Apple and Netflix Come up Short at Oscars, Apple’s Blockbusters Gamble, The Theatrical Release Question Lingers

Following the Oscars this past Sunday, today’s update will have a movie theme. We discuss Apple and Netflix coming up short at this year’s Oscars. The discussion then turns to Apple’s gamble with blockbusters at the movie theater ("Killers of the Flower Moon," "Napoleon," and "Argylle"). We also look at a lingering industry question found with theatrical releases.

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Apple Unveils Updated MacBook Air, Apple Positions MacBook Air as AI Laptop, MacBook Air and Productivity

Hello everyone. We continue to tackle Apple news items. Next up: The updated MacBook Air. Apple unveiled the new computers on Monday. There were a few things in the press release that jumped out at me. Let's jump right in.

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Choose either a monthly or annual membership. Payment is hosted by MoonClerk and secured by Stripe. Apple Pay and other mobile payment options are accepted. After signup, use this link to update your payment information and membership status at any time. Contact me with any questions. 

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EU Fines Apple $2B for Not Giving Spotify a Free Pass, The European Commission’s Missing Logic, Apple’s Response

Hello everyone. Today’s update will be focused on the European Commission fining Apple $2B for its App Store anti-steering provision. There’s quite a bit to discuss. Let’s jump right in.

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Choose either a monthly or annual membership. Payment is hosted by MoonClerk and secured by Stripe. Apple Pay and other mobile payment options are accepted. After signup, use this link to update your payment information and membership status at any time. Contact me with any questions. 

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An audio version of the newsletter is available to members who have the podcast add-on attached to their membership. More information about the podcast add-on is found here. Special Inside Orchard bundle pricing is available for Above Avalon members. Additional membership customization is available via the Financial Models add-ons.

Apple Adds Dozens of Licensed Movies to Apple TV+, More Signs of Apple TV+ Momentum, Apple Video Revenue Drivers

Hello everyone. Happy Monday. It's already turning into a busy week for Apple. Today's update will be focused on several Apple TV+ developments and Apple’s broader video play.

Let’s jump right in.

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Wall Street’s Muted Reaction to Project Titan, Where Does CarPlay Stand?, Apple’s Growth Prospects

Hello everyone. Happy Leap Day.

There are a few follow-ups to yesterday’s Project Titan discussion. We will begin with Wall Street’s reaction to Apple halting Project Titan. Our attention will then turn to Apple CarPlay and Apple’s remaining growth prospects.

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Choose either a monthly or annual membership. Payment is hosted by MoonClerk and secured by Stripe. Apple Pay and other mobile payment options are accepted. After signup, use this link to update your payment information and membership status at any time. Contact me with any questions. 

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Apple Halts Project Titan, A Warning Sign for EVs, Apple and Moonshots

Hello everyone.

Over the past 10 years, Above Avalon has followed nearly every Project Titan twist and turn. It would not surprise me to learn that Above Avalon was responsible for more words written about Project Titan than any other publication.

Today’s update will be dedicated to news of Apple halting Project Titan.

Let’s jump right in.

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Choose either a monthly or annual membership. Payment is hosted by MoonClerk and secured by Stripe. Apple Pay and other mobile payment options are accepted. After signup, use this link to update your payment information and membership status at any time. Contact me with any questions. 

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Samsung “Unveils” Galaxy Ring at MWC, Dispelling the Apple Ring Rumor, My Skepticism Regarding an Apple Smart Ring

Multiple outlets are reporting Apple will be winding down Project Titan. There is plenty to talk about. We will cover it all tomorrow. For today’s update, we will focus on another rumored product that likely won’t see a release anytime soon: an Apple smart ring.

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Choose either a monthly or annual membership. Payment is hosted by MoonClerk and secured by Stripe. Apple Pay and other mobile payment options are accepted. After signup, use this link to update your payment information and membership status at any time. Contact me with any questions. 

Contact me directly if you would like to purchase multiple subscriptions (five or more) for your team or company.

An audio version of the newsletter is available to members who have the podcast add-on attached to their membership. More information about the podcast add-on is found here. Special Inside Orchard bundle pricing is available for Above Avalon members. Additional membership customization is available via the Financial Models add-ons.

Walmart Buys Vizio, Walmart vs. Amazon, Revisiting the Roku Story

We go over my thoughts on Walmart buying Vizio. The discussion includes a closer look at the Walmart vs. Amazon competitive battle. We also revisit Roku’s strategy and the massive holes in the company’s story.

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Apple Announces First Immersive Video for Sports, Vision Pro and Apple Immersive Video, Why Is Apple Sports iPhone-Only?

Happy Thursday. In today’s update, our discussion will begin with the new Apple Immersive Video format found on Apple Vision Pro. There is then one follow-up regarding the new Apple Sports app.

One quick item: I have been using Apple Vision Pro for roughly a week. Zeiss Optical Inserts arrived just a few days ago. My plan is to use the device for some time, naturally see where it fits into my live, before publishing something along the lines of in-depth review or report. In more than a few ways, the initial round of reviews came across as rushed. When we talk about Apple Vision Pro in this update, my perspective is based on actually using the device for some time, and not just the two pre-launch demos.

Let's jump right in. 

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Apple Launches Apple Sports App, Apple Sports vs. Competing Apps, Apple Sports and The Big Picture

Hello everyone. It feels good to get back in the swing of things after a little time off. We will dedicate today’s update to discussing a new app that Apple just launched: Sports.

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Microsoft Earnings, Peloton Earnings

In today’s update, we will wrap up our Big Tech earnings reviews with Microsoft. We will then conclude the discussion with a look at Peloton earnings.

