, Columnist
Key iPhone Sale Is an Upgrade
The best chance for growth is to persuade customers to upgrade.
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It’s the holiday season, when thoughts naturally turn to gift ideas for your favorite CEO. No? Just in case, the most thoughtful seasonal gift you can give Apple CEO Tim Cook is replacing your old iPhone with a new one. And then replace it again next Christmas.
Smartphone sales are slowing sharply, now that the world has half as many smartphone subscriptions as people. That makes for a rapidly shrinking pool of potential first-time iPhone buyers in places like the U.S. and China, the world’s two largest smartphone markets. Smartphone companies are turning their attention to sales prospects in India, where Apple is practically nonexistent.