FRED WILSON: Apple Is In Danger
He likes that it's open and customizable. He was one of the first people to advocate startups focusing on Android-first because he saw it as the eventual platform winner.
However, now that Android is winning, he says, "My new worry is that Android could run the table."
After seeing that Google has 80% of the smartphone market, and more hip tech snoots are into Android, he's worried that Google will completely control the smartphone market.
He's hoping Apple releases a truly low-cost iPhone to gain marketshare.
"I find myself rooting hard for Apple now. I sense the danger they are in and I don't want either smartphone OS to be so dominant that we lose the level playing field we have now," says Wilson. "It's very important for startups, innovation, and an open mobile ecosystem for all."
Wilson has sounded the alarm on Google previously. In March, he said Google is trying to "run the table" on the Internet, and he wondered, "Who will stop Google?"
The real stunner, though, is that Wilson thinks Apple is in danger.
Wilson is a smart guy whose success is predicated on figuring out trends in consumer technology. If he's worried about Apple's iPhone business, then it's a big deal.
Apple, for its part, would deny that it's in danger.
At the D Conference, CEO Tim Cook said he keeps his eye on three metrics: Engagement, commerce, and customer satisfaction. As long as those are strong, and Cook believes they are, then he's happy. Market share is less of a concern.
This was reiterated on Apple's most recent earnings call when CFO Peter Oppenheimer said: "The most recently published study by Kantar measured at 93% loyalty rate among iPhone owners significantly higher than our competitors. And iPhone continues to lead in terms of customer experience. Not only has iPhone earned the top spot in customer satisfaction from J.D. Power and Associates, an unprecedented nine consecutive times it has also received the top customer satisfaction ranking in a number of surveys including the recent Quality Insights survey of smartphone customers in South Korea."