thinking about the iPhone, we take a closer look at three…

100: A Glimpse of the Mac’s Future

Jun 23 • 35 min

The 100th episode of the Above Avalon podcast is dedicated to how WWDC contained clues hinting at the Mac’s future. We begin by discussing how management’s WWDC keynote marked a turning point in the awkward Mac stretch that has been unfolding over the…

99: HomePod

Jun 17 • 32 min

I am back from San Jose and WWDC. Episode 99 is focused on the most intriguing new product at this year’s WWDC: HomePod. The discussion begins with an overview of the expectations heading into last week’s HomePod unveiling. Apple’s sales pitch for HomePod…

98: iPhone Evolution

May 26 • 39 min

The iPhone’s role in our life doesn’t remain static, but rather it evolves. Episode 98 is focused on how the iPhone has evolved over the past 10 years. We cover the major implications this ongoing evolution will have on iPhone pricing, screen size…

97: Apple Wearables Are a Thing

May 12 • 35 min

In episode 97, we discuss one of the major themes from Apple’s 2Q17 earnings report. There were a number of interesting observations found in the “Other Products” line item. In particular, Apple wearables (Apple Watch, AirPods, Beats headphones) sold…

96: Defining Apple

Apr 28 • 37 min

Apple continues to be misunderstood. Episode 96 is focused on how best to define Apple. The discussion begins with all of the labels used to describe Apple over the years. We then go over the major clues that help us define Apple, and this takes us to my…

95: A Mac Headache

Apr 14 • 37 min

In episode 95, we discuss how the Mac business has become a headache for Apple management. We begin by going over Apple’s recent private meeting with outside journalists to talk about the Mac product pipeline. We then assess Apple’s success with Mac by…

94: Getting Aggressive with iPad

Mar 31 • 39 min

In episode 94, we discuss how Apple is pulling out all the stops when it comes to selling iPad. We begin by going over the significant changes to iPad strategy unveiled last week. The discussion then turns to the reasoning behind the changes, which…

93: Underpricing Luxury

Mar 17 • 40 min

As Apple pushes deeper into luxury brand territory, the company is making its products more accessible through lower pricing. Apple is underpricing AirPods and Apple Watch. In episode 93, we discuss Apple’s evolving pricing strategy. We begin by looking…

92: Wearables as a Platform

Mar 3 • 35 min

In episode 92, we discuss the changing wearables market. There has been a sea change involving the top wearables companies. Apple has become the new wearables leader according to unit sales. After discussing the driving force behind Apple’s move to the…

91: Netflix Chatter

Feb 24 • 36 min

Calls for Apple to buy Netflix are getting louder. In episode 91, we break apart the argument for why Apple should buy Netflix. By observing how Apple thinks about music streaming, we are in a better position to judge the approach Apple will likely take…

90: Buying Back 50% of Apple

Feb 10 • 34 min

Apple management is buying back shares like there’s no tomorrow. In episode 90, we discuss how a path has appeared where Apple management can realistically buy back 50% of AAPL’s outstanding shares within three years. After first going over some basics…

89: The iPad Asterisk

Feb 3 • 34 min

In episode 89, we take a deep dive into one of the major themes found in Apple’s 1Q17 earnings report. Apple’s reported iPad sales number was quite weak, leading some to make assumptions about the product’s fundamentals. We go over the results, including…

88: Grading Tim Cook

Jan 20 • 43 min

Tim Cook is a different type of CEO leading a different kind of company. In episode 88, we tackle the difficult task of grading Tim Cook’s performance as Apple CEO. The discussion includes a broader look at Apple’s leadership structure and evidence that…

87: Change Is in the Air

Jan 13 • 46 min

Episode 87 is focused on how the competitive landscape in tech is changing. As Apple celebrates the tenth anniversary of the iPhone unveiling, the battle for our attention is broadening into a massive land grab for the most valuable real estate in our…

86: Apple Questions for 2017

Jan 6 • 47 min

January is a great time to embrace the unknown found with a new calendar year. One way of doing this is to come up with a list of questions for the new year. In episode 86, we discuss my list of Apple questions for 2017. Topics include iPhone, Apple…

85: AirPods and the Battle for Our Ears

Dec 23, 2016 • 43 min

In episode 85, we go over how AirPods kick off Apple’s battle for our ears. After discussing Apple’s motivation behind AirPods, we go over my initial impressions from using AirPods for the past week. We then follow a few additional points, including my…

