Apple Inc. Fails to Report First-Weekend Sales of iPhone 7 and 7 Plus
Learning Objectives
Examine the process involved with problem formulation.
Apply critical thinking to problem identification.
Evaluate ethical implications of a decision.
Prompt:
Choose an editorial article (An editorial is an article that presents the writer's opinion on an issue supported with facts) from the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal. Browse the library and choose an editorial that addresses a business issue that interests you.
Instructions:
Write an essay describing the following:
Citation of the article and a brief summary of its contents
What are the premise(s) in the article?
What evidence is presented? Is it credible?
Can you independently verify the evidence presented?
How are counterarguments addressed?
Does the writer represent a particular interest?
How is language used to develop the argument?
Do you detect any errors in knowledge, evidence, or thinking?
Does the writer use any types of appeals or commit any fallacies?
Overall, how compelling is this article?
Be certain to carefully research your analysis using at least 3 credible sources. Your submission should be 4-6 pages in length minimum and should be a thorough representation of your ability to critically think through the steps above. Use the template provided to ensure you are following APA format. This assignment is worth 14% of your final grade.
Apple Inc. Fails to Report First-Weekend Sales of iPhone 7 and 7 Plus
Student Name
American Public University
COURSE####: Course Title
Instructor Name
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Apple Inc. Fails to Report First-Weekend Sales of iPhone 7 and 7 Plus
Citation and a Brief Summary
McMillan, R. (2016). Apple won’t report the first weekend iPhone 7 sales; Some analysts say they reveal consumer zeal, but the company says the figures are less relevant than in the past. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/newspapers/apple-wont-report-first-weekend-iphone-7- sales/docview/1817622094/se-2?accountid=8289.
From 2008 to 2016, Apple has been reporting its first-weekend sales after launching iPhones. However, the company said that it would not do that for iPhone 7. In 2015, Apple sold thirteen million iPhone 6s Plus and 6s in the first three days, which was a 30% increase from the sales reported in 2014 (McMillan, 2016). Although investors and analysts said that they viewed the initial sales report as a gauge for customers’ enthusiasm, Apple admitted that the report is not relevant in present times. Apple also said that the first-weekend sales should not be viewed as a metric for investment and that the initial sales should be governed by supply and not demand. Some of the reasons why Apple Inc. does not report initial sales are because the sale of iPhones has been declining in the recent past and the company has extended its market to cover 28 countries as opposed to 12 nations in 2015 (McMillan, 2016). Overall, an increase in preorders and initial sales might not mean a rise in demand for iPhones, which can be misleading to investors and analysts.
Premises in McMillan’s Article
Apple made it clear that reporting initial iPhone sales is less relevant. The company wants the sales to be governed by supply and not demand, which is the reason why the first-weekend sales should not be used as a metric by analysts and investors. In particular, Apple asserted that the comparison of initial sales with past years is not relevant since it has extended its market reach to 28 countries as opposed to 12 nations (McMillan, 2016). Despite the number of iPhone users have doubled in 2014 and 2015, it does not mean the demand for iPhones is rising but rather it’s the company that has extended its global market coverage.
Evidence Presented is Credible
McMillan gives actual figures to prove his arguments. For this reason, the evidence provided is credible. For instance, he says that Apple sold 13 million iPhone 6s and 6s Plus in 2015 (McMillan, 2016). Additionally, the author reported that iPhone 7 and 7 Plus preorders would be available in 28 countries instead of 12 nations. He uses renowned analysts and scholars, such as Toni Sacconaghi, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. analyst. Consequently, the evidence provided by McMillan is credible, which is the reason why the author is persuasive.
How to Verify McMillan’s Evidence Independently
As discussed earlier, McMillan’s evidence is credible and can be verified independently. For example, the article says that preorders for iPhone 7 and 7 Plus were available in 28 countries. Another article by Romain Dillet asserted that iPhone 7 and 7 Plus would ship in 28 countries at first (Dillet, 2016). Additionally, at the end of McMillan’s article, Sacconaghi suggested that Apple should improve features like battery life, picture quality, and storage capacity if it wants more people to purchase new iPhones. Similarly, Orsolya Schmidt emphasizes the improvements of iPhones by involving large storage and longer batt...