Les Surdykowski on The Information: Apple is bringing seven new iPhones to market - 'My all-time favorite iPhone design prediction was the one where the phone looked almost like an iPod with a scroll wheel for selecting numbers. While it wasn’t actually correct, it was a contender that never made it past the design studio. Bonus points for appearing at the iPhone reveal as a joke bait-and-switch by Jobs himself.'
on Raw Data: The U.S. rattling its sabers at Europe - 'The EU was created to create … the EU, reducing trade frictions and increase mobility between the EU nations. As such, there has to be at least some favoritism within the EU, but I will also agree that there seems to be too much pushback against the USA – and a lot of saber rattling to go along with it. Seems kinda childish to me: Trump should very successful at it.'
on Raw Data: The U.S. rattling its sabers at Europe - '“‘reasonable idea, appalling execution’.)” That is a good summation. A comment I have made in the past, which is somewhat similar, is a “bull in a china shop” as a way to reduce inventory.'
on The Information: Apple is bringing seven new iPhones to market - 'And 2 years from now, when Apple hasn’t done what The Information says it is going to do, you will be hard pressed to find a mea culpa emanating from The Information.'
on Raw Data: The U.S. rattling its sabers at Europe - 'The argument you’ll hear on Boeing, which from my observation has validity, is that the US subsidizes Boeing through its military contracts. So Boeing has a corporate strategy to emphasize commercial aircraft when the business is good, and feed from the Defense Trough when the commercial aircraft business has a slump. (I admit to being biased against Boeing based on Boeing’s performance on the big Army Future Combat Systems program. You haven’t lived until you’ve been part of a $22 billion failure. The Boeing PM was later hired and fired as Boeing’s CEO after the 737 Max catastrophe.)'
on Counterpoint cuts 2026 smartphone forecast. Apple and Samsung will be fine. - 'I think you have nailed it Fred! I doubt the whole argument that Ram costs will change prices overall. On the premium phones it is unlikely the potential price changes would be enough to slow sales. There might be other reasons for slowing sales and rotation from one manufacturer to another but I think this particular issue should be a short term problem. When commodities are in short supply the market usually responds with increased production eventually leading to enough supply or even over supply. I could see those “others” who are barely profitable or worse deciding not to continue competing but people will still need devices so some other manufacturer would likely pick up the slack. I think phone demand and price sensitivity is not precisely correlated. Profit and revenue maybe.'
on Counterpoint cuts 2026 smartphone forecast. Apple and Samsung will be fine. - 'Wait. Are they saying CY 2026, iPhone sales drop by 2.2%? Hey team, y’all doubt it too? Chime in.'
on As Roomba's iRobot was going bankrupt, its co-founder was talking to the New York Times - 'Not to mention his “I need more control so nobody can remove me after I’ve built a robot army.”'
on Counterpoint cuts 2026 smartphone forecast. Apple and Samsung will be fine. - 'Hi, David, I have a few minutes to respond while waiting for an appointment: People are generally hanging onto their existing smartphones, so yes, demand is increasing. But supply of non-iPhones is decreasing as a result. Meanwhile, the affluent (i.e. the source of “used smartphones” ) are demanding iPhones over Androids. Ergo, yes, I expect there will not only be a boom in used iPhones, the demand will surpass the supply, driving up the prices. More inflation, of course, which is directly down to the “Trumpites” and their “policies” – if you can call them that. More like fumble-fingered clods, IMO….'
on Counterpoint cuts 2026 smartphone forecast. Apple and Samsung will be fine. - 'Maybe, but even used iPhones don’t play much in the primarily impacted low end market. Still, it might have some impact on the mid level.'
on Apple joins Trump's 'Tech Force' - 'More importantly, what’s the agenda? Accelerate AI for… better surveillance? I don’t trust the POTUS any farther than I could throw him – which ain’t far.'
on Premarket: Apple is red - 'Whatever the Fed does, monetary policy is really “the tail” in this macroeconomic story. “The dog” is the larger economy. There has been no net job creation since April. Unemployment is now at 4.6%, the highest it’s been in 4 years. Wage gains are slowing and failing to keep up with inflation. Those Americans who are struggling now face increased healthcare costs and reduced SNAP due to policies of the Trump administration. Tariffs have raised the cost of many things people want and need. And yet the policy has failed to achieve its chief goal. Employment in US factories has been declining for months and continues to do so. This is macroeconomic policy failure across the board. All of it predictable. All of it predicted by leading economists across the political spectrum. There is no trickier an environment in which to be a Fed governor. Which poison do you prefer? Reduce short-term rates to stimulate demand and you add to inflation. Increase rates to dampen inflation and the economy slows further. Is this economy “great again”? It does not feel that way to me.'