To set the scene, Microsoft and Peloton are in some ways complete opposites. Microsoft has been reporting some of the cleanest, all-around solid earnings releases in Big Tech. Peloton is in the most precarious of positions in terms of companies that we check in on from time to time. It’s been six months since we looked at Peloton’s earnings.

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Alphabet Earnings, Amazon Earnings

Monday’s update concluded with the following:

“Meta has reported more than $38B of operating losses on its AR/VR efforts. The company needs products like Quest 3 and Ray-Ban Meta to do well and generate revenue to reduce pressure on what are mounting losses.”

There is more to say about the mounting losses in Meta’s Reality Labs and why I think generating some revenue is important. We will focus on that topic today. Our Big Tech earnings reviews will continue tomorrow.

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Thoughts on How Zuckerberg Can Monetize Meta Reality Labs

Monday’s update concluded with the following:

“Meta has reported more than $38B of operating losses on its AR/VR efforts. The company needs products like Quest 3 and Ray-Ban Meta to do well and generate revenue to reduce pressure on what are mounting losses.”

There is more to say about the mounting losses in Meta’s Reality Labs and why I think generating some revenue is important. We will focus on that topic today. Our Big Tech earnings reviews will continue tomorrow.

An Above Avalon membership is required to read this update. Members can read the full update here. (Members: Daily Updates are accessible via the archive. If you haven’t logged into the archive before, fill out this form to receive an invite.)

Payment is hosted by MoonClerk and secured by Stripe. Apple Pay and other mobile payment options are accepted. After signup, use this link to update your payment information and membership status at any time.

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Meta 4Q23 Earnings, Estimating Meta Quest 3 Sales, Ray-Ban Meta and AI

There are several Big Tech earnings reports for CY4Q23 worth going over. For those of you who recently became Above Avalon members, my approach to covering Big Tech earnings is twofold:

  • Assess how Apple competitors are doing from a financial/business perspective. This will involve looking at revenue growth metrics, cash flow generation, etc. Given major differences in business models, the metrics will need to be put into proper prospective. 

  • Look for developments that shine light on competitive dynamics that stand to impact Apple. This may include everything from advertising to hardware.  

Today’s update will be dedicated to Meta, a company that is turning into one of Apple’s most direct competitors. 

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Disney FY1Q24 Earnings, Disney Buys Minority Stake in Epic Games, Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Fox Announce New Sports App

Today's update will have a Disney focus with the company announcing earnings and two new business initiatives.

Heading into earnings earlier this week, Disney CEO Bob Iger and the board were facing some of the strongest pressure to date from activist shareholders looking to get Disney board seats – and eventually kick Iger out. The pressure served as the backdrop for what was a news-packed earnings release from Disney.

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Payment is hosted by MoonClerk and secured by Stripe. Apple Pay and other mobile payment options are accepted. After signup, use this link to update your payment information and membership status at any time.

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Apple 1Q24 10-Q Takeaways, Apple Balance Sheet Observations

Today’s update will wrap up Neil’s 1Q24 earnings preview. We will examine Apple’s 1Q24 10-Q filing and the latest balance sheet trends. Here’s what we have covered so far on the Apple earnings front:

  • Feb 2nd: Big picture takeaway, Apple’s 1Q24 numbers (vs. my expectations), 2Q24 guidance.

  • Feb 5th: Looking through 1Q24 numbers to examine Apple’s ecosystem growth.

  • Feb 6th: Analyzing Apple’s earnings call with analysts.

  • Today: Examining the 10-Q and balance sheet developments.

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Payment is hosted by MoonClerk and secured by Stripe. Apple Pay and other mobile payment options are accepted. After signup, use this link to update your payment information and membership status at any time.

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Reading Between the Lines of Apple’s 1Q24 Earnings Q&A With Analysts

In today’s update, we will focus on Apple’s 1Q24 earnings Q&A session with analysts.

After recapping each question-and-answer exchange that occurred on the call between Apple and sell-side analysts, we will go over Neil’s response to the exchange. Let’s go beyond what was talked about on the call with the ninth installment of reading between the lines of Apple's earnings Q&A with analysts.

NOTE: The following earnings call questions (“Q (Sell-Side Firm)”) and answers (“Cook” or “Luca”) have been cut, summarized, paraphrased, and rearranged for clarity. To read the full question and answer exchanges, Seeking Alpha offers a written transcript here.

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Payment is hosted by MoonClerk and secured by Stripe. Apple Pay and other mobile payment options are accepted. After signup, use this link to update your payment information and membership status at any time.

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Apple’s Installed Base Growth, Apple's Paid Subscriptions Growth, A More Effective Apple Growth Narrative for Wall Street

Last Friday’s update kicked off our Apple 1Q24 earnings review. When it comes to Apple’s financial story, trends are tracking close to Neil’s expectations. For today, we will take a closer look at one takeaway from earnings: Apple’s ecosystem growth.

An Above Avalon membership is required to read this update. Members can read the full update here. (Members: Daily Updates are accessible via the archive. If you haven’t logged into the archive before, fill out this form to receive an invite.)

Payment is hosted by MoonClerk and secured by Stripe. Apple Pay and other mobile payment options are accepted. After signup, use this link to update your payment information and membership status at any time.

An audio version of this update is available to members who have the podcast add-on attached to their membership. More information about the podcast add-on is found here. Special Inside Orchard bundle pricing is available for Above Avalon members. Additional membership customization is available via the Financial Models add-on.