Snap Specs, Meta Glasses, Where’s All of This Going?
Today's Above Avalon Daily update includes the following stories:
Snap Specs
Meta Glasses
Where’s All of This Going?
We kick things off with Neil’s thoughts on Snap Specs and Meta Glasses. The discussion then turns to addressing several debates regarding smart glasses and the broader spatial computing movement. The update goes over several difficult problems found in the smart glasses space.
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Foldables Aren’t Phablets, Foldable iPhone Revenue Potential, A Foldable iPhone Wild Card
Today's Above Avalon Daily update includes the following stories:
Foldables Aren’t Phablets
Foldable iPhone Revenue Potential
A Foldable iPhone Wild Card
Following last Thursday’s discussion, smartphones and iPhones continue to be on my mind. The iPhone is slated to experience an important September with Apple expected to unveil an all-new iPhone model / form factor. For today’s update, we will set the scene a bit ahead of that September event. We begin by discussing how foldables are not trending like phablets in terms of customer adoption and sales. The update then turns to some foldable iPhone revenue figures and possibilities. We conclude with why Neil thinks a foldable iPhone is a genuine wildcard.
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Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo Cut Smartphone Targets, Apple Reportedly Raises Foldable iPhone Forecast, Apple Securing Components Supply
Today's Above Avalon Daily update includes the following stories:
Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo Cut Smartphone Targets
Apple Reportedly Raises Foldable iPhone Forecast
Apple Securing Components Supply
There is continued evidence of major dislocation unfolding in the smartphone market. We will dedicate today’s update to the topic, and Apple’s response to smartphone industry changes. The update begins with Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo reportedly cutting smartphone shipment targets for 2026. The discussion then turns to Apple’s foldable iPhone forecasts. We conclude with an observation regarding Apple navigating consumer electronics components bottlenecks driven by AI mania.
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How the Memory Crisis Caught Apple Off Guard, Apple Lobbying for Chinese Memory, Samsung / SK Announce Memory Investments
Today's Above Avalon Daily update includes the following stories:
How the Memory Crisis Caught Apple Off Guard
Apple Lobbying for Chinese Memory
Samsung / SK Announce Memory Investments
We will continue our discussion regarding the memory crisis. Following Monday's update, the prevailing theme found with incoming questions from subscribers was, how could Apple have not seen the memory crisis coming? The update begins with Neil’s thoughts on the question. We then turn to Apple lobbying for Chinese memory from CXMT and YMTC. The discussion concludes with Neil’s thoughts on Samsung and SK Hynix announcing a $516B investment commitment related to increasing memory supply.
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What’s Really Going on With Memory
Today's Above Avalon Daily update includes the following story:
What’s Really Going on With Memory
Today’s update will include a broader overview of the memory crisis, including a look at why Apple and Micron are having something of a war of words with each other in public.
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Apple Raises Product Prices, Whopper Price Hikes, iPhone Pricing Holds Steady…for Now
Today's Above Avalon Daily update includes the following stories:
Apple Raises Product Prices
Whopper Price Hikes
iPhone Pricing Holds Steady…for Now
Fallout from the growing memory crisis expanded in a big way today with Apple announcing price hikes. We begin by going over Neil’s thoughts regarding the price hikes. The update then addresses the following question: Will Apple roll these price hikes back when the memory crisis breaks? We conclude with several possible explanations for why the iPhone, along with Apple Watch and AirPods, did not see price hikes (for now).
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Thinking Through Potential Apple Price Hikes, Apple’s HW Gross Profit Trajectory, Is There an Apple HW Gross Profit Cliff?
Today's Above Avalon Daily update includes the following stories:
Thinking Through Potential Apple Price Hikes
Apple’s HW Gross Profit Trajectory
Is There an Apple HW Gross Profit Cliff?
The update begins with Neil’s thoughts on potential Apple product price hikes tied to the memory crisis. We then look at Apple’s HW gross profit trajectory as measured by gross margin dollars on an absolute basis. This brings us Apple potentially running out of time to offset higher memory pricing.
