Apple should have bought Theranos. The combo of Elizabeth's Reality Distortion Field™ conjuring skills, Tim's supply chain expertise, and Sir Jony's obsession for form over function would have been GOLD, I tell you, GOLD!
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Should Apple buy Sony?
- Thread starter veena3
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As a Nikon fanboy, I've followed news about the imminent demise of my preferred camera maker for as long as I've been a serious photographer. In that time, I've learned that business in Japan doesn't appear to work the same way it does in the parts of the world I'm familiar with. At the height of the most recent rumors that Nikon is on the verge of total collapse, there was a letter circulating that was reportedly from a government minister sent to the leadership of all other Japanese camera makers (Canon, Fuji, Olympus, Sony, etc.). The letter asked the other camera makers to make plans to assist or acquire their struggling peer so as to keep things in the family.
It seems to me that there would likely be very strong cultural and even governmental pressure to not let Apple own Sony.
BTW, Nikon's doing just fine for now in case this got anyone worried.
It seems to me that there would likely be very strong cultural and even governmental pressure to not let Apple own Sony.
BTW, Nikon's doing just fine for now in case this got anyone worried.
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Flopped? The original one may have struggled. Why? Timing… or maybe because sound bars became an easier alternative for the younger generations. Today, after apple discontinued the first model, the resell market is going nuts buying and selling the units, often at prices well above retail.
I feel Sonos gobbled up the higher end before got their hat in the ring. And other smart speaker makers flooded the market as quickly as they could push them out. And it’s really too bad because with the 5 units I own, 3 large and 2 mini, there is little doubt that took the time to make this an incredibly versatile product. I use mine daily and am still in awe how well they mesh and most importantly how they sound.
But all that said the small ones are selling like fresh bread. New colours and high demand indicate they are moving forward with the line, and quite likely even expanding it with new leadership in their respective department.
Feature and quality wise, the original HomePod outshines Sonos imo, especially the setup procedure and working well with other speakers in the home.
I can’t think of ANY reason would buy Sonos.
Apple's acquisitions are nearly always about small technology companies that have something Apple wants to leverage across its product lines. Apple's largest acquisition, Beats, gave Apple two leveragable assets, both of which have paid off handsomely - a music subscription service and headphone expertise.
The OP seems to be focused on Playstation, which is a small piece of the overall Sony picture. I appreciate that a gamer might love to have a proper game console under the Apple umbrella, or even more, to have that console performance migrate into Apple's other products. But how could that acquisition benefit Apple outside of the niche market of game consoles?
There's no real mystery to building a game console (or a gaming PC) - Apple has all the know-how it needs in-house - it comes down to whether Apple thinks it's a business worth pursuing. Apple makes lots of money on gaming via App Store and the devices that run those games. Their claim that iOS/iPadOS is the world's largest gaming platform seem credible. They already are doing business with all the game producers. How much more could Playstation add to that? Could it turn the average Apple customer into a hard-core gamer? It doesn't seem likely. Most people will remain casual game-players, just as they're casual music listeners.
The OP seems to be focused on Playstation, which is a small piece of the overall Sony picture. I appreciate that a gamer might love to have a proper game console under the Apple umbrella, or even more, to have that console performance migrate into Apple's other products. But how could that acquisition benefit Apple outside of the niche market of game consoles?
There's no real mystery to building a game console (or a gaming PC) - Apple has all the know-how it needs in-house - it comes down to whether Apple thinks it's a business worth pursuing. Apple makes lots of money on gaming via App Store and the devices that run those games. Their claim that iOS/iPadOS is the world's largest gaming platform seem credible. They already are doing business with all the game producers. How much more could Playstation add to that? Could it turn the average Apple customer into a hard-core gamer? It doesn't seem likely. Most people will remain casual game-players, just as they're casual music listeners.
Why should Apple buy Sony? Different perspectives and different businesses.
The Playstation is huge for Sony, but it is not what Apple wants to offer customers. Sony sells the Playstation at a loss when released, which is something Apple never does.
The Playstation is huge for Sony, but it is not what Apple wants to offer customers. Sony sells the Playstation at a loss when released, which is something Apple never does.
I’m extremely late to this thread but I thought this thread would lean more into a potential Sony play where there would have been an attempt to buy Sony Pictures… rather than all of Sony, with lines of businesses that Apple probably has no interest in.
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Yes, definitely. Sony Pictures would be much more interesting for Apple than Sony's electronics division. This war of streaming services is generating several acquisitions and consolidation in the sector, so I would not be surprised.
Avie Tevanian was an early theranos investor. Worked out well last time apple bought a company he was involved in.
No. Apple is too large as it is. They need to focus on core products, and dump distractions like producing TV shows. Sony would be a massive distraction.
Yes I know there have been several iterations of the company but I actually meant the modern ViacomCBS -- just recently renamed Paramount Global. I would make perfect sense for Apple and could be bought for a relatively reasonable price. It is exactly what Apple could use -- a huge library for content, a renown studio, and media affiliate for streaming purposes and sports (which could be sold off if necessary). It would be hard to get because Redstones still have a controlling interest and I do not think she wants to sell -- although everything has a price.
If I were running Apple and was serious about this part of the business, I would think it's a perfect fit.
Can Apple afford Sony?
Sony - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
I'm not an expert, either. Only thing I'd add is on similar "Apple should by <company>" threads, people have brought up it's not just the company's market valuation, but patents, holdings, etc.
For Playstation, I would assume Apple would want to move it to an A# or M# chip, plus change the OS to some macOS/iOS/iPadOS variant, plus use Metal instead of whatever Playstation has now. Basically an entire new console. Apple could use Sony's experience, but they'd still have to start a lot from scratch.
He means humility and the Japanese quality of always striving to do your best.
Maybe Sony's movie division... If only to their back catalogue of movies to call their own on Apple +.