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Above Avalon - Apple Analysis. From Wall Street to Silicon Valley - Technology
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Above Avalon: Apple’s AI Strategy, My Vision for Siri, Hardware’s Importance
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories: Apple’s AI Strategy My Vision for Siri Hardware’s Importance Today’s discussion will begin with how the DeepSeek news impacts Apple. Our focus will then turn to Apple’s AI strategy. It’s been surprising how few observ
Above Avalon: Previewing Apple’s 1Q25 Earnings, Apple 1Q25 Earnings Expectation Meters
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories: Previewing Apple’s 1Q25 Earnings Apple 1Q25 Earnings Expectation Meters My 1Q25 earnings preview looks slightly different as we bring back my expectation meters and a “cheat sheet” that can be utilized with Apple’s earning
Above Avalon: DeepSeek Alarm Bells, Wall Street’s Freak-Out, Revisiting Huawei vs. Apple
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories: DeepSeek Alarm Bells Wall Street’s Freak-Out Revisiting Huawei vs. Apple Happy Monday. This is going to be a busy week. Apple reports earnings on Thursday. That positions Wednesday as our earnings preview day. For t
Above Avalon: Netflix 4Q24 Earnings, Netflix and the NFL, More Netflix Price Hikes
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories: Netflix 4Q24 Earnings Netflix and the NFL More Netflix Price Hikes I have been receiving questions about the latest with AAPL and various reports out of China regarding iPhone demand. While my preference is to stay aw
Above Avalon: What’s Driving AAPL’s Underperformance?, iPhone Demand in China, Apple Jitters
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories: What’s Driving AAPL’s Underperformance? iPhone Demand in China Apple Jitters I have been receiving questions regarding what may be going on with AAPL and reports suggesting there are iPhone demand issues in China. Let
Above Avalon: “Severance” Pop-Up at Grand Central, Apple’s Genius Marketing, Apple Finally Punches Back
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories: “Severance” Pop-Up at Grand Central Apple’s Genius Marketing Apple Finally Punches Back This is a big weekend for Apple TV+ as both the Season 2 premiere of “Severance” and the Season 2 finale of “Silo” are now live.
Above Avalon: My Thoughts About Tim Cook at Trump’s Inauguration, Apple’s Top (Political) Issues, A Larger Reset
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories: My Thoughts About Tim Cook at Trump’s Inauguration Apple’s Top (Political) Issues A Larger Reset Yesterday wasn’t quiet on the news front. Today’s update will go over my thoughts about what took place at the Trump ina
Above Avalon: Sonos CEO Fired, Where Sonos Went Wrong, Smart Speaker Intrigue
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories: Sonos CEO Fired Where Sonos Went Wrong Smart Speaker Intrigue We will shift gears by talking about Sonos. Obviously, we can point to Sonos’ problematic app as a major factor behind the company’s current predicament. W
Above Avalon: Apple Goes Public With Meta Interoperability Requests, Apple and Interoperability Risk, Zuckerberg’s Master Plan
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories: Apple Goes Public With Meta Interoperability Requests Apple and Interoperability Risk Zuckerberg’s Master Plan There is backstory to Mark Zuckerberg’s complaints about not having better access to Apple’s ecosystem to
Above Avalon: Meta Pivots on Content Moderation, Zuckerberg Talks Apple on Joe Rogan, Zuckerberg Continues to Gaslight
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories: Meta Pivots on Content Moderation Zuckerberg Talks Apple on Joe Rogan Zuckerberg Continues to Gaslight Last week, Mark Zuckerberg announced that major changes were coming to Meta properties on censorship and conte
Above Avalon: Apple’s Modem Launch Reportedly Nears, Apple vs. Qualcomm, Apple’s Modem Goals
Hello everyone. Above Avalon Gifts are back for the 2024 holiday season. This is the one time each year when various options are available for gifting an Above Avalon membership and the accompanying add-ons. There are six different one-time gifts available. Prices start at $90 for a three-month Abo
Above Avalon: Dell Renames PC Line, Apple News Expansion Planned, Apple Intelligence Notification Summaries Need Work
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories: Dell Renames PC Line Apple News Expansion Planned Apple Intelligence Notification Summaries Need Work For those of you in the LA area, my hope is that things are going OK as it pertains to the wildfires. My list of n
