More Apple FUD from Taipei-based DigiTimes

Could Apple’s core business be, gulp, non-viable?

From Apple hardware-centric policy may no longer be viable, posted Tuesday by DigiTimes’ Cage Chao and Steve Shen:

With sales of a series of Apple’s products including the iPhone, MacBook, iMac, Apple TV, iPad and HomePod having fallen below expectations recently, Apple had better adjust its hardware-centric strategy to minimize its operation risks, according to sources from Taiwan’s supply chain makers.

Judging from Apple’s current earnings structure, it seems that Apple still insists on a strategy of making money and even more money from hardware devices, considering that such a profit-making mechanism is still crucial for the comany (sic), said the sources.

But the fact that Amazon and Google have been making headway in the voice interface market against Siri indicates that Apple’s traditional strategy of promoting its hardware devices using its brand premium under a closed ecosystem may not be much of an advantage anymore, commented the sources.

The shortcoming of such a policy is more evidence in the sale of Apple TV and HomePad products and has also resulted in a slowdown in shipments of MacBook and iMac prior to their product life cycles, pointed the sources.

My take: Reads like another one-source hit job. For one thing, unnamed sources don’t point in unison. More rookie stuff.

See also: DigiTimes peddles Apple fear uncertainty and doubt