Apple's Beats brand in April unveiled the Powerbeats Pro, a redesigned wire-free version of its popular fitness-oriented Powerbeats earbuds.
Tim Cook Talks Apple Watch, iPhone 6s, Apple TV, Cars, Privacy, and More at WSJDLive
Apple CEO Tim Cook is on stage for the opening night of the WSJDLive conference in Palm Springs, California, with Wall Street Journal editor Gerry Baker interviewing Cook about a variety of topics. Live coverage of the interview is being offered by publications including WSJ.D and The Verge, and we'll be updating this post with highlights from the session.
Photo via The Verge
- On whether Apple wants to control every facet of our lives: Apple does very few products, and puts a lot of care into them, but Apple does want you to have a seamless experience throughout your home and work life.
- Citing competitive reasons, Cook once again declines to share Apple Watch sales numbers. "We shipped a lot the first quarter, then last quarter we shipped even more. And I can predict this quarter we will ship even more." Addressing Baker's skepticism about the device, Cook refers to customer satisfaction being "off the charts."
- Talking now about iPhone 6s and the iPhone Upgrade Program, Cook insists it's not meant to compete with carriers. It's simply a plan for people who want to get a new iPhone every year. Addressing the need to keep innovating on iPhone and whether Apple is on a two-year cycle as it appears to many people, Cook stresses all of the new features included on the iPhone 6s.
- Cook says Apple Music has 6.5 million paying customers and 8.5 million more still on free trials. Cook stresses the human curation aspect of Apple Music and notes the company feels "fantastic" about customer uptake so far.
- Regarding Apple TV, Cook sees it as a "foundation" for a new type of experience as Apple tries to fix the "broken" experience of watching television. With Apple TV, providers like HBO can sell directly to consumers. The current system of "linear TV" with channels needs to be "brought up and modernized" and apps will help do that.
- Apple TV orders will kick off on Monday, October 26 with shipments beginning by the end of that week.
- Baker asks about Apple's car project, but Cook hesitates to say much. He does admit that software becomes increasingly important, and that enables other shifts like electrification and autonomous control. But in the short term, Apple wants people to have the iPhone experience in the car. "We'll see what we do in the future."
- On the retail front, Cook notes Apple will have 40 stores in China by the end of next year, and China currently provided in the "mid-20s" percentage of Apple's revenue. Angela Ahrendts has also been focused on integrating online and in-store shopping experiences.
- Cook and Baker talking about user privacy, with Cook giving his usual comments about how privacy is a key value for Apple but that the company believes it can still provide an excellent customer experience and services while maintaining that privacy. In response to a question about Apple's relationship to national security organizations, Cook says he is "very" comfortable with it and he shares the company's views that any software backdoors are unacceptable and encryption is a necessity. A rather tense debate about the tradeoff between privacy and national security ensues.
- Final question of the interview is about Apple increasing its willingness to speak out on issues and take leadership roles, and Cook notes Apple has a "responsibility to be a great global citizen." Cook points to the environment, human rights, and education as areas where it can lead. Cook says Apple has stepped up its efforts to "leave the world better than we found it" because "government isn't working well." Cook says Apple isn't worried about alienating customers with its stances, noting the company isn't forcing its views on anyone, and he hopes people who may be upset with Apple's positions in these areas can still think Apple makes great products and respect Apple for making efforts to put its values into practice.
- On whether Apple wants to control every facet of our lives: Apple does very few products, and puts a lot of care into them, but Apple does want you to have a seamless experience throughout your home and work life.
- Citing competitive reasons, Cook once again declines to share Apple Watch sales numbers. "We shipped a lot the first quarter, then last quarter we shipped even more. And I can predict this quarter we will ship even more." Addressing Baker's skepticism about the device, Cook refers to customer satisfaction being "off the charts."
- Talking now about iPhone 6s and the iPhone Upgrade Program, Cook insists it's not meant to compete with carriers. It's simply a plan for people who want to get a new iPhone every year. Addressing the need to keep innovating on iPhone and whether Apple is on a two-year cycle as it appears to many people, Cook stresses all of the new features included on the iPhone 6s.
