What is that lies next for Apple? Has it hit a wall? Has it lost its edge or can’t innovate? We all have these questions occurring in our minds lately. There is no denial that the competition is at an all-time high. With Samsung, Google, Facebook, and a host of other companies including start-ups creating exciting new products, there is an ongoing quest for innovation.
And, on the other hand Apple’s focus on small changes to big products and perceived lack of innovation has left us feeling that it may be running out of juice.
What’s wrong in it?
Nothing! It’s the long period since the rollout of the iPad Mini, which has left Apple awfully moribund in many eyes. Let’s face it: truly revolutionary products don’t come out every year. But because there is eagerness for something new, something dynamic, Apple as it seems has increasingly stuck in the very profitable rut it made for itself. Having said all that, I agree that innovation is an important driver of brand loyalty, but we also can’t ignore the fact that companies do have periods of refinement in between big innovations.
Another impulse that seems to hang around Apple like a devil on the shoulder is the two rumors about the next iPhone. The Gold Color iPhone and Biometric Fingerprint Scanner feature have left many people thinking that Apple is getting distracted in the surface detail and unnecessary bells and whistles. But few know that these upgrades will not only help Apple make inroads into China and India (where gold is a popular) but would also underline the message that the iPhone is the luxury phone, worth paying a few extra hundred dollars for.
Let’s not forget that Apple still retains a strong competitive position in smartphones and tablets industry which is far from saturation. And, the MacBooks and iTunes will still bring in good cash for the foreseeable future. Even though their growth rate has slowed down, they are still extremely successful and the envy of many other companies.
Apple is not an ordinary company. It either that its vision remains unveiled from us or they are still searching for it. In either case, they have time to steer their ship in the right direction.
