CNBC: Apple Shifts Priorities as iPhone Sales Continue to Drop

Following the growing decline in iPhone sales, Apple has begun to shift its priorities towards other products and services, according to a report by CNBC.

CNBC reports that Apple has begun to focus its attention more heavily on some of its other products in the face of dropping iPhone sales. Apple recently stopped reporting iPhone unit sales figures, something which worried many investors and analysts; now the company is focusing on growing its base of active devices which in turn can be used to generate more revenue through its subscription services such as Apple Music, iCloud data storage and App Store sales.

But Apple has also begun to move into more innovative markets, focusing on areas such as the smart home and speaker market with their Homekit devices, digital health monitoring with the recent reveal of the Apple Watch series 4 which can take an ECG reading of the wearer’s heart, and the artificial intelligence market with Apple’s acquisition of A.I. startup PullString.

As Apple attempts to deal with slowing iPhone sales, the company is launching a number of new subscription services; such as the new built-in TV app on iPhones, iPads and Apple TC which will allow users to watch content from networks such as Starz, CBS, and Showtime. Apple will receive a percentage of each network subscription on the app. The company also plans to release its own original shows which will be free to stream for Apple device users. Apple appears to be banking on star power and talent for their new original series, signing such Hollywood names as Reese Witherspoon, Steven Spielberg, and Oprah Winfrey.

The company also plans to launch a news subscription service giving users access to stories from major publications for free; but some publications are not happy with Apple’s terms of service which require them to hand over 50 percent of their revenue. Recent rumors also claim that the company could be preparing to offer a gaming-related subscription service.

Apple CEO Tim Cook appears to believe that health and fitness will be a key area for the company’s growth in the future, the emphasis the company has placed on the Apple Watch’s health tracking technology appears to be part of this strategy. “We are taking what has been with the institution and empowering the individual to manage their health. And we’re just at the front end of this,” Cook said in an interview. “But I do think, looking back, in the future, you will answer that question: Apple’s most important contribution to mankind has been in health.”