84: The Elephant in the Smartwatch Room

Dec 16, 2016 • 32 min

Episode 84 is focused on analyzing the smartwatch industry. Apple is consolidating power within the smartwatch industry at an alarming rate. We begin with a refresher as to the motivation and rationale for smartwatches in a smartphone world. The…

83: Milking the iPhone

Dec 9, 2016 • 42 min

Apple is betting now is the time to double down on the iPhone to build one of the world’s most formidable tech ecosystems. Episode 83 begins with a discussion about Apple’s iPhone strategy. The company has learned from mistakes made with the Mac in the…

82: Above Avalon 101

Nov 25, 2016 • 30 min

In this special edition episode, the focus is on Above Avalon. I recently celebrated the second-year anniversary of launching Above Avalon. Topics include the motivation behind starting Above Avalon, business models, and my philosophy on Apple analysis.…

81: Skating to the Apple Car Puck

Nov 18, 2016 • 42 min

Episode 81 is focused on Apple’s changing Project Titan strategy. We begin by discussing Apple’s initial car strategy and early momentum. The episode then discusses the various problems that began to appear with Project Titan at the end of 2015. We…

80: Let’s Talk the New MacBook Pro

Nov 4, 2016 • 41 min

I am back from Cupertino and Apple’s Mac keynote. Episode 80 is focused on the new MacBook Pro. We begin the episode with a few observations I had after attending the presentation. The conversation then turns to defining the Mac within Apple’s product…

79: Apple’s Trojan Horse into Hollywood

Oct 21, 2016 • 33 min

Episode 79 is focused on Apple’s video content strategy. Signs point to Apple building its own Hollywood arm dedicated to original content. After going over Apple’s long history of trying to rethink TV and video content, we discuss why video content is so…

78: Apple Is Going After Fitbit

Oct 8, 2016 • 39 min

There is only one genuine battle for the wrist, and it is between Fitbit and Apple Watch. Episode 78 is all about Apple Watch Series 2 and Apple putting Apple Watch on a fitness detour. We begin by going over the impressions I get from using Apple Watch…

77: Let’s Talk iPhone 7

Sep 30, 2016 • 34 min

Episode 77 is all about iPhone 7. Since the iPhone 7 should not be discussed in isolation, we begin the episode by going over some of the major themes impacting the iPhone business over the past year. The discussion turns to the impressions I get from…

76: AirPods

Sep 16, 2016 • 32 min

I am back from San Francisco. In episode 76, we discuss the most intriguing new product to be unveiled at Apple’s keynote. AirPods are not just a pair of bluetooth headphones or an iPhone accessory. Instead, AirPods represent Apple’s second wearables…

75: The Apple Services Myth

Sep 2, 2016 • 32 min

The narrative surrounding Apple Services has taken on a life of its own. In episode 75, we dispel the myth that Apple is becoming a services company. After discussing how this myth began, we take a closer look at the actual story involving Apple services.…

74: Jony Ive Is Making People Uneasy

Aug 26, 2016 • 29 min

Episode 74 is dedicated to discussing how Jony’s power and control within Apple is increasingly making people uncomfortable with the company’s direction. Apple has doubled down on its design-led philosophy. We go over the history of why Steve Jobs gave…

73: The Art of Simplicity

Aug 12, 2016 • 22 min

Apple Watch and Apple Music shared something in common with each other in the beginning. They lacked simplicity. After going over the definition of simplicity, we dissect where Apple Watch and Apple Music lack simplicity and what I suspect contributed to…

72: Let’s Talk iPad

Aug 5, 2016 • 31 min

The iPad has turned the corner. In episode 72, we take a look at the iPad business and the factors that give me confidence that fundamental elements of the business are beginning to improve. The episode begins with an overview of the iPad’s early days and…

71: Apple’s Earnings Surprise

Jul 30, 2016 • 26 min

In this special edition episode, we discuss the primary theme from Apple’s 3Q16 earnings. Even though Apple reported its weakest quarter in 15 years, AAPL shares increased as the company beat Wall Street expectations. Upon closer examination, it would…

