Five Bad Things About Apple That Must Be Fixed To Prevent Their Downfall

Apple Inc.'s stock price has just hit its lowest value in more than year. This happened after its CEO Tim Cook disclosed in an official statement that the company is slashing its revenue forecast for Q4 2018 by a whopping $5 Billion USD.

Apple claims that the sales decline that it's currently experiencing is due to weakening economy in China, which is the world's largest mobile phone market.

Tim Cook implied that the decline of iPhone sales in Chinese accounts for 100% of Apple's lost revenue. He also noted that low GDP growth in the said territory as well as the trade war with the US had also played a part in the slowdown.

While his explanation is valid and can be proven by raw figures, I think that Apple's problems go far deeper than China's economic issues. If you ask me, internally, there are many things that Apple is not doing right as a company that can eventually lead to their downfall.

I am obviously not an expert in smartphone marketing -- but as a long time tech blogger who has seen the rise and fall of many tech giants, here are five bad things about Apple today that they must fix if they were to remain the world's premiere handset maker:

1. They are no longer leading innovation.

Which smartphone has the fastest charging speeds today? Which handset has the largest primary camera sensor? Which phone was the first to have an in-display fingerprint scanner? Which cameraphone has four cameras at the back that can take wide-angle, telephoto, portrait, and macro shots? The latest iPhone is not the answer to any of those questions.

2. The prices of their products - frankly - don't reflect their consumer value.

In the Philippines, Apple iPhone XR dons an SRP starting at PHP 50,990 while OnePlus 6T sells for as low as PHP 33,990. The more affordable Android model has a FullHD+ AMOLED display, 6GB of RAM, and Dual Rear camera module -- all of which (among other useful features), the more expensive Apple handset doesn't have.

3. Their out-of-warranty repair prices are too much.

I have a friend who accidentally cracked the screen of her Apple iPhone X and when she brought it to an authorized repair center, she was told the display replacement can cost more than $500 USD! She said no and just chose to buy a new high-end Android smartphone with the amount of the money she would have paid for the iPhone X repair; It made more sense.

4. They intentionally slow down older iPhone models.

Apple has admitted slowing down aging iPhone models through firmware 'upgrades' - for safety reasons, they say - and they've been sued for it. If you ask me, this intentional performance 'downgrade' is the company's way of forcing old iPhone owners to upgrade to a new model -- but for most users, it just leaves a bad taste in the mouth about these devices and Apple as a whole. Why? Well, if your old iPhone slows down after a while, you'll think all of their products will do the same.

5. They don't seem to focus on emerging markets other than China.

I'm speaking from a perspective of a Filipino technology blogger. Here in the Philippines, which is still one of the fastest growing smartphone markets in Asia Pacific, Apple doesn't even have headquarters that launch marketing initiatives. They always do it through their carrier partners.

Sure, you can argue that we are just too diminutive a market for the Cupertino company. But how can more Filipinos who earn well gravitate towards towards the brand if Apple doesn't have even has campaigns here with local flair? In stark contrast, Chinese tech giants Huawei, OPPO, and Vivo are all doing the best they can to make their popular among Pinoy by actively tapping local bloggers, digital influencers, and celebrity endorsers.

Also, it wouldn't hurt if Apple can come up with more affordable iPhone models that better complement the earning potential of consumers in rising economies like India, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and of course, our own. I mean, Apple iPhone XR is supposed to be that model -- but it's still too expensive all while lacking features that other handsets in its price bracket have.

I've been a tech blogger for decade now and I have seen the unbelievable downfall of tech titans like Nokia and BlackBerry. Having seen those two giants at their best when I was younger, I never thought that they would eventually come crashing to the ground because of their wrong decisions.

I don't have to tell you how much I love and admire Apple. In fact, Steve Jobs remains to be one of my biggest inspirations. I don't think I would have chosen to be a tech blogger if Apple had not risen to where it is today. Honestly, I'm deeply rooting for the Cupertino company and I wish them many successful years to come -- but for that to happen, they really have to fix many things that they are not doing right currently. I hope this post can somehow help them.