On the heels of a disappointing financial quarter, wherein Apple’s iPhone sales dipped and the company’s profits failed to meet analysts’ expectations, we find this chart from the Seattle Times. It shows R&D spending among major corporations.
I admit to being surprised by Volkswagen’s being at the top for three years running, and not so much that Samsung occupies the second slot for the same timeframe. Conspicuously absent from the top 20 was Apple—until last year, when it moved into the 18th position.
I’ll hazard a prediction. If Apple does not dramatically boost its R&D spending and concentrate on the “next best thing,” it will continue to lose ground to those who take research and development more seriously. What good is all that cash if you don’t use it to profitable effect?
The Observer 