Above Avalon: What Happened to CarPlay 2.0?, Eddy Cue Talks Down Apple Search Engine, Apple Uses Shazam for Predictive Analysis
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories: What Happened to CarPlay 2.0? Eddy Cue Talks Down Apple Search Engine Apple Uses Shazam for Predictive Analysis We are going to jump right into today’s update with CarPlay talk. The update will then shift to the lates
Above Avalon: Looking Ahead at Apple’s 2025
Hello everyone. It feels good to get back into the swing of things. We will kick off the 10th year of this newsletter with a look ahead at Apple in 2025. There are a few things that have been on my mind. The discussion will likely flow into tomorrow’s update as well. An Above Avalon membership is
Above Avalon: Looking Ahead at Apple in 2025 (A Financial Perspective)
Happy Tuesday. We will continue yesterday’s discussion by looking at Apple’s 2025 from a financial perspective. We will begin to cover some news items tomorrow. An Above Avalon membership is required to continue reading this update. Members can read the full update here . (Members: Daily Updat
Above Avalon: Apple Year in Review 2024
Turning to today’s update, we will go over my thoughts regarding Apple’s 2024. Our focus won’t be on what Apple should do in 2025 and beyond. We can tackle that topic in the new year. An Above Avalon membership is required to continue reading this update. Members can read the full update here
Above Avalon: Google’s Veo 2 Is a Litmus Test, Blackmagic Debuts Camera for Vision Pro, Apple Sports App Update
We begin today’s update with my thoughts on how Google’s Veo 2 is a litmus test. The discussion then turns to good news on the Apple Immersive Video front. We conclude with a quick look at Apple’s Sports app. An Above Avalon membership is required to continue reading this update. Members can read
Above Avalon: Thinking Through Headset / AR Glasses Competition and Landscape
Following the Dec 16th update regarding Google/Samsung partnership news, today’s update will be focused on the competitive landscape facing headsets and AR glasses. There are a number of moving parts. Let's jump right in. An Above Avalon membership is required to continue reading this update. Mem
Above Avalon: Google “Unveils” Android XR, Samsung “Unveils” First Mixed Reality Headset, Everyone Is Copying Apple
For today’s update, we will discuss Android XR and Samsung’s new Android XR headset. The discussion will roll over into tomorrow’s update as well. An Above Avalon membership is required to continue reading this update. Members can read the full update here . (Members: Daily Updates are accessi
Above Avalon: Apple Releases Second Wave of Apple Intelligence, My Initial Thoughts on Visual Intelligence, Image Playground Beats Expectations
With iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 now out, the second wave of Apple Intelligence features has gone live for the U.S. and localized English for Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the UK. For many Apple users with supported hardware, this second wave
Above Avalon: Spotify 3Q24 Earnings, Disney 4Q24 Earnings
Hello everyone. Today’s update will take us to streaming land as we circle back to earnings from Spotify and Disney . The two companies reported earnings within the past month. An Above Avalon membership is required to continue reading this update. Members can read the full update here
Above Avalon: Apple Places Retail Bet on Saudi Arabia, Vision Pro Wins Innovation of the Year Award, Vision Pro and Watching “TV”
Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories: Apple Places Retail Bet on Saudi Arabia Vision Pro Wins Innovation of the Year Award Vision Pro and Watching “TV” Happy Tuesday. Information regarding Above Avalon Gifts 2024 has been posted to AboveAvalon.com at th
Above Avalon: Jeff Bezos Focusing On AI at Amazon, Sundar Pichai Talks Woke Culture
Hello everyone. Over the past nine and half years of daily updates, we have only talked about an interview that took place at the NYT Dealbook Summit in NYC once – in 2021 when Tim Cook (virtually) spoke. This year, Jeff Bezos and Sundar Pichai sat for interviews with Andrew Ross Sorkin. We will t
Above Avalon: A Deep Dive Into Tim Cook’s “Big” Interview With Steven Levy
Steven Levy, writing for WIRED, is out with a comprehensive interview with Tim Cook . Levy has been covering Apple for decades. He was one of the original iPhone reviewers in 2007. Today’s update will be dedicated to discussing the interview. An Above Avalon membership is required to continue r
Above Avalon: Apple’s 2024 Holiday Ad Goes Viral, Elon Musk Warming to Apple?
