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Golden handcuffs no longer cut it, Apple needs to deliver on AI and cutting-edge hardware

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Apple’s dominance in the premium smartphone market is no longer unchallenged, as numerous flagship devices from competitors are gaining popularity and offering compelling alternatives.
We’re officially less than a week away from Apple’s « It’s Glowtime » event on September 9 and the iPhone 16 lineup is eagerly awaiting its official launch.
Next Monday, emotions will be through the roof (I’m not saying positive or negative, it could be both), but right now, the key emotion, however, is hope: Apple hopes many people will buy their new products, people hope Apple’s new products don’t come with a sticker shock, and so on.
Personally, I hope that the event does not feature a short film that causes a massive cardiac cringe arrest.
There’s another group of people that’ll be following the event closely, but not out of tech-savvy geekness. I’m talking about Apple shareholders like the Vanguard Group and BlackRock. They’re not that interested whether the iPhone 16 Pro could get those rumored 40W wired fast charging speeds, compared to the iPhone 15 Pro’s measly 27W.
In contrast, what they’re interested in is their investments – is Apple going to sell much stuff with the Apple logo on it? Is the company stable? Is it stable enough to hold our shares in the company?
Just the other day, it became known that Tim Cook’s strategy after Steve Jobs’ passing was… senior employees who barely work.
Let me explain a bit more about it and why I think it’s not an adequate strategy for 2024.
Genies with golden handcuffs at Apple’s headquarters: how and why?

The iPhone is more than just hardware and software, as it turns out. | Image credit – PhoneArena
Apple has long relied on a retention strategy known as « golden handcuffs » to keep key figures on its payroll, even when their day-to-day involvement diminishes.
This tactic, which has been used since Steve Jobs’ passing in 2011, aims to maintain stability and reassure shareholders by keeping influential figures like Bob Mansfield, Jony Ive, and Phil Schiller associated with the company.

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