I agree that the notion Apple must have radical revisions every year is odd, especially since Samsung has had minor iterations (the S4, S5 and S7 were all relatively modest updates). Some of those were more successful than others, mind you, but still…

With that said, I think there’s a middle ground that Apple could pursue between total reinventions and S updates. Don’t wait 2–3 years to increase screen resolution, because your rivals sometimes manage it with little to no penalty. Consider tangible form factor changes on a year-to-year basis if and when they make sense. Basically: don’t feel like the outward design has to remain largely static while you’re working on the big shakeup of your formula.