Re: iPhone revenue fell for a second consecutive quarter (perhaps due to Apple's failed R&D efforts)

badgolferman wrote on Fri, 2 Aug 2024 18:50:28 -0000 (UTC) :

Maybe it is and maybe it has to do with the people being employed to
develop these things.  Are they the best and brightest developers
available, considering Apple has the money to pay them?  Or are they
DEI candidates selected to make Apple look good to shareholders and
those who demand such things?

All I can say is I am always reasonable in all my factual assessments.
As you know, zealots never know ANYTHING about what Apple actually does.

At least you read about Apple outside of Apple's (brilliant) Marketing ads.

To your concerns, all I can tell you is what is in the news about Apple's
strategic decisions, which I'm sure you can handle - but the zealots can't.

This, from midyear 2024 says, for example the iPhone accounts for "55%
($115.7 billion) of Apple's $210.3 billion in net sales", so it behooves us
to concentrate on what Apple has improved on technology for that iPhone.
 <https://www.fool.com/investing/2024/05/07/apple-spent-183-billion-rd-in-12-years-674-billion/>

Notice the fact that Apple spends far more on propping up stock than on R&D
(where the article uses the word "breathtaking" where the article says no
other company comes close to what Apple spends, not in R&D, but on P:E.

What's a possible assessment takeaway from those two facts?

Maybe:
a. Apple cares more than anyone about artificially propping up stock...
b. And, yet, Apple cares far less than most in terms of actual R&D.

What do YOU make of those two breathtakingly different facts about Apple?