70: The Wall Street Expectations Game

Jul 22, 2016 • 33 min

Episode 70 takes a closer look at how expectations guide Wall Street. We discuss AAPL’s transformation from a growth stock to a value stock, focusing on the contributing factors that led to the reset. We then discuss the framework underpinning Wall…

69: Apple’s Music Ambitions

Jul 15, 2016 • 35 min

Apple’s ambition in music continues to be misunderstood. In episode 69, we look at Apple’s overall plan to own the entire music industry. We begin with a brief history of Apple’s involvement in music over the past 15 years in order to understand…

68: The $10 Billion Apple Watch

Jul 1, 2016 • 28 min

In episode 68, we take a closer look at the Apple Watch business. After going over my estimates for Apple Watch revenue and unit sales since launch in April 2015, we discuss how much the Apple Watch business would currently be worth if it were a…

67: Apple’s Post-iPhone Era

Jun 24, 2016 • 37 min

This week’s episode is focused on what will come after the iPhone. Using clues found throughout Apple’s WWDC keynote, we discuss what this post-iPhone product era will look like and its driving forces. This new Apple Experience era will be a new chapter…

66: Back from WWDC

Jun 17, 2016 • 28 min

I am back from San Francisco, and Episode 66 is dedicated to Apple’s WWDC keynote. We discuss the five most interesting items from the keynote that are still at the top of my mind days after the event. These five items are a mix of new features, products,…

65: Getting Ready for WWDC

Jun 10, 2016 • 30 min

As I get ready to fly out to San Francisco to attend Apple’s WWDC keynote, this episode begins with a quick business update about Above Avalon and my recent first year anniversary of launching Above Avalon memberships. We then move to WWDC and an unusual…

64: A New Apple M&A Phase

Jun 3, 2016 • 33 min

In this episode, we take a closer look at how Apple’s M&A strategy is evolving. After analyzing 19 years of Apple M&A transactions, a number of patterns become visible. Apple M&A is closely related to Apple’s functional organizational structure as both…

63: Speed Dating Didi

May 20, 2016 • 34 min

Apple’s $1 billion investment in Didi Chuxing is an important deal, marking the beginning of the company’s official pivot into transportation. In this episode, we go over Didi’s ridesharing business and the three primary reasons Apple decided to buy a…

62: Apple Is Going to Pivot

May 13, 2016 • 30 min

Apple is projected to report more than $10 billion of research and development expense in 2016. Unlike most of its tech peers, Apple remains very quiet about future plans. However, upon closer examination, there is only one explanation as to what Apple…

61: iPhone Warning Signs

May 6, 2016 • 45 min

With Apple’s 2Q16 earnings in the rearview mirror, we focus on the iPhone business and what appears to be a number of warning signs regarding growth and profitability. The iPhone business is slowing, and it appears that Apple management is still trying to…

60: The Car’s “iPhone” Moment

Apr 22, 2016 • 39 min

This episode is focused on rethinking the car. We begin by looking at how Apple positioned the iPhone to change our perception of the phone. This helps us discover what will be the auto industry’s “iPhone” moment, or idea that leads us to think about the…

59: Apple Dividends

Apr 15, 2016 • 29 min

Episode 59 is dedicated to Apple’s dividend. In two weeks, Apple’s board will authorize an increase in the quarterly cash dividend. We take a comprehensive look at Apple’s quarterly cash dividend, including growth trends and forward trajectories. The…

58: Apple Watch’s Future

Apr 8, 2016 • 37 min

Apple will celebrate Apple Watch’s one-year anniversary later this month. In this episode, we look at Apple Watch’s first year, including the ups and downs. We then look forward to where the Apple Watch is likely headed from a product perspective. The…

57: The iPhone 5s Successor

Apr 1, 2016 • 34 min

Episode 57 is dedicated to the iPhone SE. After a few comments on Apple’s “Let us loop you in” keynote, we begin to address the “what” behind the iPhone SE. We look at Apple VP Greg Joswiak’s primary goals in announcing Apple’s new 4-inch iPhone on stage…

56: Competing with Facebook

Mar 18, 2016 • 41 min

In this episode, we discuss the rivalry between Facebook and Apple and the degree to which Facebook is an Apple competitor. We begin by discussing my Facebook experiment. I stopped using Facebook properties for six months in order to analyze the product.…

