Receive Neil’s analysis and perspective on Apple throughout the week via exclusive daily updates . The updates, which have become widely read and influential in the world of Apple, provide timely analysis of news impacting Apple and its competitors. Neil also publishes exclusive reports on Apple business, product, and financial strategy. The daily updates and reports are available to Above Avalon members. To sign up and for more information on membership, visit the membership page . Show Notes: ...
Apr 09, 2022•21 min•Ep 189•Transcript available on Metacast Receive Neil’s analysis and perspective on Apple throughout the week via exclusive daily updates (3 stories per day, 12 stories per week). Available to Above Avalon members. To sign up and for more information on membership, visit the membership page . Show Notes / Links: Apple’s Extremely Quiet Year for M&A Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Overcast RSS (for your favorite podcast player) The complete Above Avalon Podcast episode archive (188 episodes) is available here . Follow on ...
Nov 20, 2021•27 min•Ep 188•Transcript available on Metacast Receive Neil’s analysis and perspective on Apple throughout the week via exclusive daily updates (3 stories per day, 12 stories per week). Available to Above Avalon members. To sign up and for more information on membership, visit the membership page . Show Notes / Links: The Apple Watch Series 7 Is Great (Above Avalon Article) The Number of Apple Watches in the Wild, Apple Watch Adoption Estimates, Apple Watch Upgrading Trends (Above Avalon Daily Update) More on Apple Watch Series 7, Apple Watc...
Oct 16, 2021•28 min•Ep 187•Transcript available on Metacast Show Notes / Links: Hands-on with the iPhone 13 Pro HANDS-ON with the iPhone 13 Pro (Unboxing and initial impressions) - YouTube The iPhone 13 Test, The Driver Behind iPhone Momentum, Early Thoughts on iPhone 13 Sales Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Overcast RSS (for your favorite podcast player) The complete Above Avalon Podcast episode archive (186 episodes) is available here . Follow on Twitter: Neil Cybart (host/producer) Above Avalon The Above Avalon Podcast Above Avalon Daily Up...
Sep 25, 2021•25 min•Ep 186•Transcript available on Metacast Show Notes / Links: Apple’s Big Bet on Memoji More on Memoji and Apple Mixed Reality, Facebook Earnings, The Problem With Zuckerberg’s Metaverse WWDC 2021 Review Apple Acquires NextVR, Apple Glasses in 2022?, A Wearables Platform for the Face Apple Acquires Spaces Become an Above Avalon Member Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Overcast RSS (for your favorite podcast player) The complete Above Avalon Podcast episode archive (185 episodes) is available here . Follow on Twitter: Neil Cybar...
Aug 28, 2021•24 min•Ep 185•Transcript available on Metacast Receive Neil’s analysis and perspective on Apple throughout the week via exclusive daily updates (3 stories per day, 12 stories per week). Available to Above Avalon members. To sign up and for more information on membership, visit the membership page . Show Notes / Links: Apple’s Missed Opportunity at WWDC WWDC 2021 Review More on Apple’s Missed Opportunity at WWDC, My Ideas on Apple Watch Strategy Changes, Rethinking Apps on the Wrist Above Avalon Membership Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Overcast R...
Jun 26, 2021•37 min•Ep 184•Transcript available on Metacast Six years after releasing the Apple Watch, it’s still not clear who is going to represent genuine competition for Apple in the wearables space. In episode 183, Neil discusses the series of events have come together to give Apple a wearables lead of not just a few years but more like a decade. Additional topics include Apple wearables sales (unit sales and revenue) and the three components of Apple’s wearables lead. Receive Neil’s analysis and perspective on Apple throughout the week via exclusiv...
May 29, 2021•24 min•Ep 183•Transcript available on Metacast Apple is quietly and gradually showing us that the phase “Designed by Apple in California Assembled in China” will evolve. In episode 182, Neil goes over the changes taking place within Apple’s supply chain and manufacturing apparatus. The discussion includes a breakdown of where Apple products are manufactured and the relationship between Apple and its contract manufacturers. Receive Neil’s analysis and perspective on Apple throughout the week via exclusive daily updates (3 stories per day, 12 ...
Apr 17, 2021•20 min•Ep 182•Transcript available on Metacast When asked to identify Apple’s crown jewel, most will point to the iPhone or iPad. Apple’s retail operations probably wouldn’t be too high on many people’s lists. This is a mistake. In episode 181, Neil discusses Apple’s retail operations with a focus on where Apple Retail is headed and what changes are needed. Discussion topics include the three distinct phases that Apple Retail has experienced, the roles that Apple stores need to play going forward, and the three big bets that Apple is placing...
Mar 13, 2021•22 min•Ep 181•Transcript available on Metacast According to my estimate, 100 million people now wear an Apple Watch. This means that approximately 10% of iPhone users wear an Apple Watch. In episode 180, Neil discusses these installed base and adoption figures as part of a larger discussion regarding Apple Watch’s sales momentum, growth potential, and roles in Apple’s ecosystem. Receive my analysis and perspective on Apple throughout the week via exclusive daily updates (3 stories per day, 12 stories per week). Available to Above Avalon memb...
