Tim Cook's story to analysts paints a continuing growth picture

When talking to Wall Street analysts, Apple CEO Tim Cook had a lot of 'splaining to do about the company's unsatisfactory third quarter. His strategy? Allay fears that 2017 will see further slow-downs by assuring analysts of Apple's prowess in artificial intelligence relative to Google, highlight Apple's expansion into the emerging Chinese and Indian markets, speed Apple's production of iPhone 7's to meet over-demand, and promise a return to growth in the current quarter, even though that has historically been a declining period for the company.