55: Let’s Talk 4-Inch iPhones

Mar 11, 2016 • 28 min

In this episode, we discuss the “why” behind Apple releasing a new 4-inch screen iPhone at its upcoming product event. We take a closer look at the changing iPhone user base and the two primary factors contributing to a more diverse base with varying…

54: Tim Cook’s Legacy

Feb 26, 2016 • 31 min

We have learned a great deal about Tim Cook’s motivation and leadership these past two weeks from following the FBI iPhone case. In this episode, we take a closer look at what is becoming Tim Cook’s legacy as Apple CEO. After giving various examples of…

53: Learning from Tesla

Feb 19, 2016 • 35 min

After a few brief words on Tim Cook’s message to customers regarding iPhone security and the San Bernardino case, Episode 53 is dedicated to the car industry. Beginning with a look at Tesla’s most recent earnings report, we discuss the progress Tesla has…

52: The iPhone Reality Distortion Field

Feb 12, 2016 • 34 min

In this episode, we take a closer look at how the iPhone has changed the definition of success for Apple. Using three examples (Apple Watch, Apple Music and Apple accessories), we highlight how the iPhone business has been able to twist reality when it…

51: Apple’s Broken Narrative

Feb 5, 2016 • 35 min

Apple’s Wall Street narrative is broken. The metrics long used to judge Apple’s success are now turning negative, and management is trying to use new data points as a way to measure Apple’s progress. In this episode, we take a closer look at why…

50: iPhone Turbulence

Jan 29, 2016 • 32 min

In this post-Apple earnings episode, we discuss what happened to the iPhone business at the end of 2015. Taking a closer look at Apple management’s comments on the conference call and analyzing a few new iPhone platform data points, we arrive at the most…

49: Moving Beyond the iPhone

Jan 22, 2016 • 32 min

Apple has spent the past four years planting the seeds for doing the seemingly impossible: moving beyond the iPhone. In this episode, we discuss what it means to Apple to be the iPhone company and the strategy Apple has undertaken to position itself as…

48: The Two Apples

Jan 15, 2016 • 35 min

There are two Apples: AAPL, the stock, and Apple, the company. In this episode, we discuss the difference between the two Apples. What are the parameters guiding Wall Street’s view of AAPL in comparison to Apple management’s long-term goals for the…

47: Apple Questions for 2016

Jan 8, 2016 • 35 min

In this episode, we discuss Apple’s business prospects for 2016. By focusing our attention on 20 different topics including Apple Watch, iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Music, AAPL financials, management, and product wildcards, we embrace the unknown to reach a…

46: Selling Apple Watch Buzz

Dec 18, 2015 • 37 min

The Apple Watch and iPad are being positioned as the top tech gadget gifts of the season. In this episode, we take a closer look at Apple’s fourth quarter and why third-party retailers are betting on Apple products. With Best Buy and Target offering…

45: People Love Accessories

Dec 12, 2015 • 28 min

In this episode, we take a closer look at the accessory market and the driving factors behind Apple’s decision to continue down the path of selling iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch accessories. We then tackle the debate that has been building in recent…

44: The Grand Unified Theory of Apple Products

Dec 4, 2015 • 35 min

Apple management has relied on various product theories over the years to explain its product portfolio. In this episode, we go over these theories, including Apple’s newest product theory as recently explained by Phil Schiller. This “Grand Unified Theory…

43: Apple TV Is Different

Nov 20, 2015 • 33 min

The new Apple TV stands out from Apple’s other products. In this episode, we discuss the Apple TV and the path taken to get to today’s version, its three most important features from a strategic perspective, and where it can fit into our lives in the…

42: The North San Jose Investigation

Nov 13, 2015 • 37 min

Over the past four months, Apple has spent more than $300 million quietly purchasing or leasing land in North San Jose. In this episode, we review these land transactions and possible reasons behind the deals. We then discuss why all signs point to an…

41: Apple’s Record Stock Buyback

Nov 7, 2015 • 41 min

Tim Cook and Luca Maestri were busy buying back AAPL shares this past summer. In this episode, we take a closer look at Apple’s share buyback program. We answer three questions: Why is Apple buying back its stock? How is Apple buying back stock? Does it…

40: How Is Apple Doing?

