The Apple Beat: Apple's back in the news, but not for new products

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Apple's been a hot topic of late but not because of any new products or services. Sure, the new MacBook Airs have arrived and now offer even better battery life thanks to newer Intel processors. The biggest Apple news this past week was the company's stock surging to over $600 a share, the new addition of Burberry Wunderkind Angela Arhendts as the new Senior VP for Retail, as well as Apple winning the long-contested patent lawsuit against supplier and arch-rival Samsung.

Yes, Apple product news has been sparse. Although, this hasn't stopped various pundits from spinning yarn after yarn about the mythical "iWatch" or even the ages-old "AppleTV that's a TV" rumour. Some very creative renders of what the iPhone 6 can look like (rounded corners, all aluminum, as thin as the iPod Touch, large screens) have been flooding the Internet and the requisite case manufacturer leaks have come in a trickle. Recent Apple news has been mostly about the following topics.

Apple wins the legal battle but the war rages on

Apple winning the patent lawsuit against Samsung was expected by anyone who follows developments in smartphones. The "slavishly copied" patents, including pinch-to-zoom, rubberband functionality and even the basic Swipe-to-unlock feature were among various patents that were ripped off from the original iPhone.

While Apple did win the lawsuit and is vindicated, without a sales ban and with the miniscule $120 million amount Samsung (in comparison to the US $2.2 billion claim) has to pay to make reparation for their infringement. Three years have gone by since the start of this dispute, the damage has been done.

It shows that despite having patented software and hardware features invented by one company for its products, another company can roll the dice, choose to copy what they can't create on their own and profit from using the likeness and similarity of another companies' product.

In the end, they have to pay the corporate equivalent of a speeding ticket and they get a slap on the wrist.

Samsung's products today look and act very different from Apple's, but their foundation really comes from the same place, even the early icons used on the original TouchWiz OS were clearly based on what early iPhones introduced. 

Angela Ahrendts taking over Apple Retail

One good bit of news we gathered from the recent Apple Earning's Call is that Angela Ahrendts is coming to Apple early and is slated to take over and possibly reinvent the Apple Retail experience.

Apple really put itself out there when it introduced the first Apple Retail Store, it was a gamble that paid off. It gave Apple a public face as well as ensured customers they could reach a human (a Genius, even) whenever they needed help with any software, hardware or service issues.

Various companies copied Apple's strategy but none has had the same degree of success. Still, we're seeing Microsoft Store pop-up that share a similar vibe, Samsung stores,Sony stores and there are now various in-store kiosks appearing in Best Buys and other big-box retailers. 

The Apple Store has evolved through time and while various stores continue to be added, the shopping experience itself has transformed. We no longer have cashier lines, you can pay with your iPhone and iBeacons are going to make the store experience more intuitive. Still, there's alwasy room to improve. Apple Stores are notoriously crowded (a good thing), sometimes customers get lost and don't know where to proceed and the non-traditional nature of the stores might confuse some newbies coming in to browse and buy.

Having Angela Ahrendts on board is a huge win for Apple in many ways. There's a firm female voice in the leadership, new perspective and a seasoned veteran who understands today's consumers. The retail landscape is changing and the challenges are evolving as well.

Ahrendts reports directly to Tim Cook, she's been given a lot of leeway to be creative, make big decisions quickly and transform what many consider to be Apple's secret weapon, its retail stores,  into an even more compelling user and buyer experience. Personally, I can't wait to see the kind of dynamism she can bring to Apple.

Stock climbing past $600, despite analyst pessimism

The doomsday scenarios we've been hearing about Apple losing its mojo blew up in a puff of smoke as the stock rallied to over $600 for the first time thanks in part to the unexpected 7-to-1 stock split and buyback expansion two weeks ago was being well-received. 

Apple hasn't really gotten started with new products, but the time is drawing near and we expect the excitement and mania to begin rising in June for WWDC and after as the iPhone release cycle nears. The iPhone is a big global earner for Apple and its overseas availability in markets like China is helping boost the companys value. So is the promise of "new products and categories," expected this year.

Apple under Tim Cook has not yet failed to deliver on promises and we expect 2014 to yield some surprising new technology as well as a sustained stock value based on the Apple's overall performance. Apple's stock is valued at $506.25 as of this writing.