Apple Inc. has drastically scaled back its automotive ambitions, leading to hundreds of job cuts and a new direction that, for now, no longer includes building its own car, according to people familiar with the project.
Hundreds of members of the car team, which comprises about 1000 people, have been reassigned, let go, or have left of their own volition in recent months, the people said, asking not to be identified because the moves aren’t public.
I never quite understood why Apple was building a car when you look at the state of their software and their hardware (except for the iPhone’s hardware). Fix that stuff first, before designing and building something that can actually quite easily kill people.
Neither could I understand Google Automotive without Alphabet. Uber move into the field just a resource drain at this evolutive phase. Uber short term strategy shows lack of timing and focus.
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It’s the same reason the gold Apple Watch was created. Johnny Ive wanted one and Apple knows where it’s bread is buttered. There is no Steve Jobs to tell Johnny no. Sure Tim Cook does up to a point but I’m sure Mr. Ive has used his position and friendship with Mr. Jobs to get some things that he’s wanted.
A car is just another thing that Apple has over 120 BILLION dollars to play with for projects that only they and God can afford.
Imagine having 120 BILLION (I love the word billion) dollars at your disposal. Sure you have investors that have “some” say as to how the money is spent but even they know where the bread is buttered.
Now, if you could make a car in YOUR image, and you literally, honest to God could do this, wouldn’t you?
Now, is it really that hard to understand why Apple was looking into building a car. They can actually spend BILLIONS of dollars just playing with the idea and then say, “I guess we don’t want to do it after all” and shut everything down and they don’t have to answer to anyone. After all, they never announced they were doing a car project so they don’t have to answer to anyone for what they cough cough weren’t working on.
Why don’t they use that money to buy companies and create a diversified conglomerate, more resilient, as GE or Samsung, from fridges to howitzers, banks and media, pharma and chemical,…
Or just buy a real car company?
Apple is too dumb to do that.
Must say it with little pinkie raised to mouth.
120 billion? Where’s my flying car, Apple? It’s well beyond the year 2000, and I was promised a flying car!
I was hoping we’d get a Grand Theft Auto game some years down the line where I could have my Dr. Dre lookalike character do a drive-by in a rose gold iCar hurling molotov Note 7s.
Anything to prevent (or slow down) the car analogies from actually coming true is fine with me!
I never quite understood why Apple was building a car when you look at the state of their software and their hardware (except for the iPhone’s hardware). Fix that stuff first, before designing and building something that can actually quite easily kill people.
Who says Apple was using Mac or iOS as a starting point? Also, automotive like avionics use different, separate operating components, not a centralized CPU that crashes the airplane if one system crashes.
Edited 2016-10-17 22:37 UTC
Not me, so I’m not sure why you bring it up.
A month ago the press was certain that Apple were about to purchase McLaren; which was clearly ridiculous. So can we trust this latest piece is any less silly?