Stars die, and that too in stages and Apple is following suit, here's why.
All stars eventually die. They run out of hydrogen and ultimately turn into one of two things, a Black Dwarf or a Supernova. In Apples case, it seems like the path they are on is more like a supernova, where they essentially leave smaller bits and pieces around, and it does not look good for Apple.
A few days ago, Apples much hyped annual announcement happened and so did this, Disappointment ! Now we all know that good old Steve Jobs recreated Apple from the pathetic mess it was and made into what it has become through what started out as one new breakthrough device. That one device is the iPhone. Steve left a big void in the universe with his untimely demise and while his innovative products and technology are used by millions of customers worldwide, it seems like Apple is slowly losing its luster.
The iPhone has undergone an incredible journey. From the first release (and I must admit I bought the second version), until now, the device has grown very well. The problem is so have others. Samsung, HTC, Huawei, LG, and countless others have taken huge steps and giant strides in their devices, so what are we congratulating Apple for ? Die hard fans of Apple would agree that the devices still maintain a high standard and amazing simplicity plus ease of use… excuse me, that was literally the first few versions. Every other device manufacturer has now caught up and are breathing down Apples neck.
The new iPhone announcement from earlier this week was in my humble opinion, Apples cry to the world that it has stopped innovating. Well that's exactly the world we all have been using to tell stories about how great Apple is, or has been. Innovation has literally stopped within the walls of Apple. The new phone launch with 3 cameras is the weakest value proposition they could have mustered and as a consumer this feature brings zero value. Enough said ! I still value Apple as a great company that has a tremendous amount of potential, however they must start thinking about the future today.
Here are three things Apple must do today to see a better tomorrow.
1. Do not be Greedy !
Start Spending the $285 Billion. Start spending all that money you have saved by establishing offshore companies and use it to dig yourself out of the grave you are digging for yourself. Last I checked the number stands at approximately $285 Billion. Apple has rapidly declined on the creative index and has made more than one pathetic attempt to give consumers something different. If they do not start spending money on research and taking risk, this may be the end of the line.
2. Lose the Ego
Stop gloating about your success and approach your customers with humility. Apple has been incredible with its retail strategy so far but has fallen very weak on its device strategy. This is the time for apple to look at other global manufacturers and learn from them.
3. Do what Steve Did Best.
Win your customers back. Get out of your Genius Bar mindset, and try to win back your customers starting yesterday. While consumers are looking for cheaper and more feature packed phones, a $1000 plus camera with a phone attached will not really win back anyone, except maybe a few loyal customers.
Every technology follows the simple principle of growth, peak demand and then decline. Unless Apple reinvents itself, it does seem that it is going down the path of decline and while it may count on a few loyal customers, loyalty is not something that lasts to its promise when competition is able to offer much higher quality products at a much affordable cost.
Apple may have been a star and grown beyond itself, but the spirit of Steve Jobs probably still wanders in the hallways of the company wondering where he went wrong in carving a long-term vision for Apple. As for the rest of us, the night sky sometimes presents an amazing vision, keep your eyes open, you never know when you will see a dying star go by.
Author Bio — Ian Khan
Ian Khan is a CNN featured Technology Futurist, 3 times TEDx Speaker, Director of highly acclaimed documentary “Blockchain City”, Bestselling author of “7 Axioms of Value Creation”, and contributor to multiple industry publications including McGraw Hill and Forbes. He is also a member of the Forbes Coaches Council, The National Speaker Association, Association of Professional Futurist and the Project Management Institute.
Chief Futurist at boutique Future research film Futuracy, Ian is one of the most widely quoted experts on Blockchain. He is also the creator of the “Future Readiness Score”, a revolutionary methodology to help organizations use a data based scientific approach to profitability and success.
Ian is author of 8 books and has two more books in the works to be released by mid-2020. He is also working on his second documentary, a film on Artificial Intelligence, to be released in early 2020.
Considered to be one of todays most revolutionary speakers, Ian is a leading keynote speaker and has spoken on the same platform as President Obama, Amr Diab, Carlos Viveres, Daniel Habif, Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden) and others.
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