Under investigation by several Governments and facing court cases on several continents Apple staff have taken to leaking Company secrets and it has got CEO Tim Cook all riled up.
Staff who were once loyal to the iPhone and Mac manufacturer are turning on management after a confidential email was leaked to US publication The Verge.
“People who leak confidential information do not belong” at Apple wrote in an email to staff after the leak.
The Company that has been forced to pay out hundreds of millions of dollars after they stole other people’s patents and ideas.
They are also not liked by many retailers around the world who sell their product due to bullying over margins and moves by Apple to sell product directly on their own site.
They are also facing a big decline in revenue following investigations of the way that they operate the Apple store that could see app developers and brands be able to direct traffic to their own sites instead of Apple taking 30% of revenues.
Tim Cook who is set to exit Apple shortly sent an email to Apple employees claiming the company is doing “everything in our power to identify those who leaked information”.
Read the full transcription of Cook’s email:
Dear Team,
It was great to connect with you at the global employee meeting on Friday. There was much to celebrate, from our remarkable new product line-up to our values driven work around climate change, racial equity, and privacy. It was a good opportunity to reflect on our many accomplishments and to have a discussion about what’s been on your mind.
I’m writing today because I’ve heard from so many of you were incredibly frustrated to see the contents of the meeting leak to reporters. This comes after a product launch in which most of the details of our announcements were also leaked to the press.
I want you to know that I share your frustration.
These opportunities to connect as a team are really important. But they only work if we can trust that the content will stay within Apple. I want to reassure you that we are doing everything in our power to identify those who leaked.
As you know, we do not tolerate disclosures of confidential information, whether it’s product IP or the details of a confidential meeting. We know that the leakers constitute a small number of people. We also know that people who leak confidential information do not belong here.
As we look forward, I want to thank you for all you’ve done to make our products a reality and all you will do to get them into customers’ hands. Yesterday we released iOS 15, iPad 15, and watchOS 8, and Friday marks the moment when we share some of our incredible new products with the world. There’s nothing better than that. We’ll continue to measure our contributions in the lives we change, the connections we foster, and the work we do to leave the world a better place.
Thank you,
Tim
The leak and the response is a turning point for Apple who also face the possibility that consumers will hold onto their old iPhones longer and not buy their new iPhone 13.
Apple has attributed falling revenues to customers not upgrading their handsets.
That’s a growing problem for Apple especially as they face revenue declines in other parts of their business.
In Australia, the U.S. and Europe, especially, the life cycle of a smartphone has been steadily increasing, according to data from market research firm Kantar Worldpanel.
In 2016, American smartphone owners used their phones for 22.7 months on average before upgrading. By 2018, that number had increased to 24.7.
Users in five European countries tracked by Kantar Worldpanel — France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain — are keeping their phones for even longer.
Between 2016 to 2018, the life cycle of a smartphone was extended by nearly three months, from 23.4 to 26.2. Users in Great Britain logged the longest average of 27.7 months in 2018.