Feb 13, 2021•28 min•Ep 180•Transcript available on Metacast After years of criticism, doubt, and questions surrounding Apple’s share buyback program, we are at a point where we can say with confidence that the buyback debate has ended and Apple was declared the winner. In episode 179, Neil goes over how the buyback debate began and why so many people underestimated Apple’s ability to both buy back shares and invest in its future at the same time. Receive my analysis and perspective on Apple throughout the week via exclusive daily updates (3 stories per d...
Jan 16, 2021•21 min•Ep 179•Transcript available on Metacast Episode 178 is dedicated to discussing Apple’s 2020 and where the company finds itself as we enter 2021. The episode goes over the first Above Avalon year in review that was published for 2020. Neil discusses his five favorite Above Avalon weekly articles from 2020 and the sub themes that were found in the 196 daily updates published in 2020. Receive my analysis and perspective on Apple throughout the week via exclusive daily updates (3 stories per day, 12 stories per week). Available to Above A...
Jan 16, 2021•24 min•Ep 178•Transcript available on Metacast While the pandemic is pushing people to embrace larger displays like iPads and Macs, the momentum found with smaller displays is still flying under the radar. In episode 177, Neil discusses how analysis of Apple device display size popularity can be used to gain insight into Apple’s ecosystem and quest to make technology more personal. Receive my analysis and perspective on Apple throughout the week via exclusive daily updates (2-3 stories per day, 10-12 stories per week). Available to Above Ava...
Dec 05, 2020•27 min•Ep 177•Transcript available on Metacast The Mac is seeing momentum by being true to itself instead of trying to be something that it’s not. With a transition to Apple Silicon, the product category is now benefiting from lessons Apple learned from more popular devices aimed at the mass market. As the Above Avalon podcast enters its seventh season, episode 176 is dedicated to discussing the Mac’s Apple Silicon and what may come next for the Mac. Additional topics include the Apple Silicon transition being akin to a graduation for the Ma...
Nov 21, 2020•27 min•Ep 176•Transcript available on Metacast According to Neil’s estimate, Apple surpassed the billion iPhone users milestone last month. With the iPhone upgrade cycle approaching a plateau of four to five years, Apple is well-positioned to report record iPhone unit sales. In episode 175, Neil discusses the current state of the iPhone business as it surpasses a billion users. Topic include: iPhone unit sales, iPhone sales mix broken out by iPhone upgrades and new users, the iPhone installed base, Apple’s top priorities for iPhone, peak iPh...
Oct 31, 2020•27 min•Ep 175•Transcript available on Metacast While the tech press spent years infatuated with stationary smart speakers and the idea of voice-only interfaces, it was the Apple Watch and utility on the wrist that ushered in a new paradigm shift in computing. In episode 174, Neil discusses how Apple Watch momentum is building. The product category resembles a runaway train as no company is in a position to slow it down. Additional topics include the stationary smart speaker mirage, Neil’s Apple Watch installed base estimates, how Apple Watch...
Oct 03, 2020•23 min•Ep 174•Transcript available on Metacast As Apple pulls away from the competition, the App Store is considered the best (and last) chance for competitors to reshape the mobile industry to their liking. In episode 173, Neil examines how competitors are waging a guerrilla war against Apple and the App Store. The discussion then turns to Neil unveiling a new podcast called Above Avalon Daily. Receive Neil’s analysis and perspective on Apple throughout the week via exclusive daily updates (2-3 stories per day, 10-12 stories per week). Avai...
Sep 12, 2020•30 min•Ep 173•Transcript available on Metacast Apple’s underlying ecosystem strength has been gaining momentum for years - it’s just been masked by people holding on to their iPhones for longer before upgrading. In episode 172, Neil quantifies how much Apple’s ecosystem is growing. Additional topics include the problem found with using overall revenue trends to analyze Apple growth, the Apple Services myth, and why non-iPhone revenue growth matters so much. Receive Neil’s analysis and perspective on Apple throughout the week via exclusive da...
Aug 15, 2020•25 min•Ep 172•Transcript available on Metacast Apple’s ecosystem ends up being about more than just a collection of devices or services. Apple has been quietly building something much larger, and it’s still flying under the radar. In episode 171, Neil examines what Apple’s ecosystem derives its power from and why loyalty and satisfaction rates increase as customers move deeper in the Apple ecosystem. Additional topics include The Grand Unified Theory of Apple Products, Apple as a design company, how non-Apple hardware can serve as a Trojan h...
Jul 25, 2020•29 min•Ep 171•Transcript available on Metacast In episode 170, Neil examines how Apple is pulling away from the competition to a degree that we haven’t ever seen before. Given how we are just now entering the wearables era, implications of this shift will be measured in the coming decades, not years. Additional topics include WWDC 2020, Apple’s revised product strategy, the competitive landscape, and Apple’s lead in wearables. Receive Neil’s analysis and perspective on Apple throughout the week via exclusive daily updates (2-3 stories per da...