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Tim Cook Talks Memory Crisis, The Memory Crisis’s Uniqueness, Cook’s Goal Talking With the WSJ
Today's Above Avalon Daily update includes the following stories:
Tim Cook Talks Memory Crisis
The Memory Crisis’s Uniqueness
Cook’s Goal Talking With the WSJ
The update is dedicated to discussing the big news from last week involving Tim Cook’s comments to the WSJ. Instead of having the discussion be focused narrowly on potential Apple product price increases, there seemed to be a few larger dynamics underpinning Cook’s comments. We begin with Cook’s comments as they pertain to the memory crisis. The discussion then goes three variables impacting or contributing to the current memory crisis have been on Neil’s radar. We conclude with Cook’s broader goal, besides setting expectations, found with going public with product price hikes (still undefined).
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Thoughts on Image Playground in iOS 27, The Intrigue Found With Spatial Reframing, Where Is Apple’s Generative AI Line in the Sand?
Today's Above Avalon Daily update includes the following stories:
Thoughts on Image Playground in iOS 27
The Intrigue Found With Spatial Reframing
Where Is Apple’s Generative AI Line in the Sand?
In today’s update, we will change gears a bit and focus on new generative AI features that will be available with Apple’s latest OS releases. The discussion will begin with Image Playground and then shift to editing features found in Apple's Photos app. We conclude by discussing where the line in the sand is regarding acceptable generative AI within Apple’s ecosystem.
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Siri AI as an Intelligence Interface, Developer Implications, Device Implications
Today's Above Avalon article includes the following stories:
Siri AI as an Intelligence Interface
Developer Implications
Device Implications
We begin with Neil’s perspective regarding Siri AI as an intelligence interface. The update goes over a few examples of what an intelligence interface would look like. We then discuss developer-related implications corresponding to Siri AI becoming an intelligent interface. The update concludes with Apple device implications associated with Siri AI availability.
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Day 1 With Siri AI
Today's Above Avalon Daily update includes the following story:
My Notes From the WWDC Keynote
We will kick off this week's updates with product talk as we discuss Neil’s impressions of Siri AI.
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My Notes From the WWDC Keynote
Today's Above Avalon Daily update includes the following story:
My Notes From the WWDC Keynote
Happy Friday. Today’s update will conclude our immediate analysis of the WWDC 2026 keynote with my granular notes. We cover 15 different topics.
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A Different Kind of WWDC Keynote, Compatible Device Controversy, Inside Apple's Post-Keynote Tech Talk
Today's Above Avalon Daily update includes the following stories:
A Different Kind of WWDC Keynote
Compatible Device Controversy
Inside Apple's Post-Keynote Tech Talk
Tuesday’s update went over the primary takeaway from WWDC 2026. Apple unveiled a rebuilt Siri AI to anchor a broader update given to Apple Intelligence. With Google Gemini models as a technological foundation, Apple is relying on its first-party Apple Foundation Models (third generation) to beef up Apple Intelligence, especially in the areas of image generation and dictation capabilities.
For today’s discussion we will continue our WWDC discussion by covering several subthemes / topics. We take a look at the uniqueness found with the WWDC keynote’s format relative to prior years. The update then addresses the controversey surrounding device compatibility. We conclude with Neil’s description of what it was like to attend Apple’s post-keynote tech talk.
There will one be additional update this week that includes Neil’s granular notes.
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WWDC 2026: A Rebuilt Siri Anchors Apple Intelligence’s Next Step
Today's Above Avalon Daily update includes the following story:
WWDC 2026: A Rebuilt Siri Anchors Apple Intelligence’s Next Step
The update covers Neil’s initial thoughts regarding WWDC 2026. Among the discussion topics, Neil goes over the feeling being on the ground at Apple Park, why Siri AI is not an Apple wrapper for Gemini, how it felt like we received a few years of Siri features wrapped into one, and where Siri is headed.
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Thoughts Heading Into WWDC 2026
Today's Above Avalon Daily update includes the following story:
Thoughts Heading Into WWDC 2026
Hello everyone. WWDC kicks off on Monday. For today’s update, we will go over what’s been on my mind in preparation for next week’s WWDC.
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