Is Apple still innovating?
IPhone production may lack collective ‘wow’ factor, but you only need to look at Series 3 of Apple’s smartwatch to see true innovation
So Apple’s major product and software reveals are over for another year. iPhone 8, iPhone X, Apple Watch Series 3, 4K Apple TV, a long-awaited Mac Pro update and many others to boot. But for some critics, Apple has lost its mojo; lost its creative sparkle; lost its insatiable appetite to innovate. In the six years since the passing of founder Steve Jobs, it has been the biggest criticism of Apple. Too much evolution and not enough revolution. But is there any truth in that view?
The question of a perceived lack of innovation was put to Apple Services Chief Eddy
Cue recently. This is what, unsurprisingly, he had to say: “No way! First of all, the iPhone is ten years old. The iPad came after that and the Watch came after that. So,
“The Apple Watch Series 3 is packed with enough innovation to make other technology giants blush”
I disagree vehemently with that and I think we’ve been incredibly innovative. That doesn’t even take into account the work that has been done on the Mac, iOS and macOS, from that standpoint where I think we’ve led the market. You can’t do revolutionary new products, every two months or six months or whatever. They take time.” Eddy’s got a point, you know.
Watch this space
Take the Apple Watch Series 3 as an example. Its introduction at September’s iPhone X launch
received nowhere near as much fanfare, but quietly it’s packed with enough innovation to make other technology giants blush. The introduction of an eSim, embedded deep into the Apple Watch, means you can finally use the world’s most popular watch without the constraints of an iPhone. This means that you can answer a call on your wrist while swimming, send a text and stream music to your heart’s content without being tethered to your phone. The great potential of smartwatches is finally being realised.
“We believe the addition of cellular will transform the way people use Apple Watch, providing a new sense of freedom since they can stay connected with or without their iPhone,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer, during the unveiling.
Make no bones about it, the eSim shows true innovation in the wearable market. It could be great news for consumer choice, enabling users to switch digitally between carriers as they wish. Apple will control your eSim (at the moment of writing, EE is the only UK network that offers a data package) but you are not locked to a single carrier.
eSims are going to be big news in the next few years. Did you know that the European Commission has ruled that every new car from 2018 has to be fitted with an eSim in a bid to make it easier for emergency services to contact your vehicle in case of an accident? The tiny size of the eSim makes it perfect for Internet of Thingsconnected devices around your smart home, too. Apple is now at the forefront of this technology, showing genuine innovation in the process.
Game-changers
Elsewhere in Apple’s hardware line-up, the upcoming iPhone X adds screen size, resolution and pixels per inch in a package that’s 18 per
“The iPhone X adds screen size, resolution and pixels per inch in a package 18 per cent smaller than the iPhone 8 Plus”
cent smaller than the iPhone 8 Plus. Apple is innovating in the hardware space, but maybe we’re too blind to actually see it. The same goes for contactless payments with Apple Pay and Touch and
Face ID’s biometric security. We take them for granted, and Apple might not have invented them, but they are genuine game-changers.
Innovation comes in many different forms, too. Let us not forget how Apple has revolutionised the high-street retail experience. Entering an Apple store is like no other shopping experience. Every bit of detail is taken into consideration, and Apple stores are the envy of its rivals. On unveiling Apple’s new flagship Chicago venue, Apple Michigan Avenue, Angela Ahrendts, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Retail, said: “Apple Michigan Avenue exemplifies our new vision where everyone is welcome to experience all of our incredible products, services and inspiring educational programs.” It’s not all about buying products, it’s about being invested in the whole Apple experience.
The Apple Watch proves that Apple hasn’t lost its ability to innovate in the slightest. With the iPhone and iPad, the real innovation happened on launch ten years ago. But it would be a mistake to regard what Apple has done in the past decade to those devices as not innovating. Innovating means changing people’s life and transforming the way they use their devices. In that sense, Apple is still very much top of the pile.