Ming-Chi Kuo, the renowned Apple analyst makes some bold claims on what he sees happening in Apple’s future.
In a note to investors he predicts that Apple will make over two trillion dollars through its services business alone; that an augmented reality headset is in development and most exciting of all, an Apple Car!
Writing to investors in his position with TF International Securities, Kuo sees the Apple Car launching between 2023 and 2025 and becoming “the next star product” for the company and disrupting the automobile industry as much as the iPhone did to cellphones when it debuted back in 2007.
Daily Driver
Kuo cites “huge replacement demands” in the automobile sector as it is being redefined by new technologies. Apple’s advances in lots of areas would help redefine cars and “differentiate the Apple Car from peers’ products”.
He continues: “We expect that Apple Car, which will likely be launched in 2023–2025, will be the next star product. The reasons for this are as follows: (1) Potentially huge replacement demands are emerging in the auto sector because it is being redefined by new technologies. The case is the same as the smartphone sector 10 years ago; (2) Apple’s leading technology advantages (e.g. AR) would redefine cars and differentiate Apple Car from peers’ products; (3) Apple’s service will grow significantly by entering the huge car finance market via Apple Car, and (4) Apple can do a better integration of hardware, software, and service than current competitors in the consumer electronics sector and potential competitors in the auto sector.”
Many Apple watchers assumed that Apple had shifted focus into designing self-driving autonomous software for cars rather than producing a full Apple vehicle. Apple’s autonomous vehicle program called Project Titan has been active since 2014 but ran into various difficulties.
Car and AR mateys!
Apple has been involved in live street tests in CA using Lexus SUVs running it’s autonomous driving equipment since 2017.
Kuo also hinted that Augmented Reality or AR was another market Apple is very keen to grow and seize in future. He predicts 2020 will be the launch date for Apple’s AR glasses and could be the “next-generation revolutionary UI” for the company.
This is interesting as it is rumored that Apple was looking at potential AR and VR headsets and it would be significant if they had come down on the side of AR.
