Apple’s greatest challenge isn’t coming up with a another iPhone better than Samsung’s Galaxy S III. It is fending off surging Samsung, a company like Microsoft of old intently focused on knocking Apple off the throne even if that means copying almost each and every Apple innovation.
Recently we have learned that this may have overtly been Samsung’s complete battle plan from the beginning. Being a major Apple supplier helped Samsung see deeply into the guts of Apple’s newest product designs. The rise of the Android platform helped Samsung get in the game without the added burden of having to build and maintain a mobile OS platform or in recruiting and supporting thousands of developers.
All Samsung had to do is design and manufacture a really good smartphone if not come up with one superior to the iPhone. No easy task that! It has taken a long time but it seems that was exactly the successful formula that has managed to catapult Samsung’s Galaxy SIII as well as the company to the top of the heap. (recent reports indicate that the S III is now outselling Apple’s iPhones).
The two companies can and will continue wrangle in court over patents and protections however the real battleground is in the hearts and minds of consumers. Apple now has the task ahead of coming up with a new iPhone that takes things up to a new level. Moderate changes have served them well until now but that is no longer enough. Apple will have to “pull a rabbit out of their hat”. They have the talent and have done it before only this time they cannot afford to fail. Failure is not an option! One misstep at this crucial junction could spell doom to all the momentum Apple has built up.
Of course there we should expect thousands of rumors about what the next iPhone will be. Most rumors will be just wild-assed guesses or fanciful speculation. Either way Apple had better dig real deep into all the innovative and financial resources before them to pull off a bit of a miracle that creatively and innovatively shuts the door on or slows up competitors content to merely imitate the leader and eat Apple’s lunch.
Like a football team in the Super Bowl with their best player sidelined Apple must do all this without Steve Jobs at the helm. We will learn the depth of talent at Apple that may have been hemmed in or held back. This is when they may get their best opportunity to shine. As pinch hitters they have to step up to the plate in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded and knock one out of the park. A triple would also be great but a double off the wall will do.
We wish Apple all the best because it will benefit us the consumers and users. It will also benefit the industry that should bow down and worship Apple for breathing new life into technology industries that were lingering stale until the dawn of the era of the iPod/iPhone/iPad trifecta.