Company Apple warns investors that future products may never be as profitable as launch iPhoneWhile exploring new untested markets such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality headsets. In its latest financial report, the manufacturer added a new warning about factors that could affect sales growth and profitability: “New products, services and technologies may replace or replace existing offerings and could result in reduced revenues and profits; which could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. “.

In its annual reports, the company traditionally warns investors about factors that can cause volatility and low margins, such as competition, currency fluctuations and supply chain issues. This year, Apple also added a warning about the possible impact of the “geopolitical instability” clause, which had been missing from the risk factors for several years, and about security risks related to artificial intelligence. The announcement comes as Apple is investing heavily in its Vision Pro mixed reality headset, as well as Apple Intelligence, Siri and ChatGPT integration.

Gene Munster of Deepwater Asset Management noted that Apple is in a phase of uncertainty as the company moves into new product categories. For example, the Vision Pro headset, Apple’s first new device in years, costs $3,500 and is sold in limited numbers. Munster also raised questions about how Apple would monetize AI without charging for access to AI features.

It’s also worth noting that Apple is also facing pressure from regulators regarding its App Store and other parts of the services industry. In particular, the recent US antitrust victory against Google threatens to deprive Apple of the billions of dollars in royalties it now jointly receives from the search giant.

Despite the data, Apple’s gross margin has increased from 33% in 2007, when the iPhone was launched, to over 40% in 2021. This was because more and more customers were choosing expensive iPhone models despite fierce competition from cheaper device manufacturers.

Apple also recently reported that revenue rose 6% to $94.9 billion in the quarter, with a record gross margin of 46.2%. At the same time, most analysts on Wall Street predict a 49% increase in Apple’s gross margin by the end of the decade. The growth of Apple’s services business, which generates revenue of nearly $100 billion a year, has also boosted margins thanks to payments from Google for the right to become the default search engine on iPhones. At the same time, the total margin for Apple services exceeds 70% compared to 36-37% for hardware products.

“It’s an interesting time for Apple “, – said Futurum Group CEO Dan Newman (Dan Newman), noting that the value of the company is approximately 3.4 trillion dollars, but growth rates are at the level of average values.