Opinion
Will 2017 see Apple innovating again?
When a product stagnates in its design, it stagnates at its core, too
The iPhone has led the pack ever since its introduction. When it was announced in January 2007, Steve Jobs called it a “revolutionary and magical product that is literally five years ahead of any other mobile phone.” In fact, Apple wasn’t just ahead of the competition in terms of design, but in thought process too. Even upon its release, the likes of RIM and Nokia still saw it as a novelty for a small market, not likely to eat into their customer bases. But the iPhone devoured all. Only Google saw the Independence Day- like shadow coming from the iPhone as the danger it was, and immediately changed development of its nascent Android OS to ape the iPhone (rather than the BlackBerry-a-like it was until then).
Since then, every time the others have caught up to the iPhone, Apple has pulled away again. The quality of plastic cases was improved, then Apple moved to metal and glass. Resolutions increased, then Apple showcased 300+dpi Retina displays. Cameras got better, then Apple included a DSLR-level image processor. Processors got faster, then Apple made its own that crushed the competition.
Except last year. The iPhone 7 is Apple’s best iPhone ever, no doubt, with improvements all over the place, but it wasn’t a big design leap forward. Whereas normally after its September event, competitors look through the cloud of dust to see the iPhone streaking over the horizon, here they saw it sauntering down the street at a leisurely pace.
No matter how waterproof or Jet Black it became, or how many cool internal features were added, there was no denying that the iPhone 7 was essentially the same design as the iPhone 6, released two years before – and we knew this design would be around for at least a year.
The result is that the competition has not only caught up, but is starting to stride ahead. The new wave of phones come with striking designs and really cool features. Near edge-to-edge displays that offer high dynamic range and even 4K. Slomo recording at 960fps (though I bet you’ll see this in the next iPhone). 20-megapixel dual Leica-engineered cameras. And that’s before Samsung announces its next flagship.
The simple truth is that, if we get an iPhone 7S this September rather than a fullon iPhone 8, Apple not only won’t pull away from the pack, it won’t even be at the front when it comes to design. Of course, the overall experience will still be great, but I’d be concerned about an Apple that doesn’t lead on experience and design. As Steve Jobs said, “Design is how it works.” Any Apple product that stagnates in its design is stagnating at its core. And looking at Apple’s line-up across the board in the last year or more, this could apply to way too many products for comfort.
I hope that 2017 is the year Apple reveals it’s been saving energy for a sprint, and it retakes its place at the front.