Apple faces a stark warning: pivot aggressively on AI or risk a “BlackBerry Moment.”
Wall Street analyst Dan Ives from Wedbush Securities dropped this bombshell Friday. Ives, usually bullish on Apple, flipped the script. He compared Apple’s current AI hesitation to BlackBerry’s failure to adapt during the smartphone revolution.
BlackBerry once dominated with its QWERTY keyboards and instant email. It peaked at $140 a share in 2008, then crashed to just $3.65 as Apple’s iPhone took over. Now Apple’s market value is $3.33 trillion, but Ives warns history could repeat if Apple stays passive on AI. 
The problem: rivals like OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, Meta, and Amazon are sprinting ahead in AI innovation. Apple, sitting on 2.4 billion iOS devices and 1.5 billion iPhones, is “on a park bench drinking lemonade,” Ives says.
Apple needs bold moves pronto. Ives outlined three ways to avoid fading into irrelevance:
-
Acquire Perplexity, an AI-native search engine startup. Ives calls Perplexity’s tech “some of the most impressive in the AI world” and says a $30 billion buyout is a bargain for Apple’s AI future. (Perplexity denies any talks.)
-
Bring in AI talent from outside. Ives says Apple’s innovation pace feels stuck — “Back to the Future” reruns — and Tim Cook’s team needs fresh AI leadership.
-
Double down on Google’s Gemini AI chatbot for deep iPhone integration. OpenAI isn’t a viable partner, Ives insists. Time is ticking.
Apple did not respond to requests for comment.
Dan Ives’s blunt takeaway:
Apple must stop watching the AI party from afar and start leading it.
The message: Cupertino needs to jump into AI or risk the BlackBerry fate.
