Hello from Tokyo. The situation in the Middle East shifted significantly on Wednesday, with the U.S. and Iran agreeing to a ceasefire, at least for now. However, this week, I want to refocus slightly and highlight our tech coverage.
Nikkei Asia has delivered a series of exclusive articles on Apple’s next-generation iPhone, drawing on our deep reporting across Asia’s supply chain. This week, we brought you the latest. Apple is encountering setbacks during the engineering test phase of its first-ever foldable iPhone, issues that could delay both mass production and the product’s shipment schedule.
Apple celebrated its 50th anniversary this April. Over the decades, the company has repeatedly created entirely new markets with innovative products: the Macintosh, which introduced an intuitive graphical user interface for personal computers; the iPod, which put thousands of songs in users’ pockets; and the iPhone, which revolutionized communications.
Yet, since the launch of the Apple Watch in 2015, the company has struggled to introduce a new product category and is now trailing its Asian rivals in foldable smartphones. South Korea’s Samsung Electronics and China’s Huawei have already gone further, releasing tri-fold devices.
One way to interpret this shift is that the very Asian supply chains Apple once relied on to develop products such as the iPhone have now built up enough technological expertise to surpass the original innovator.
In the early years of the iPhone, each new model with new features tempted me to upgrade. Lately, though, prices have kept rising, and the product seems less compelling for the amount it costs. As a result, I am holding on to a generations-old iPhone.
As the company prepares to enter its second half-century, the foldable iPhone will be a critical test of whether Apple can regain a sense of freshness. We hope you will continue to follow Nikkei Asia’s tech coverage.
My suggested reads
1. CK Hutchison shareholders are feeling short-changed, with the stock price of the commercial empire controlled by Li Ka-shing’s family reflecting only a third of the value of its vast assets. This week’s Business Asia looks at whether the Hong Kong-based conglomerate can overcome opposition to the sale of most of its ports business and spark a share price revival with spin-offs, listings and new acquisitions funded by a series of strategic sales over the past year.
2. Fears about liquidity issues at several Cambodian banks triggered temporary depositor panic last month. Analysts say there is not a systemic crisis in the sector but that the incidents, combined with rising nonperforming loan rates and the nation’s weak economy, mean confidence is fragile.
3. Malaysia is making a fresh bid to expand its capital market, launching a five-year plan to boost both the value and number of companies listed in the country while encouraging more active trading by investors. The Capital Market Masterplan, unveiled in March, outlines measures to address weak equity valuations and thin trading volumes, including allowing fractional investments and offering more accessible financial products such as low-cost, smaller-ticket exchange-traded funds.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
Akito Tanaka
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