Apple's $ 1 billion investment drops really pave the way for Apple Car-drops, Apple Car-IT information

Recently, the drop announced strategic investments from Apple's $ 1 billion , this is Apple's first investment in China's Internet enterprises. In the view of the industry, main product cold spell during the iPhone hit the market, Apple needs to be strategic transformation and transfer conflicts. Conservative investment drops and Apple cooperation, in addition to obtain considerable returns, and Apple as the market future Apple Car reserve, and rival Google in the mobile marketing game. In 2013, Google Uber invested $ 258 million.

Apple investment drops

Drop, the latest round of funding obtained a number of well-known financial and industrial institutions support at home and abroad, where the apples for $ 1 billion investment in this round, is the single largest investment of date to the last drop. Through this investment, Apple drops of strategic investors. Drops did not announce the round of funding lines and a detailed list of investors. Prior to that, sources say, drops in the next few weeks to complete a new round of financing of $ 2 billion, estimates will reach $ 25 billion.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said the investment has few strategic considerations, including the ability to provide an opportunity to learn more about the Chinese market and, of course, will be to secure strong returns on capital. Drops of founder and CEO Wei Cheng said: "Apple's approval to set up a four-year drop is encouraging, it is an incentive. ”

Beijing business today reporter learned that, Apple has maintained a very conservative investment strategy, the investment drops and let the industry by surprise. Apple iPod fires out of financial trouble, Apple's rising profits and cash reserves started the company for more than 10 years, hardly done anything on the scale of investment, merger and acquisition operations.

Be Apple's biggest investment project only twice: 2011 joint Microsoft paid $ 2.6 billion to buy Nortel group thousands of important patent portfolio; 2014 spending $ 3 billion to buy music equipment brand Beats. But these two transactions that Apple's cash reserves in excess of the level of billions of dollars, transactions involving amounts is only fraction of Apple's coffers.

In the Chinese market, Apple is the most talked about investment last year, the company indirectly held subsidiary of new energy development joint venture was founded with Sichuan Sheng debao days "at Hongyuan, ABA cyclic polymers of eco energy company limited" and "ABA zoige cyclic polymers of eco energy company limited".

With Google and Uber against

Apple has always adopted a conservative investment strategy, the select drop as an investment, with drops in the strong user support with close ties to the Chinese market. As the largest share of the domestic mobile Internet company, drops quickly and last year completed a number of business layout from taxi, train, car, ride the bus, the driver. Data show that the drops of covered 1400duowanming vehicle owners and drivers, have 87% net about China car market share, 99% net about taxi market share, our complete orders exceeded 11 million.

The industry generally believes that Apple chose to invest in a period of rapid increase of drops, get considerable return on investment is no doubt, on the other hand, this is Apple rival Google in the mobile game on the market.

In 2013, Google to the Uber invested $ 258 million through venture capital, had in the mobile market before Apple layouts. In 2014, Google also come up with their own new products--there is no steering wheel and brakes of driverless cars. Is currently also developing self-driving cars of Apple, Google and Uber strong combination is undoubtedly a great threat, Google map service can be combined with Uber better, so as to reinforce their O2O closed-loop.

Concept of Internet traffic research director Zhang Xu, a think-tank believes that Apple drops and directions of cooperation may appear on the map, payment and data areas, in particular map data. Apples can be obtained through drops of different regions in China more accurate map information, in addition to expand Apple's influence map, can Apple's future driverless car map data preparation in advance, so as to compete with Google. Earlier, President Liu Qing also revealed to the last drop, drops on Apple's interest in unmanned.

"Similar Yu iOS in the Facebook, and micro-Bo, pre-installed App, Apple and drops drops also may for built-in application cooperation, in Apple Empire in the joined drops drops can more close to Chinese of map using scene, while Apple paid also can as drops drops paid of export, continues to rich Apple paid of application scene, also, in user travel data, and user behavior data and user property data Shang both are has may for in-depth cooperation. "Zhang admitted.