Jul 04, 2020•28 min•Ep 170•Transcript available on Metacast Financial market commentators have been stumped by the stock market’s resiliency during the pandemic. Maybe they shouldn't be so surprised. In episode 169, Neil examines the question of whether or not Wall Street tried to predict the pandemic’s turn without actually knowing what such a turn would look like. Additional topics include two truths when it comes to how Wall Street functions, the various predictions for Apple, lessons found with Wall Street’s nature of predicting turns, and how predic...
Jun 13, 2020•26 min•Ep 169•Transcript available on Metacast This past week marked the fifth anniversary of Neil launching Above Avalon membership. Above Avalon continues to thrive with a sustainable business model based solely on paid memberships. In episode 168, Neil gives a behind-the-scenes look at Above Avalon’s business model. Additional topics include: Above Avalon’s history, Neil’s “secrets” to success, and his largest challenges found with a paid membership model. Receive Neil’s analysis and perspective on Apple throughout the week via exclusive ...
May 16, 2020•33 min•Ep 168•Transcript available on Metacast Share buyback is one of a handful of tools that boards and management teams have to properly manage balance sheets. However, economic fallout related to the pandemic has led to a new round of criticism aimed at buyback. In episode 167, Neil discusses how Apple has become the poster child of responsible share repurchases. Additional topics include: Apple’s recent stock buyback activity, Neil’s expectation for Apple’s upcoming update to its buyback program, the latest criticism surrounding buyback...
Apr 25, 2020•27 min•Ep 167•Transcript available on Metacast Apple and its peers find themselves in the most difficult operating environment they have ever faced. In episode 166, Neil discusses Apple’s strategy for navigating the coronavirus pandemic. Additional topics include the various challenges Apple is currently facing, Apple’s toolmaking mission, how society doesn’t stop during a pandemic, and why strong brands get stronger during difficult times. Receive Neil’s analysis and perspective on Apple throughout the week via exclusive daily updates (2-3 ...
Mar 28, 2020•28 min•Ep 166•Transcript available on Metacast There was no shortage of writers, pundits, and industry analysts using the iPad’s 10th anniversary las month to give eulogies for the product in terms of its inability to be revolutionary, grab momentum, or even just meet expectations. In episode 165, Neil discusses his perspective on the iPad’s first decade and why we shouldn’t feel bad for the iPad. Additional topics include a different way of looking at the iPad unveiling in 2010, how the iPad foreshadowed iPhone success, how Apple pivoted th...
Feb 29, 2020•31 min•Ep 165•Transcript available on Metacast We are entering a new chapter in music streaming. In episode 164, Neil discusses how Spotify’s attempt to evolve from a dedicated music streaming service to an audio company ends up reflecting broader changes in the music streaming space. Additional topics include Spotify earnings, the music streaming war between Spotify and Apple Music, the problem with Spotify’s current business, roadblocks / advantages facing Spotify as it evolves into a different kind of company, and why Apple shouldn’t igno...
Feb 15, 2020•26 min•Ep 154•Transcript available on Metacast In addition to being a sales success, the Apple Watch has ushered in a paradigm shift in computing. In episode 163, Neil discusses how the Apple Watch is fundamentally changing the way we use technology. Additional topics include paradigm shifts, Apple Watch sales, Apple’s new Apple Watch Connected initiative, stationary smart speakers as extensions of existing products, and Neil’s new framework for recognizing paradigm shifts in computing. Receive Neil’s analysis and perspective on Apple throug...
Feb 08, 2020•33 min•Ep 163•Transcript available on Metacast At the start of a new year, there is less value found in coming up with predictions than there is in looking at questions facing the company. In episode 162, Neil goes over his list of questions for Apple in 2020, and the discussion culminates with one overarching question that covers Apple’s largest challenge and opportunity. Additional topics include why predictions contain so little value, the number of Apple users, and Apple in emerging markets. Receive Neil’s analysis and perspective on App...
Jan 18, 2020•33 min•Ep 162•Transcript available on Metacast Something has clearly changed when it comes to the way Wall Street is treating AAPL. For the first time with Tim Cook as CEO, Apple shares are trading at a premium to the overall market. In episode 161, Neil discusses how changing behavior as it relates to passive versus active investing may be creating a type of perfect storm for AAPL shares. Additional discussion topics include Apple’s valuation, free cash flow, momentum shifting to passive investing, and Warren Buffett. Receive Neil’s analysi...
Dec 21, 2019•31 min•Ep 161•Transcript available on Metacast Apple’s ability to grab monopoly-like share of industry profits isn’t a result of there being an Apple Tax. Rather, it's a byproduct of Apple following a design-led product strategy that ultimately marginalizes industries. In episode 160, Neil discusses the theory behind the “Apple Tax,” Apple’s pricing strategy, and why the days of there being an Apple Tax ended years ago. Additional topics include Apple gross margin trends, two major implications associated with Apple’s pricing strategy, and a...
Dec 14, 2019•35 min•Ep 160•Transcript available on Metacast 
