Charlie StrossFeb 27, 2024

Apple Cancels Work on Electric Car, Ending Decade long Effort

The most recent approach discussed internally was delaying a car release until 2028 and reducing self-driving specifications from Level 4 to Level 2+ technology.

Many employees on the car team — known as the Special Projects Group, or SPG — will be shifted to the artificial intelligence division

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-02-27/apple-cancels-work-on-electric-car-shifts-team-to-generative-ai

Apple to Wind Down Electric Car Effort After Decadelong Odyssey

Apple Inc. is canceling a decadelong effort to build an electric car, according to people with knowledge of the matter, abandoning one of the most ambitious projects in the history of the company.

Bloomberg
Show threadCharlie StrossFeb 27, 2024
It's a classic case of Christensen's "The Innovator's Dilemma". Also, it's REALLY HARD to make a breakout automobile. (Tesla almost did, but screwed the pooch with bad quality control, poor ergonomics, and toxic company culture.) And even if you do, Ford/GM/Toyota/VW will catch up within a decade and eat your lunch. It's why most auto startups seem to be hypercars with a 7-digit price tag—there's a ridiculous profit margin—but production volume is too tiny for Apple to touch.
Show threadDan SugalskiFeb 27, 2024

@cstross I can't say I'm surprised. All the Apple Car rumors made me wonder "where's the value for Apple here and why should they bother?" and I could never figure out an answer that seemed worth the hassle.

Apparently that's true of people inside Apple too.

Show threadCharlie StrossFeb 27, 2024
@wordshaper They *did* have a break out in the watch industry, of all places (Apple Watch went from zero to the world's bestselling luxury watch brand in 12 months flat, knocking Rolex off the top spot) ... but the Watch is a "hobby" project in Apple product terms: I'm still not sure why they went there.
Show threadFeralRobotsFeb 27, 2024
@cstross @wordshaper
I always assumed it was a halo lubricant. I think it works reasonably well for that. The revenues may be incremental, but they firm up commitment.
Show threadCharlie StrossFeb 27, 2024

@FeralRobots @wordshaper Per Statista (not the best site) Apple has sold about 54 million watches from 2015 through 2022. So maybe 60 million by now, at an average price of say $500 (assuming most folks buy the cheap model), that'd be $30Bn, or maybe $4-5Bn/year.

Yes, that's a SMALL product by Apple standards.

Show threadCharlie Stross

@FeralRobots @wordshaper ... And MacWorld estimate that Apple Watch passed the 100 million mark in December 2020; every third iPhone purchaser in the US also buys an Apple Watch, Watch is in fourth place in sales behind iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

https://www.macworld.com/article/676271/how-many-apple-watches-has-apple-sold.html

How many Apple Watches has Apple sold?

Apple doesn't reveal the numbers - but an analyst has calculated just how many Apple Watches are being worn

Macworld
Feb 27, 2024 at 8:48pmWeb