However, Zhang pointed out that the Apple investment drops, drops into its own ecological opportunities and Google's Uber investment until now rarely see more in-depth cooperation, dripping it is Apple + Google +Uber the difference.

Paving the way for future Apple Car

In national passenger cars information co-will Secretary-General Cui Dongshu seems, Apple investment drops drops, more big degree Shang is for is development of Apple Car ahead of paving, to more effective to cut China market of mobile travel environment, this platform of data can help Apple better to defined products, understand user needs and application scene, Apple Car launched Hou, this shared platform also can became digest these vehicles of good place.

"Not only is Apple, many car companies are at the heart of this investment, including Mercedes-Benz, taking into account the share of the Chinese market. "Cui Dongshu said.

Actually, Apple of car project has is public of secret, the company has in no scruples to recruitment car industry of elite, currently Apple of industrial design team has has served as car design experience of talent, as had in Lamborghini and Audi served as designer of Julian Honig, and Qian Mei game de Republika-Mercedes-Benz Development Director Johann Jungwirth, and Qian Italy classic car manufacturers Fiat Chrysler Group quality Director Doug Betts. Whether it be from a development perspective and future markets, and a platform for sharing Travel Association, for the future of Apple is good for the Car.

Today, the Internet companies building cars has become a trend, the fastest Super cars in 2016 with the Beijing auto show debut; LG company developed electric car will be available in 2017, nearly half price bit cheap. Cui Dongshu believes that compared with these companies, Apple is clearly more dominant on the technical side, coupled with cooperation with drops, Apple Car is likely to become the next strongest revenue growth engine.

The last decade, Apple's amazing performance growth mainly relies on the popularity of the iPhone to push, especially from China. But in the first quarter, Apple products market there has been regression in China, greater China revenue fell 26%, 15% drop in handset shipments.

苹果10亿美元投资滴滴，实为Apple Car铺路 - 滴滴,Apple Car - IT资讯

日前，滴滴出行宣布获得来自苹果10亿美元的战略投资，这是苹果首次在中国投资互联网企业。在业内人士看来，主打产品iPhone遭遇市场寒流，苹果亟须战略转型从而转移矛盾。投资一向保守的苹果此次和滴滴合作，除了能够获得可观的利润回报，也是苹果为未来的Apple Car做市场储备，从而和死对头谷歌在移动出行市场进行博弈。2013年，谷歌向Uber投资了2.58亿美元。

苹果投资滴滴

滴滴表示，公司最新一轮融资获得多家海内外知名金融及产业机构支持，其中，苹果以10亿美元投资本轮，是滴滴迄今为止获得的单笔最大投资。通过此次投资，苹果成为滴滴的战略投资者。滴滴并未宣布本轮融资的额度及详细的投资方名单。此前，有消息称，滴滴即将在未来数周内完成新一轮20亿美元的融资，估值将达到250亿美元。

苹果CEO库克称，此次投资有几个战略性的考虑，包括可以提供一个更加了解中国市场的机会，当然也相信会获得强劲的资本回报。滴滴创始人兼CEO程维则表示：“苹果的认可令成立四年的滴滴深受鼓舞，更是一种激励。”

北京商报记者了解到，苹果一直保持着非常保守的投资策略，此次投资滴滴也让业内大吃一惊。自iPod大火令苹果摆脱财务困境，苹果的利润、现金储备开始节节攀升，该公司在长达十多年的时间里几乎没做过任何称得上规模的投资、并购行动。

算得上苹果最大首笔投资的项目只有两次：2011年出资26亿美元联合微软抢购北电集团上千项重要专利组合；2014年花费30亿美元买下音乐设备品牌Beats。不过这两笔交易发生时苹果的现金储备都超过了千亿美元水平，交易涉及的金额仅仅是苹果金库的零头。

在中国市场，苹果最受关注的投资当属去年该公司间接持有的子公司与四川晟天新能源发展有限公司合资成立“阿坝州红原环聚生态能源有限公司”和“阿坝州若尔盖环聚生态能源有限公司”。

