Apple continues to find ways to tilt the boat in the standard position with more price cuts reportedly up ahead. This latest development further questions the viability of the Cupertino company's latest iPhone models, pricey and likely hitting a snag particularly in the Asian market.
According to 9 to 5 Mac, at least one analyst believes that Apple will be making more iPhone price cuts in China and Japan. This follows a previous report claiming that the Cupertino company will be making cuts to the price of the iPhone XR in Japan, something that was introduced at $100 less back in November.
The same iPhone price cuts were reportedly set to be made over in China this month but covering other models as well. The estimated slash would be 20-percent of the prices across the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and the iPhone XR.
The iPhone price cuts have sent mixed signals to the market. For some, the current situation indicated that Apple is in a Code Red situation and struggling to find the right pricing matrix for the iPhone XR and other upcoming models on their end.
Add to the fact that rising brands such as Huawei and Xiaomi have offered lower-priced smartphones but with standout features all the more compounds the woes for Apple. Critics feel that they need to find the right strategy to make sure that they do not lose existing iPhone users who could be contemplating a shift to the Android-based brands.
With their business matrix seemingly in trouble, some parties believe the way to go for Apple is ramping up the introduction of new services. One service singled out was the long-awaited streaming service. The standalone subscription video content service is speculated to be coming next year although the Cupertino company will have to carefully evaluate and study the competition. This includes the likes of Netflix, Amazon, and Disney, all of whom are expected to ramp up their respective service offerings as well.
Among the potential acquisitions Apple includes A24, Lionsgate and Sony Pictures, CNBC said. Alternatively, some other targets the Cupertino company could go after include Viacom/ CBS or even MGM Studios - both medium probability ones.
Apple’s last major acquisition was a $400 million purchase of song-identification app Shazam in December 2017, which followed the $3 billion acquisition of Beat Electronics in 2014.
Looking ahead, Apple needs to get its wheels in motion if they are to keep their revenues afloat. With their product line struggling, it may be high time for them to explore other income-generating services, streaming video services of which is being awaited but hopefully at a reasonable subscription fee.