- Cook says Apple Music has 6.5 million paying customers and 8.5 million more still on free trials. Cook stresses the human curation aspect of Apple Music and notes the company feels "fantastic" about customer uptake so far.
- Regarding Apple TV, Cook sees it as a "foundation" for a new type of experience as Apple tries to fix the "broken" experience of watching television. With Apple TV, providers like HBO can sell directly to consumers. The current system of "linear TV" with channels needs to be "brought up and modernized" and apps will help do that.
- Apple TV orders will kick off on Monday, October 26 with shipments beginning by the end of that week.
- Baker asks about Apple's car project, but Cook hesitates to say much. He does admit that software becomes increasingly important, and that enables other shifts like electrification and autonomous control. But in the short term, Apple wants people to have the iPhone experience in the car. "We'll see what we do in the future."
- On the retail front, Cook notes Apple will have 40 stores in China by the end of next year, and China currently provided in the "mid-20s" percentage of Apple's revenue. Angela Ahrendts has also been focused on integrating online and in-store shopping experiences.
- Cook and Baker talking about user privacy, with Cook giving his usual comments about how privacy is a key value for Apple but that the company believes it can still provide an excellent customer experience and services while maintaining that privacy. In response to a question about Apple's relationship to national security organizations, Cook says he is "very" comfortable with it and he shares the company's views that any software backdoors are unacceptable and encryption is a necessity. A rather tense debate about the tradeoff between privacy and national security ensues.
- Final question of the interview is about Apple increasing its willingness to speak out on issues and take leadership roles, and Cook notes Apple has a "responsibility to be a great global citizen." Cook points to the environment, human rights, and education as areas where it can lead. Cook says Apple has stepped up its efforts to "leave the world better than we found it" because "government isn't working well." Cook says Apple isn't worried about alienating customers with its stances, noting the company isn't forcing its views on anyone, and he hopes people who may be upset with Apple's positions in these areas can still think Apple makes great products and respect Apple for making efforts to put its values into practice.
Tag: Tim Cook
[ 134 comments ]
Top Rated Comments
(View all)
49 months ago
He should admit the Apple watch is one of those products that isn't for everyone, just like the Mac book he released! And that the Surface was good inspiration for him...
Personally I think he is Apple's version of Steve Ballmer. Slowly sinking the ship
49 months ago
Umm yes. Tim Cook is killing the golden goose with no vision.
Umm no he isn't.
49 months ago
"We don't interfere with your lives, but here's a car that is going to be twice as expensive and somehow still fall short."
And the Apple Watch is still useless.
And the Apple Watch is still useless.
49 months ago
The watch that he gave no hard sales numbers.
The TV that doesn't even support 4K and has no live-streaming deals in place.
The iPhone is literally the only thing Apple has.
I don't need sales numbers to enjoy my Apple Watch.
What's the obsession with 4K ? There's little to no content, and streaming 4K requires loads of bandwidth to make it worthwhile. Plus most people sit at a distance / have TV sized so that they can't tell the difference between 1080p and 4K. A high quality 1080p feed is far better than a borderline 4K feed.
Apple dropping 4K support means that games and the UI will run better and faster, while not making any real tangible difference to videos. 4K or not, the new ATV is going to be a revolution.
49 months ago
He should admit the Apple watch is one of those products that isn't for everyone, just like the Mac book he released! And that the Surface was good inspiration for him...
Personally I think he is Apple's version of Steve Ballmer. Slowly sinking the ship
Personally I think he is Apple's version of Steve Ballmer. Slowly sinking the ship
49 months ago
Now that I've had my watch for a few months, I have to say that it feels very natural. Notifications, calendar complication for meetings, and heart rate for running. And just that it's a nice looking watch on top of that. Happy with version 1, really looking forward to version 3.
49 months ago
Apple are absolutely killing it. The watch, the TV, the iPhone 6S. It's all amazing stuff.
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