与谷歌和Uber对阵

一向采取保守投资策略的苹果，此次选择滴滴作为投资对象，跟滴滴目前在中国市场强大的用户支撑有紧密联系。作为国内移动出行份额最大的互联网公司，滴滴去年快速地完成了多项业务布局，从出租车、快车、专车、顺风车到巴士、代驾。数据显示，目前滴滴覆盖1400多万名车主与司机，拥有中国87%以上的网约专车市场份额, 99%以上的网约出租车市场份额，日完成订单突破1100万。

业界普遍认为，苹果选择投资处于高速上升期的滴滴，获得可观的投资回报是毫无疑问的，另一方面，这也是苹果跟死对头谷歌在移动出行市场上的博弈。

2013年，谷歌通过旗下风险投资部向Uber投资2.58亿美元，早于苹果一步在移动出行市场进行布局。2014年，谷歌更是拿出自己的新产品——没有方向盘和刹车的无人驾驶汽车。对于目前还在研发自动驾驶汽车的苹果来说，谷歌与Uber的强强联手无疑是巨大的威胁，谷歌可以把地图服务跟Uber更好地结合起来，从而更加强化自己的O2O闭环。

易观智库互联网交通出行研究总监张旭认为，苹果和滴滴的合作方向可能出现在地图、支付和数据领域，尤其是地图数据。苹果可以通过滴滴获得中国各地区更准确的地图信息，除了能够扩大苹果地图的影响力，也能为苹果将来的无人驾驶汽车提前做好地图数据准备，从而与谷歌进行抗衡。此前，滴滴总裁柳青也曾透露，滴滴对苹果的无人驾驶感兴趣。

“类似于iOS中Facebook、微博等预装App,苹果与滴滴也可能进行内置应用合作，在苹果帝国中加入滴滴可以更加贴近中国人的地图使用场景，同时苹果支付也可以作为滴滴支付的出口，继续丰富苹果支付的应用场景，此外，在用户出行数据、用户行为数据和用户属性数据上双方都有可能进行深入合作。”张旭坦言。

不过，张旭指出，苹果投资滴滴，将滴滴融入自身生态的机会更多，而谷歌投资Uber到现在为止却很少看到更加深度的合作，这正是苹果+滴滴与谷歌+Uber的区别所在。

为未来Apple Car铺路

在全国乘用车信息联席会秘书长崔东树看来，苹果投资滴滴，更大程度上是为正在研发的Apple Car提前铺路，以更有效地切入中国市场的移动出行环境，这个平台的数据可以帮助苹果更好地定义产品，了解用户需求以及应用场景，Apple Car推出后，这个共享平台还可以成为消化这些车辆的好地方。

“不仅是苹果，很多汽车企业都在做这方面的核心投入，包括奔驰等都在考虑中国市场的出行共享。”崔东树如是说。

其实，苹果的汽车项目已经是公开的秘密，该公司已经在毫无顾忌地招聘汽车行业的精英，目前苹果的工业设计团队已经有担任汽车设计经验的人才，如曾经在兰博基尼和奥迪担任设计师的Julian Honig、前梅赛德斯-奔驰研发总监Johann Jungwirth，以及前意大利经典汽车厂商菲亚特克莱斯勒集团质检总监Doug Betts。不管是从研发角度还是未来的市场角度，和一个共享出行平台结盟，对于将来的Apple Car来说都是有好处的。

如今，互联网企业造车已经成为潮流，行动最快的乐视超级汽车已经在2016年北京车展首发；LG公司研发的电动汽车将在2017年问世，售价比特斯拉便宜近一半。崔东树认为，与这些企业相比，苹果在技术方面显然更占优势，再加上与滴滴的合作，Apple Car很可能成为苹果下一个强劲的收入增长引擎。

过去十年，苹果公司业绩的惊人增长主要是依靠苹果手机的普及来推动的，特别是中国。但今年一季度，苹果产品在中国市场的步伐出现了倒退，大中华区营收同比下降26%，手机出货量下滑15%。