What did Applewho faced a difficult start to the New Year,experience

On the evening of January 2nd local time, after the opening of the US stock market, Apple's stock price plummeted by more than 3%, and its market value evaporated by 766 billion yuan overnight. It has recorded the largest daily decline since August 4, 2023, and a new low in closing price since November 9, 2023. On the news front, Barclays analysts have rarely downgraded Apple's stock rating.

The analyst stated in the report, "We expect a reversal in Apple's performance over the past year, with most quarters not meeting expectations and the stock price outperforming other companies." The report also stated that the current "sluggish" sales of iPhone 15, especially in China, indicate that sales of iPhone 16 will also be weak.

Overall analysis shows that the sharp decline in Apple's stock price is actually due to multiple reasons.

Firstly, the product lacks innovation with sufficient sincerity. Although Apple's phones and other products have some minor improvements every year, it feels like there is not enough creativity and sincerity, and the majority of users no longer have a refreshing feeling. And now there are many competitors in the market, such as Samsung, Huawei, etc., all launching new products, putting tremendous pressure on Apple. Even the evaluation agency's evaluation of the sales and product portfolio of iPhone 15 remains negative. Analysts believe that "we believe that there are no features or upgrades that could make iPhone 16 more eye-catching.".

Secondly, there are issues with Apple's market strategy. Previously, Apple products, with their high-end brand image and unique design, were at the forefront of the trend, changing the way users lived and attracting a large number of fans. Therefore, Apple has always pursued a high price strategy, and its brand price and shares have always been far ahead of the world. However, Apple's phones are not very innovative now and do not have much advantage compared to similar products in the same industry, so users will become increasingly sensitive to prices, and Apple's high price strategy may need to be adjusted.

Thirdly, there have been issues with the quality of Apple products. Apple has encountered a series of issues in the latest iOS system update. User feedback indicates that the updated phone has encountered many bugs and performance degradation, and some people's phones have even become "bricks". This has caused users who were originally extremely loyal to Apple phones to express disappointment and anger.

It can be said that on various social media platforms, from Twitter to Facebook, Apple has been overwhelmed by negative comments and complaints from users. In this massive public opinion storm, Apple CEO Tim Cook seems to be facing the escalating crisis at a loss.

In addition, the global economic downturn has also had a huge impact on Apple. In the current economic environment, industry giants like Apple find it difficult to stand alone. Barclays analysts predict that Apple's core product smartphone sales performance will continue to be weak; In the long run, the returns of the apple ecosystem will decrease. Analysts also believe that Apple's stock price is overvalued.

Since 2023, technology stocks, especially large cap stocks, have led the rise in the US stock market, with Apple soaring 48%, Microsoft soaring nearly 57%, and Nvidia soaring 239%. The Nasdaq Composite Index, mainly composed of technology stocks, closed up 43.4% in 2023.

With the start of New Year's trading in 2024, this upward trend reversed on the 2nd, and these stocks experienced a decline in early trading. After the negative news from Barclays Bank, Apple's stock price fell by 2%. The company stated that due to mediocre iPhone sales, Apple may incur a loss of approximately 17% in 2024. Microsoft and Nvidia's stocks also experienced a decline in early trading.

As a global technology giant, Apple has been greatly impacted in terms of brand image, sales, and market value. As a global technology giant, Apple must take advantage of this crisis to reflect on and improve its own problems. This crisis may just be an alarm, reminding them how to maintain innovation while paying more attention to product quality and user experience. Otherwise, the loyalty of the so-called "hardcore" consumer group will decline at any time, and the departure of users is also expected.