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Apple CEO Cook Goes From Record Sales to IPhone Stumbles
By Tim Higgins and Adam Satariano Sep 24, 2014 8:03 PM CT
Apple Inc. (AAPL) Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook called the introduction
of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus over the weekend the “best launch ever.” He may
have spoken too soon.
Just three days after announcing that Apple had sold a record 10 million new
iPhones over the opening weekend, Cook was faced with multiple snafus
related to the bigger-screen handsets. The company pulled a new mobile-
software update, dubbed iOS 8.0.1, after the program caused some people to
lose cellular service yesterday. Scores of consumers also took to social
media to criticize the 6 Plus and how it can bend if sat on or if enough
pressure is placed upon it.
The stumbles blemished what had been a carefully choreographed product
unveiling that was meant to put Cook’s stamp on Apple. Executives at the
Cupertino, California-based company had for months teased the introduction
of the new iPhones before finally debuting them on Sept. 9. The devices had
spurred a frenzy of demand, with pre-orders topping 4 million, the record
weekend sales and a thriving gray market for the smartphones in China and
elsewhere.
Now Cook’s rollout of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus is marred, recalling
incidents that the CEO has faced with other product debuts. Last year, Cook
apologized for the iPhone’s warranty and repair policies in China after
receiving criticism from state-run media over customer service in the market
. In 2012, Cook also said he was sorry for Apple’s malfunctioning mapping
software, which was faulted for misguided directions and inaccurate landmark
locations.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
Tim Cook, Chief Executive Officer of Apple Inc.
Better Handle
“I just wish that Tim Cook had a better handle on things,” said Jason
Nochimson, 34, an iPhone 6 owner who spent 2 1/2 hours on Apple’s customer
support line after downloading the software upgrade yesterday and finding it
stopped his cellular service. “I was worried that my daughter’s school
was going to call me today and I wasn’t going to be able to get them.”
Trudy Muller, a spokeswoman at Apple, didn’t respond to a request for
comment.
The new iPhones are crucial to Apple. The devices generate more than half of
the company’s annual $171 billion in revenue and precede a swath of other
products, including new iPads, an Apple Watch and a mobile-payments system
called Apple Pay.
Yet while Cook deals with consumer criticism over his handling of the iPhone
rollout, the issues may have little impact on Apple’s sales. Demand for
the new handsets has the company poised to sell more than 61 million iPhones
in the December quarter, surpassing last year’s record 51 million sold,
according to Barclays.
Sales Momentum
Sales are also set to pick up -- not decelerate -- as the new iPhones become
available in more countries. On Sept. 19, the first day the handsets went
on sale in stores, Apple rolled them out in 10 countries. The company is set
to introduce the gadgets in another 22 countries on Sept. 26. In total, the
iPhones will be in 115 countries by the end of the year, Apple has said.
“It will do nothing, I don’t suspect it will dampen any demand,” said Tim
Bajarin, an analyst at Creative Strategies Inc., about concerns over
bending phones and iOS problems.
Apple shares slipped less than 1 percent yesterday to $101.75 at the close
in New York. The stock is up 27 percent this year.
Second Thoughts
Still, some consumers are thinking twice about buying the devices in the
wake of yesterday’s snafus. After having problems with Apple’s new
software upgrade to his old iPhone, James Zahrt, a customer since 1989,
decided to put off a new smartphone purchase.
“I was going to order one immediately” but now “I’m going to wait,”
said Zahrt, 58, of Mt. Prospect, Illinois, who’s had troubles with his
iPhone 4s’s alarm clock working properly since downloading Apple’s iOS 8
software last week. “I think the bugs need to be worked out on this thing.”
The popular tide turned against the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus earlier this
week when reports began emerging that the 5.5-inch screen larger model was
bending when people sat on it. Rivals including BlackBerry Inc. Chief
Executive Officer John Chen took a jab at the iPhone yesterday, saying he “
would challenge you guys to bend our Passport” device.
That was followed by reports from users yesterday that the iOS 8 software
upgrade, which had been issued to address previous software bugs and add the
health and fitness-monitoring application HealthKit, was causing some
customers to experience dropped cell service.
Software Surprise
Nochimson, the customer who spent 2 1/2 hours on the phone with Apple
customer service yesterday, said his representative was unaware there would
be a software update.
“He told me that he was not made aware that Apple was releasing 8.0.1 today
,” Nochimson said. “It was a shock to him that that happened. He said
typically when they do software updates they know about it days in advance
so they’re ready for it.”
Frustrations about iOS 8 had been mounting even before yesterday, with user
complaints that their devices’ battery life seemed to have dwindled after
downloading the software, along with data showing applications were more
likely to crash with the operating system. According to Crittercism Inc., an
analytics firm, iOS 8 causes apps to crash about 3.3 percent of the time,
or 67 percent more than last year’s version.
While glitches aren’t unusual for software updates, Apple attracts more
attention, said Frank Gillett, an analyst at Forrester Research.
“Apple is a bit of lightning rod or a focus because as a company, they
inspire a lot of positive and negative passion and also because they are now
this company with a global brand and global reach,” he said.
