Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) has been one of the best stocks to own over the past five years on the stock market, rising more than 160% during that time frame. As of Monday’s close, its market cap was just over $3.1 trillion, making it one of the most valuable companies in the world. The success and strength of its business revolves around its iPhones and iPads, as well as the ecosystem of its other products and services.
But what if something happened that disrupted that dominance? One of Apple’s own executives admitted that there could be trouble ahead for the business, and may have provided investors with a reason to think twice about owning the stock for the long term.
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iPhones no longer needed in the future?
The world of tech is changing rapidly due to advancements related to artificial intelligence (AI). And that can mean the devices that people use today may become obsolete within the next five to 10 years.
Eddy Cue, the senior vice president of services at Apple, testified at the antitrust case against Google (which Alphabet owns), stating that even the company’s iPhones may not be crucial due to changing AI trends: “You may not need an iPhone 10 years from now.” Cue believes that AI-powered wearable devices, such as smart glasses, could take the place of today’s smartphones.
For Apple, that means both opportunities ahead and also some significant challenges. Consider that during the first three months of 2025, the company’s net sales totaled $95.3 billion, and iPhone revenue accounted for roughly half of that, at $46.8 billion. The company has already faced difficulties in growing that area of its business, as iPhone sales rose by just 2% in the most recent quarter.
A longer-term trend that gives consumers more of a reason to ditch the iPhone certainly wouldn’t help matters for Apple. The company would have to rely on innovation and potentially coming out with something new. And unfortunately, that hasn’t exactly been a strong point for the business in recent years.
Could Apple’s business be in trouble?
Apple has been lagging behind other companies when it comes to AI. It has delayed its Apple Intelligence features that it was planning to roll out for iPhones this year, which will now be slated for 2026. While some AI features are available, including summarizing emails and webpages, more advanced ones such as using Apple’s Siri assistant for multiapp requests that involve multiple steps won’t be available until next year.
The problem is that there are already many chatbots for users to choose from today that can handle complex, multistep requests, and Apple is already well behind the competition. By next year, the gap could widen even further. While Apple is prioritizing safety and privacy, which are important aspects of AI, the company’s inability to keep up could pose problems for the business in the future.
At the very least, Apple’s already sluggish growth rate could take a hit. And if iPhone sales are struggling, that could trickle down and affect how many of those consumers are also buying iPads and subscribing to services.
There are over 1 billion active iPhones in the world, but Android devices actually have the lion’s share of the smartphone market, at over 71%. Apple iPhones are a bit of a status figure, but they may have lost their practicality over the years, with Android devices being cheaper, less locked down, and easier for users to modify and customize. In the future, if Apple struggles to keep up with AI, its market share may diminish even further.
Is Apple stock still a good investment?
It’s difficult to predict how the next five-plus years will play out in tech, let alone the next decade, and what effect that will have on Apple’s business. The company’s lack of significant innovation hasn’t hurt them over the past decade, as iPhones have remained iconic devices and are still crucial to Apple’s business. But the changes that AI is causing could finally ramp up the pressure on Apple to get going and deliver advancements that may be necessary to keep up with the market.
AI is an area that Apple investors should monitor. For now, the business is still doing well, and there’s no need to panic. But Cue’s comments about the iPhone do highlight a serious concern about just how long Apple can rely on its devices without making significant advancements. That remains a big question mark hovering over the business today.
If you’re invested in Apple, you may not necessarily need to rush to sell your shares, and it can still make for a good stock to own, but this is a risk you should consider for the long haul. If, however, you’re a growth-oriented investor, you may be better off pursuing other tech stocks that are better positioned to benefit from advancements in AI than Apple.
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Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. David Jagielski has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet and Apple. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
