For certain, Apple does make most of the smartphone earnings. That’s because of the high margins that Apple charges.
Once the sales start to fade, and Apple has to lower the prices, Apple won’t be looking so good; not to analysts and not to you either.
Apple might have had good growth from the iPod, but not as dramatically as they did after the iPhone took off. The iPod is not as important to Apple anymore, but the iPhone is. Once that starts becoming “just another phone”, there goes the high valuation and there goes the earnings and there goes the high-profits and there goes the majority of the Apple hype. BUT!!!! The Apple-cult will remain, moaning the passing of the good times, and hoping for another round of Apple magic via some miracle and ‘innovative new device’ Hey, I’ve got an idea for Apple: there is a device out on the market known as the Surface 2-in-1 device, and another known as the Surface Book. Apple should reinvent the Surface devices, and call then the “UnderTheSurface” or Underneath devices. ;)
IMO, if Apple, after its amazing climb after Steve Jobs resurrected the company almost 20 years ago, manages to NOT come out with some "innovative new device" -- and I mean a CATEGORY of device, not a rehash -- then they will have demonstrated that in fact the company was Steve Jobs, and he's dead.
No, I don't think copying Microsoft will do it. Personally I like the look of the SurfaceBook and may end up with one if they're still around in a few years when my Fujitsu Lifebook gives up the ghost. I've had a few Macbooks, they're okay, but honestly I love the Fujitsu. It runs Win7 Ultimate like a dream. I hope a SurfaceBook will run Win7 Pro, even if it takes some coercion. I use Win10 at work because I have to, but on my own I'm sticking with Win7 as long as I can. But I digress...
Apple needs to ALREADY have something outstanding and radical, in the pipeline, ready to introduce in Spring 2016, that blows everybody away. Or I for one will be very disappointed in Tim Cook's enterprise, and I think I will not be alone.
Because if Apple follows Microsoft down the toilet, what then? Google/Samsung? My God.