Oct 30, 2015 • 32 min

An Apple’s earnings report represents a snapshot of how business has performed over the previous three months. In this week’s episode, instead of going over all of the numbers and details from Apple’s 4Q15 earnings report, we ask a very simple question:…

39: The iPhone Mission

Oct 24, 2015 • 39 min

The smartphone industry is once again showing signs of change. The speed at which the U.S. has embraced annual smartphone upgrades, in addition to the new smartphone landscape in China, show that the market is not static or set in stone. In this episode,…

38: Good Design Changes the World

Oct 16, 2015 • 34 min

Apple has thrust the topic of design into today’s society. In Episode 38, we take a closer look at how design can marginalize industries and in the process change the world. After briefly discussing what constitutes good design, we use the iPhone, iPad,…

37: Don’t Underestimate Apple Watch

Oct 9, 2015 • 33 min

The Apple Watch was unveiled to the world a year ago. Since that time, expectations for the first new product category in the Tim Cook/Jony Ive era have seen a complete reversal. What was once deemed Apple’s next big product after the iPhone is now looked…

36: Apple’s Largest Startup

Oct 2, 2015 • 27 min

There continues to be a debate over what makes Apple so successful. While some may think the answer remains elusive, looking at the way Apple is building Project Titan will help provide clues and answers as to how Apple thinks about success. The more…

35: Buying a New iPhone Every Year

Sep 25, 2015 • 32 min

Along with launching new iPhones, Apple began a new service in the U.S. called the iPhone Upgrade Program. Episode 35 takes a closer look at the program and what it was like to purchase an iPhone 6s Plus through the new service. After discussing some of…

34: Back from San Francisco

Sep 18, 2015 • 31 min

This episode begins with some of my observations from Apple’s latest keynote from the perspective of being a first-time attendee. With only three public events in 2015, this latest keynote was pretty important. Instead of covering a laundry list of…

33: Packing Up for the Apple Event

Sep 4, 2015 • 30 min

I am getting ready to fly out to San Francisco for the Apple event. In this episode, we begin by discussing the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium and why it is such an intriguing venue. Next, we go over the big picture themes for the upcoming event including…

32: Do You Carry Apple Watch?

Aug 28, 2015 • 28 min

Episode 32 takes a look at three topics impacting Apple this past week. We kick things off by going over Best Buy’s earnings report and news that Apple Watch demand was so strong that its rollout has been accelerated. There may be some lessons to learn…

31: Finding iPad’s Future

Aug 14, 2015 • 26 min

There is something about the iPad that just doesn’t sit right with me. The iPad is still selling at the pace of 10 million units a quarter, but broader trends point to specific use cases being preferred over others. In episode 31, I go over the latest…

30: The Wild Week on Wall Street

Aug 10, 2015 • 34 min

I take a closer look at what may be driving some of the recent volatility on Wall Street. There were a number of observations to make for how Wall Street responded to AAPL earnings. The discussion then shifts over to the volatility impacting Disney and…

29: Let’s Talk Apple Music

Jul 17, 2015 • 29 min

Episode 29 is dedicated to talking about Apple Music strategy. The discussion begins by going over how Apple got to be in a position where a $3 billion acquisition of Beats contained the most upside potential for rethinking the music industry. There are…

28: The iPhone is Taking Over Apple

Jul 10, 2015 • 40 min

In this episode, I discuss why Apple will be the iPhone company for the foreseeable future. While it is obvious that the iPhone is important to Apple, it is crucial to analyzing the ramifications of iPhone taking over not just Apple’s financials, but also…

27: Thinking About Cars

Jun 19, 2015 • 33 min

Episode 27 is the official beginning of my journey into talking about the future of the automobile. It is now time to begin moving the discussion beyond whether Apple will enter the automobile industry and toward how Apple will get involved with personal…

26: WWDC Strategy Session

Jun 12, 2015 • 40 min

I discuss some of the major strategic takeaways from Apple’s WWDC keynote presentation. I analyze why Apple Music, News app, and Spotlight and Siri improvements are indicative of Apple being on the offense, and not defense, in its battle vs. Google and…

25: Sustainability is Important

May 29, 2015 • 23 min

In this episode, I take a closer look at the Jony Ive promotion and then shift over to explain some of the background and motivation behind why I founded Above Avalon and my goals around a new premium email for members.