Hello everyone. It feels good to be back into the full swing of things. Given the way the calendar falls this year, we only have three weeks of updates remaining in 2024. It feels like those three weeks are going to fly by. Above Avalon Gifts 2024 will launch next week. This is the one tim
Above Avalon: AAPL Hits All-Time High, AAPL Valuation Metrics, Observations on Big Tech Valuation
We begin today’s update with my thoughts on AAPL shares hitting all-time highs. The discussion will then turn to an examination of AAPL valuation metrics (forward P/E, EV/FCF, and free cash flow yield). In addition to looking at Apple’s valuation metrics, there is value found in taking a broader loo
Above Avalon: Tim Cook in China for Third Time This Year, Trump Threatens 10% China Tariffs, Amazon Invests Another $4B in Anthropic
We kick off today’s update with my thoughts on Tim Cook’s third visit to China in 2024 and what appears to be political maneuvering and massaging tied to President Trump winning a second term. The discussion then turns to Trump threatening a 10% tariff put on Chinese goods. We conclude the update wi
Above Avalon: DOJ Provides Proposed Remedies for Google Antitrust, Indonesia Goes After Apple, Apple Selling Ads Directly on Apple News
We begin today’s update with my thoughts on the U.S. Department of Justice’s proposed remedies for the Court to consider in its case against Google. The discussion then turns to Apple and Indonesia going back-and-forth on investment negotiations. The update concludes with Apple’s ads push on Apple N
Above Avalon: Amazon Unveils New Echo Shows, The Smart Home, Apple Stationary Display Rumors
Today’s update will contain some good old-fashioned product strategy talk. We will begin with Amazon, then shift more broadly to the smart home, concluding with my thoughts on some Apple product rumors. Let’s jump right in.
Above Avalon: Apple Releases Apple Intelligence Ads, The Controversy Surrounding the Ads, My Verdict
Hello everyone. We are going to shift back to talking product. Today’s update will be focused on Apple Intelligence ads, some of which are causing quite the stir online. The tentative plan for tomorrow is that we will talk screens in the home. Let’s jump into today’s update.
Above Avalon: Microsoft 3Q24 Earnings, Amazon 3Q24 Earnings
Hello everyone. In today’s update, we will go over Microsoft and Amazon earnings. We will modify our earnings review methodology a little bit to make it possible to cover both in the same update. An Above Avalon membership is required to continue reading this update. Members can read the full u
Above Avalon: Meta 3Q24 Earnings, Three Takeaways From Meta’s 3Q24 Numbers, Three Takeaways From Meta’s 3Q24 Earnings Calls
Hello everyone. We will continue our Big Tech CY3Q24 earnings reviews with Meta. We will first go over my big picture overview. The discussion will then turn to over my takeaways from the earnings release and earnings conference call(s). An Above Avalon membership is required to continue reading t
Above Avalon: Alphabet 3Q24 Earnings, Three Takeaways from Alphabet’s 3Q24 Numbers, Three Takeaways from Alphabet’s 3Q24 Earnings Call
Hello everyone. We are going to try something new with Big Tech 3Q24 earnings reviews. After going over a very big picture overview of what each company reported, we will then discuss three takeaways from the numbers (i.e. the earnings release) and then three takeaways from the earnings conference
Above Avalon: Apple’s Capex-Light Business Model, Apple’s Excess Cash Position, Apple Buyback vs. Apple Dividends
Hello everyone. The initial plan was to begin going over Big Tech CY3Q24 earnings. There are a few new ideas worth trying out to get caught up quickly and efficiently. While we will still do that, a few incoming questions from members late yesterday led me to change the schedule around. For the pa
Above Avalon: My Notes from Apple’s 2024 10-K
Hello everyone. Today’s update will conclude our Apple 4Q24 earnings review. We will go over Apple’s 10-K filing for 2024 . There are a few remaining comments to go over regarding Apple’s share buyback. We can do that tomorrow. Published at the end of the fiscal year (Apple's fiscal year ends in S
Above Avalon: Reading Between the Lines of Apple’s 4Q24 Earnings Q&A With Analysts
Hello everyone. We will return to reviewing Apple’s 4Q24 earnings. Here’s what we have discussed so far: Last Friday: Big picture thoughts / comparing Apple’s results to my expectations. Monday: Focus on revenue growth. Tuesday: Focus on Apple Services. Thursday: Examine A
Above Avalon: Reviewing Apple’s 4Q24: What Is Apple’s “Real” Growth Rate?
Hello everyone. Welcome to a new week. Much of our focus this week will be given to reviewing Apple’s earnings. As we discussed last Friday , even though results were close to my estimates, there is value found in drilling down into some of the numbers and specific business lines. In addition to
Above Avalon: President Trump Wins Blowout Election, Impacts on Apple, Tim Cook’s Key Role
Hello everyone. We are going to take a detour and talk about the U.S. presidential election. A second Trump term will present more work for Apple, although the resulting upside is significantly greater than what would have been found with a Kamala Harris presidency. Let’s jump into today’s update.
Above Avalon: Apple 4Q24 Earnings Review: A Few Apple Services Surprises
Hello everyone. For today’s update, we will address another Apple question that has generated buzz within financial circles: How is Apple’s financial performance being impacted by Services? There are a few surprises to uncover. Let’s jump right in. An Above Avalon membership is required to conti