By Tim Higgins and Adam Satariano Sep 24, 2014 8:03 PM CT
Apple Inc. (AAPL) Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook called the introduction
of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus over the weekend the “best launch ever.” He may
have spoken too soon.
Just three days after announcing that Apple had sold a record 10 million new
iPhones over the opening weekend, Cook was faced with multiple snafus
related to the bigger-screen handsets. The company pulled a new mobile-
software update, dubbed iOS 8.0.1, after the program caused some people to
lose cellular service yesterday. Scores of consumers also took to social
media to criticize the 6 Plus and how it can bend if sat on or if enough
pressure is placed upon it.
The stumbles blemished what had been a carefully choreographed product
unveiling that was meant to put Cook’s stamp on Apple. Executives at the
Cupertino, California-based company had for months teased the introduction
of the new iPhones before finally debuting them on Sept. 9. The devices had
spurred a frenzy of demand, with pre-orders topping 4 million, the record
weekend sales and a thriving gray market for the smartphones in China and
elsewhere.
Now Cook’s rollout of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus is marred, recalling
incidents that the CEO has faced with other product debuts. Last year, Cook
apologized for the iPhone’s warranty and repair policies in China after
receiving criticism from state-run media over customer service in the market
. In 2012, Cook also said he was sorry for Apple’s malfunctioning mapping
software, which was faulted for misguided directions and inaccurate landmark
locations.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
Tim Cook, Chief Executive Officer of Apple Inc.
Better Handle
“I just wish that Tim Cook had a better handle on things,” said Jason
Nochimson, 34, an iPhone 6 owner who spent 2 1/2 hours on Apple’s customer
support line after downloading the software upgrade yesterday and finding it
stopped his cellular service. “I was worried that my daughter’s school
was going to call me today and I wasn’t going to be able to get them.”
Trudy Muller, a spokeswoman at Apple, didn’t respond to a request for
comment.
The new iPhones are crucial to Apple. The devices generate more than half of
the company’s annual $171 billion in revenue and precede a swath of other
products, including new iPads, an Apple Watch and a mobile-payments system
called Apple Pay.
Yet while Cook deals with consumer criticism over his handling of the iPhone
rollout, the issues may have little impact on Apple’s sales. Demand for
the new handsets has the company poised to sell more than 61 million iPhones
in the December quarter, surpassing last year’s record 51 million sold,
according to Barclays.
Sales Momentum
Sales are also set to pick up -- not decelerate -- as the new iPhones become
available in more countries. On Sept. 19, the first day the handsets went
on sale in stores, Apple rolled them out in 10 countries. The company is set
to introduce the gadgets in another 22 countries on Sept. 26. In total, the
iPhones will be in 115 countries by the end of the year, Apple has said.
“It will do nothing, I don’t suspect it will dampen any demand,” said Tim
Bajarin, an analyst at Creative Strategies Inc., about concerns over
bending phones and iOS problems.
Apple shares slipped less than 1 percent yesterday to $101.75 at the close
in New York. The stock is up 27 percent this year.
Second Thoughts
Still, some consumers are thinking twice about buying the devices in the
wake of yesterday’s snafus. After having problems with Apple’s new
software upgrade to his old iPhone, James Zahrt, a customer since 1989,
decided to put off a new smartphone purchase.
“I was going to order one immediately” but now “I’m going to wait,”
said Zahrt, 58, of Mt. Prospect, Illinois, who’s had troubles with his
iPhone 4s’s alarm clock working properly since downloading Apple’s iOS 8
software last week. “I think the bugs need to be worked out on this thing.”
The popular tide turned against the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus earlier this
week when reports began emerging that the 5.5-inch screen larger model was
bending when people sat on it. Rivals including BlackBerry Inc. Chief
Executive Officer John Chen took a jab at the iPhone yesterday, saying he “
would challenge you guys to bend our Passport” device.
That was followed by reports from users yesterday that the iOS 8 software
upgrade, which had been issued to address previous software bugs and add the
health and fitness-monitoring application HealthKit, was causing some
customers to experience dropped cell service.
Software Surprise
Nochimson, the customer who spent 2 1/2 hours on the phone with Apple
customer service yesterday, said his representative was unaware there would
be a software update.
“He told me that he was not made aware that Apple was releasing 8.0.1 today
,” Nochimson said. “It was a shock to him that that happened. He said
typically when they do software updates they know about it days in advance
so they’re ready for it.”
Frustrations about iOS 8 had been mounting even before yesterday, with user
complaints that their devices’ battery life seemed to have dwindled after
downloading the software, along with data showing applications were more
likely to crash with the operating system. According to Crittercism Inc., an
analytics firm, iOS 8 causes apps to crash about 3.3 percent of the time,
or 67 percent more than last year’s version.
While glitches aren’t unusual for software updates, Apple attracts more
attention, said Frank Gillett, an analyst at Forrester Research.
“Apple is a bit of lightning rod or a focus because as a company, they
inspire a lot of positive and negative passion and also because they are now
this company with a global brand and global reach,” he said.