24: I’m Back and Wearing a Watch

May 21, 2015 • 29 min

The Above Avalon podcast is back and Apple Watch is the topic. The discussion begins with how the Watch is truly unique compared to other watches and iPhone, followed by observations on the sports band, Marc Newson, durability, and battery life.…

23: The Amazing iPhone in China

May 1, 2015 • 33 min

Episode 23 is focused on reviewing Apple’s 2Q15 earnings, including strong iPhone trends in China. The discussion begins with a line-by-line discussion of my Apple earnings model, including revenue, gross margins, EPS, product unit sales, and average…

22: Apple’s 2Q Earnings Preview

Apr 24, 2015 • 17 min

This special episode is all about getting prepared for Apple’s upcoming earnings (which will be released Monday, April 27th). Topics include iPhone sales estimates, why the iPad and Mac won’t matter much to earnings, Apple’s capital return program…

21: Apple’s M&A Strategy

Apr 23, 2015 • 19 min

A look into Apple’s M&A strategy and why big acquisitions aren’t in Apple’s DNA. Additional topics include Apple’s LinX acquisition, Lisa Jackson’s post about partnering with The Conservation Fund to buy forests, and why Apple doesn’t need $178 billion of…

20: My Apple Watch Try-On Experience

Apr 14, 2015 • 35 min

Neil discusses his trip to the Apple Store this past Friday to observe the Apple Watch try-on process including time with the Apple Watch demos. This episode includes various observations and thoughts on Apple Watch, Apple retail, and the larger wearable…

19: Selling the iPhone Killer

Apr 7, 2015 • 24 min

In this episode, Neil discusses David Pierce’s Apple Watch article published in Wired as well as Apple’s broader Apple Watch marketing strategy. Additional topics include the strategy behind a new 4-inch screen iPhone, and how Chanel’s move to embrace…

18: Thinking About Design

Mar 31, 2015 • 20 min

Neil discusses three topics from last week’s AAPL Orchard daily emails that helped describe Apple’s design and product culture. Topics include Tim Cook’s interview with Fortune about leadership and Apple’s new HQ, rethinking design with electric and…

17: My Perfect TV

Mar 20, 2015 • 24 min

With new reports that Apple is looking to push ahead with its television plans, Neil discusses his perfect television: a streaming video content service. With vast amounts of content and software that supports proper curation, discoverability, and search,…

16: The Apple Watch Is Almost Here

Mar 13, 2015 • 32 min

Neil goes over his notes from Apple’s “Spring forward” keynote, including Apple TV, Jeff Williams, ResearchKit, the new MacBook, and everything Apple Watch. Towards the end of the episode, Neil addresses some of the debate that seems to be occurring over…

15: Previewing the Apple Watch Keynote

Mar 6, 2015 • 25 min

In this special episode, Neil takes a look at what to expect at Apple’s upcoming Apple Watch keynote. The discussion includes how important an Apple keynote is to conveying a specific message to the public, Apple’s goals for the keynote, and a few…

14: Priorities

Mar 3, 2015 • 38 min

In this episode, Neil focuses on Apple’s top priorities over the next five years. From the iPhone and Apple Watch in the near-term (2-3 years), to Apple’s “automobile” secret project in the long-term (3-5 years), Neil describes why these products and…

13: Apple Wants to Design a Car

Feb 23, 2015 • 13 min

With nearly every major business news publication reporting Apple is looking to design its own car, Neil takes a look at the polarizing issue and why there seems to be so much disagreement among industry observers. The episode also includes discussion on…

12: The Trick of Downplaying Hardware

Feb 14, 2015 • 15 min

In this episode, Neil focuses on Tim Cook’s recent presentation at the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference and his comments on Apple software and hardware. Additional topics include a brief background on investor conferences and why Apple…

11: Setting the Stage for Beats

Feb 6, 2015 • 16 min

Episode 11 is all about Apple’s new music strategy. With music streaming continuing to gain popularity, Neil discusses how Apple will navigate the current music landscape with Beats. Additional topics include how Apple can obtain value from content…

10: The Amazing iPhone

Feb 3, 2015 • 26 min

After a quick review of Apple’s strong earnings report, Neil discusses why most of the post-earnings reaction was off the mark. The episode concludes with a few big picture views about iPhone and why the product is so misunderstood.

9: Let’s Talk about Mindshare

Jan 22, 2015 • 17 min

Neil discusses the ongoing battle in technology for mindshare ranging from Microsoft’s HoloLens unveiling to Amazon, Google, Samsung, and Apple.