Prototyping and success: Why apple have lost their way

Article posted originally on FluidUI Blog.

Innovation is defined simply as a “new idea, device, or method”. However, innovation is often also viewed as the application of better solutions that meet new requirements, unarticulated needs, or existing market needs. -Wikpedia

At the beginning of September, Apple released their new products with the usual fanfare and pageantry. I was surprised when my Social Media timelines were bombarded by countlessmemes and jokes about the new iPhone 7. More specifically, the memes were joking about the fact that Apple had removed the headphone jack from the device. First, I thought it was a hater’s reaction, so common on Social Media. But the jokes haven’t stopped, so I’ve decided to take a closer look into it.

Apple executives explained during the media event that it had been done to save space and to usher in improvements in wireless headphone technology. In an interview for BuzzFeed, Apple VP Greg Joswiak, Dan Riccio, and Phil Schiller explained that the “removal of iPhone 7 headphone Jack was essential for water resistance, new camera system”, as described by MacRumors.

The audio connector is more than 100 years old. It had its last big innovation about 50 years ago. You know what that was? They made it smaller. It hasn’t been touched since then. It’s a dinosaur. It’s time to move on. — said Joswiak to BuzzFeed.

My first thought was that Apple wanted to be bold, taking “courage”, as they mentioned Steve Jobs. But after reading a few comments and articles about it, I was wondering how much the pressure to be innovative made them take a decision without thinking about the end-users. But, there is also a bigger problem for Apple.

Read the full article at FluidUI Blog.