Apple Planning Something Massive With More R&D Funds But iPhone Outlook Looks Grim With Market Numbers Losing

Apple's track record of popular products makes it a target of constant scrutiny. The company's great efforts to maintain secrecy inspires analyses on its current moves and decisions just to see what it has in store for the market and its competitors. Apple understands well the hype and sense of novelty that comes with introducing products and services for the first time without the industry knowing the slightest about them. Recently, despite lack of official details about its upcoming products like the iPhone and the iPad, certain observations suggest that Apple has been spending much on its research and development possibly planning something massive.

Despite Apple's extreme efforts to maintain secrecy keeping employee non-disclosure agreements and added security, not all of the company's moves are a secret. Apple's spending on product development is public and available through its financial statements. Filed under research and development (R&D), it appears Apple's recent spending hints at the management giving the green light to proceed with the company's next big project.

Apple has been spending nearly $2 billion every quarter on its R&D. The amount is staggering considering enhancements on current products can still be managed well within Jony Ive's umbrella - possibly significantly lower costs than what the company has been shedding out. Specifically, Apple's spending starting last summer and compared to the previous year has increased by as much as $500 million. This further went up by $200-300 million within the development phase of the Apple Watch. To see Apple's recent spending, click here. However, consumers will still have to wait for the company’s official announcements about its upcoming products as details only go as far as spending.

However, Apple may have to work something out for its iPhone lineup as recent figures suggest that it is losing market share. The company has seen a multi-month decline in countries like Spain, France, Great Britain, Japan and US. While sales increased in Germay, it fell short in China for the first time in 8 months and stayed flat in Italy.

The details are according to Kantar which surveys smartphones sales computing figures for a three-month average concerning major market globally. Chief of research at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, Carolina Milanesi, did say: “Apple’s iPhone 6 and 6 Plus already represent 18% of all iPhones in use in the U.S., and 64% of the iPhone installed base is an iPhone 5 or newer — good news for the Apple Watch that interacts only with these newer models.” The company is expected to release the iPhone 7 sometime soon but has remained mum about it.

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