The Apple Group is struggling with its weak iPhone 17 launch and disappointed investors. There is already talk of a decline similar to that of the Nokia slump.
Tech giant Apple recently unveiled its new iPhone 17 product line, including the iPhone 17, an ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and Pro Max, along with updates to the iWatch and AirPods.
Lack of fundamental innovation
But despite some innovations such as better cameras, longer battery life, and optimized materials, it was nowhere near enough to meet the expectations of customers and shareholders.
Critics complain that Apple is only offering incremental innovations compared to previous generations.
Taking the iPhone 17 Air as an example, although its slim and lightweight design is appealing, it lacks the fundamental innovations that had been speculated about for months.
Criticism was immediately voiced about both the single camera and the poor battery life.
Over 100 billion evaporates
The capital market reacted promptly: immediately after the product launch, Apple’s share price initially fell by around 1.5 percent.
The following day, losses had already ballooned by more than three percent – representing a loss in company value of over 100 billion dollar.
This reaction suggests that investors consider the new features to be insufficiently substantial.
Since the beginning of the year, Apple shares have fallen by more than 4 percent in dollar terms. For Swiss investors, this is compounded by a ten percent decline in the value of the dollar.
Warning signals impossible to ignore
This current setback brings back memories of Nokia’s decline.
The Finnish brand was the absolute market leader in mobile phones in the early 2000s.
However, Nokia rapidly lost its position when innovations failed to materialize and the company reacted too late to the shift toward smartphones.
In industry analyses, Apple’s current situation is therefore sometimes seen as a warning sign – even though the company still has an enormous customer base and high profit margins, as well as a market capitalization of around 3.5 trillion dollar.
Queues as an indicator
It was therefore interesting to see how long, or short, the queues were outside Apple’s flagship stores in New York, London, Tokyo, and Zurich when the new iPhone 17 devices hit the stores.
In recent years, long queues outside stores have been a regular feature at every product launch.
The absence of this ritual underscores the waning enthusiasm of many fans and consumers.
Little difference from its predecessor
For Apple, the challenge is always to find the balance between stability and innovation. While many buyers remain satisfied with older iPhones, it is becoming more difficult for the company to provide a clear incentive to upgrade.
In any case, a direct comparison of the components in the iPhone 17 shows that they hardly differ from their predecessors, the iPhone 16.
Even in the area of artificial intelligence (AI), analysts had expected more from the US company, although the new processor supports the execution of large language models.
Disappointed expectations
A brief period of weakness does not necessarily indicate a long-term downward trend. However, signs of ‘innovation fatigue’ are clearly visible.
And if Apple continues to disappoint the expectations of its customers and investors, that Nokia word is likely to become increasingly prognosticated.
14/09/2025/ena./kut.
