Apple's fourth-quarter earnings are the first sign of strategic weakness

I'm an Apple fan (to say the least) but for better or worse they need lower priced phones. A few years ago when I visited Singapore all I saw were iPhones. Now it is at least 50% Android (read: Samsung) among the young. The perceived premium value or coolness of Apple products just isn't there any more.

That's not to say it isn't still an amazing company, just that the investors seem to want persistent incredible growth and high margins. Not sure both are possible, especially when the global economy is in a tailspin.

(Disclaimer: ex-AAPL shareholder)