TODAY!

Today is no ordinary day. Wherever you are in the world there is something in the air happening and whether you want to know or not, I am letting you know.

Apple is evolving away from the iPhone; the biggest consumer sold product in history is no longer going to be their growth factor. I have said this before HOWEVER, today the Apple Card is being launched today in the United States.

Apple Music is already a proven success that continues to grow; Apple TV+ will be out in some countries in November and seems quite promising; Apple News is a hit or miss service that maybe forgotten or improved because right now it’s not polished enough and Apple Arcade has started some buzz (although to be honest it’s the one service I am not too sure about how to review). All of this to state the grand change in Apple growth despite the stagnation and now decrease in iPhone sales worldwide.

Apple Card is a completely different bet on apple’s behalf: it is a tech approach to a space in human life that they see potential to change and grow. The TV interphase, mobile computing, third party app development, coding language, the music business model, and many more examples have had Apple “take a shot” at a different approach at business in that area of human interaction and/or development. Think about this, Apple is almost never first to any business, but it does manage to become the standard to compare to in all if not most of them. iPhone, Macs, Apple Watches, iPads, Apple Music, Apple TV, AirPods, those and more are the ones “to beat” in their categories… So why the Apple Card, and why NOW? Why not later or before?

This new services-era of Apple seems to be one where they are more open to play well with others and maybe that’s where the Apple Card comes into play. Literally the entire world, specially the business world is watching closely to see how this idea and “bet” will pay off in the real world. All ideas are great in theory, but a financial product by Apple isn’t exactly the thing you have in mind when you think about a success for them.

I believe as long as the people who get this credit card realize that it is a credit card first, and a tech product second. Nevertheless, I also believe that this will be a true test to the Apple DNA, not just the Apple Card, but rather to the entire services package. People were not asking for Apple TV+ or Apple Music or Apple Arcade, etc. Yet Apple has decided that these are the services to pursue growth from and innovate… No one asked them to enter these markets, no one was expecting them to get into the streaming or financial or gaming economies. 

They had time on their side this time, but from here on, pressure, comparison, criticism and skepticism will be at their every move so let’s see how they planned to deal with expected and unexpected turn of events... I am always starting off positive.