Pestel P2: The pestel framework: The PESTEL framework categorises environmental influences into six main types: political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal. Why you are using it: Thus it provides a clear list of influences on the possible success or failure of particular strategies apple uses or will use. Analyse how the pestel factors that may affect company: Political factors look at government policies, taxation changes, foreign trade regulations, political risk in foreign markets and changes in trade blocks (EU).

In this case Apple…(article or) Economic factors look at business cycle and GDP trends, interest rates , unemployment rates, disposable income and exchange rates. In this case Apple.. (article or ) Socio cultural factors look at population changes, lifestyle changes, changes in tastes and fashion and culture. In this case Apple…(article or) Technological factors look at new discoveries and technology developments, ICT innovations, Rates of obsolescence and Increased spending on R&D. in this case Apple.. article or) iTunes 11 remains much the same as it has always been - bar some radical new design and front-end improvements. The visual redesign is obvious, with music selection laid out in a more logical manner. One of the few new features to be implemented in the update is the inclusion of the Miniplayer which, instead of being a mode within the application, appears in a completely new window. Another simple, yet helpful, addition is the inclusion of buttons which allow users to switch between the iTunes store and back to the library.

However, Apple has made some good technological developments especially with their current Iphone5. It is half an inch bigger (4-inches), lighter (112g) and has a more powerful A6 chip than the previous. Siri (voice control software) has been updated so users can ask it to recommend films and restaurants and update their Facebook accounts verbally. The 4G network offers speeds up to five times faster than 3G. This will allow uninterrupted access to the web on the go, high definition films to be downloaded in minutes and TV to be streamed without buffering.

The Camera includes a Panorama function: sweep phone sideways and software stitches images together. Finally a new software feature is a much whizzier Maps app which includes photo-realistic 3D cityscapes for some areas. Environmental (green) factors look at environmental protection regulations, energy consumption, global warming, waste disposal and re-cycling. In this case Apple…(article or) A Chinese environmental group singled out Apple for criticism in 2011, accusing the company’s Chinese suppliers of discharging polluted waste and toxic metals into surrounding communities and threatening public health.

Factories that the group suspected were Apple suppliers often “fail to properly dispose of hazardous waste” and that 27 of the suppliers had been found to have environmental problems. Also in 2011, 137 workers at a Chinese factory near the city of Suzhou had been seriously injured by a toxic chemical used in making the signature slick glass screens of the iPhone. In 2010 one of Apple’s biggest suppliers was hit by a wave of worker suicides at several of its mainland Chinese facilities.

Also, in May, two people were killed and more than a dozen were injured in Chengdu city, in southwest China due to an explosion and fire at a plant that made Apple products. Legal factors look at competition laws, health and safety laws, employment laws, licensing laws and IPR laws. In this case Apple.. (article or) Apple Inc. of the U. S. and Samsung Electronics Co. of South Korea are embroiled in legal battles in 10 nations over intellectual property, spanning dozens of cases. Here are details of some of the bigger legal fights: In the U. S. , Apple scored a major victory on Aug. 4 2012 when a jury found Samsung had "willfully" copied Apple's iPhone and iPad, and awarded Apple $1 billion in damages. Apple is now requesting eight Samsung products be banned from the U. S. market. A hearing was rescheduled for Dec. 6. April 15, 2011 –In south Korea, Apple files a patent suit against Samsung claiming that it had copied the "look and feel" of iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad for its Galaxy smartphones and tabs. Apple lays out a total of 16 claims covering software and hardware. However, the court on Aug. 24 2012 dismissed Apple's claim that Samsung copied the look and feel of the iPhone and the iPad.

Still, the judges issued bans on some Samsung and Apple products. It found that Apple illegally used Samsung's wireless technology while Samsung violated Apple's patent related to the way mobile devices notify users when an image reaches to the end. In Japan, the Tokyo District Court denied Apple's claim on Aug. 31 2012 that Samsung infringed upon Apple's patent to have mobile devices and personal computers "synchronize" or share data with each other. Other cases in Japan are still pending. P9 Summarise key implications of the pestel analysis (e. g. threats/opportunities): SWOT??