利润压力下，苹果「安卓化」

Core Viewpoint - Apple is introducing advertisements in its Maps application, signaling a strategic shift for the company, which has traditionally focused on privacy and user experience [5]. Group 1: Service Revenue Challenges - Apple's hardware sales growth has slowed due to market saturation, with iPhone sales plateauing since 2015, prompting a shift towards service revenue as a new growth engine [7]. - From fiscal year 2016 to 2023, Apple's service revenue grew from $24.1 billion to $85.1 billion, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 19.3% [7][21]. - Service revenue's contribution to total revenue increased from 11.2% in 2016 to over 20% in recent years, highlighting its importance to Apple's profitability [8][9]. Group 2: Regulatory and Competitive Pressures - Apple's service revenue growth is facing challenges, with a projected year-on-year growth rate of only 3.7% for fiscal year 2024 due to increased regulatory scrutiny and competition [11]. - The European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA) and similar legislation in other regions threaten Apple's control over the App Store, impacting its primary service revenue source [11]. - Competition in streaming services is intensifying, with Apple TV+ lagging behind competitors like Netflix and Disney+, making it difficult to become a significant revenue source [11]. Group 3: Advertising as a New Revenue Stream - The introduction of ads in Apple Maps is seen as a necessary step to find new high-potential revenue channels amid growth pressures [12][15]. - Apple Maps has millions of active users globally, particularly in high-consumption regions, and has not previously explored monetization through advertising [12]. - The advertising mechanism for Apple Maps is expected to focus on optimizing search results, with the potential for a simpler interface compared to Google Maps [19]. Group 4: Future Projections - Analysts predict that Apple's service revenue could exceed $100 billion for the first time in fiscal year 2025, with an expected revenue of $108.6 billion, reflecting a year-on-year growth of approximately 13% [21]. - Apple has recently surpassed a market capitalization of 4 trillion, indicating its ongoing search for new growth avenues [22].