Apple is one of the biggest companies today. Is Apple Still Innovating in 2024? The wrong decisions, overpricing, no innovation & head-scratching decisions beg the question. Is Apple dying in 2024?

Apple has a market value of more than $2 Trillion and more than $193.28 Billion in cash reserves. We will see how Charles Darwin’s Survival of the Fittest applies to Apple. It has more money than many countries like Singapore and Germany. It can buy companies like Uber and Snap and still have Billions for Research and Development.

Yet, People Think Apple is Dying. This is due to the belief that Apple has stopped innovating. The Apple Silicon Macs launched in the last 2-3 years, along with the Apple Vision Pro headset launched by Apple make it a still growing company in some ways.

Apple is Dying in 2024

Apple was once known to be innovative, with its products being multiple years ahead in terms of technology. But today, it seems that their most important products are lagging, which begs the question: Is Apple Still Innovating in 2024?

Apple is, and will remain, a brand that has changed the course of technology and significantly influenced the course of humanity.

Why Do Big Companies Die?

The answer to Is Apple Dying lies in understanding how all Big Companies die.

Hollywood, which is home to movies, didn’t invent Netflix. Someone outside the industry got the idea and did the unimaginable.

The automobile industry didn’t make mass-market EVs. A start-up called Tesla created disruption in the industry, which was saturated for decades.

The answer to Why Do Big Companies Die is simple, “Survival of the Fittest”.

Over the centuries of life on earth, only the species that were the fittest could survive and adapt to change.

Hollywood and companies like Blockbuster saw change coming, yet never tried to adapt to technologies like Subscriptions and the Internet. Then, a company called Netflix was born. It could adapt to the change and was the fittest in the changing world.

Innovation is the key to constantly adapting to the changing course of technology and thus remaining fit enough to survive. So let’s discuss whether Apple is still innovating in 2024. But before that, let’s understand how Apple once became the most innovative company in the world.

How did Apple Become the World’s Most Innovative Company?

Macintosh was the first Apple product to be genuinely innovative. It was one of the first computers to be a true “Personal Computer.” It was one of the first to feature a full-fledged Graphic User Interface, and it had a UI built for Mouse support.

Apple saw the dark period after Steve Jobs left when they made many new products, but none were widely successful. Apple II remained Apple’s cash cow.

Apple, during those days, was very innovative, but today, Apple is dying due to many blunders in pricing, policies, and product quality.

The road wasn’t all smooth. There were some harsh times, like when Apple and Microsoft had a huge fight when Steve Jobs considered Microsoft to have stolen Apple’s GUI, and many other instances, but Apple was unstoppable during those days. As a result, some questioned, “Did Bill Gates steal GUI?“

Critical Instances of Apple’s Innovation:

• In 1997, Apple released the iMac. It was one of the first to support the World Wide Web.

• In 1998, Apple was one of the first companies to widely adopt USB, with its USB Mouse and USB Keyboard.

• Apple 2001 released the iPod, an audio player far ahead of any player of its time. It could hold over 1000 songs, far more than competitors who could handle fewer than 100 songs.

• The iPod was succeeded by the iPod Nano & iPod Mini, which were Apple’s attempts to make the iPod smaller/cost-effective while still maintaining form and function.

• In 2007, Apple launched the iPhone, which radically changed the phone industry with the fourth coming of technology like multi-touch capable screens.

The same can be said about Apple Vision Pro. It is too early to say, but Apple intends to defer its end by many decades through the momentum gained by Apple Vision Pro, launched in June 2023.

What Made Apple So Innovative?

Apple’s innovation was never about building new technologies and making niche products under the leadership of Steve Jobs.

There are many examples of it. For instance, Apple never invented the USB, but it was one of the first to adopt USB for keyboards and mice. It initially created trouble for customers due to the lack of accessories, but eventually, the reliability and performance of USB proved to be the right decision.

They were not the first company to build GUIs on PCs, but they did make features and worked on details that made PCs worthwhile. In other instances, phones and music players were late to enter the industry. They made far better products than the competition and constantly improved on them.

So we know that Apple’s recipe for innovating is about being a company that is always willing to bet huge on new technologies. More importantly, it knew the art of integrating that technology to benefit the customer.

A key ingredient in Apple’s ability to influence the industry and pursue its customers and partners was Steve Jobs’ Reality Distortion Field. Apple is still innovating in 2024, but the extent of innovation is nowhere close to the era when Apple was bringing huge innovations for customers.

For example, Toshiba made a hard disk of 1.5 inches in size that had a capacity of 5GB, but they didn’t know what to do with it. Apple employees knew very well that it was the secret to having 1000 songs in a pocket-size device. Apple made an exclusive deal with Toshiba for every disk they produced. It was the key to the success of the iPod. They very well knew how to find suitable technology and then use it to benefit customers.

Now let’s head onto the question: Has Apple stopped Innovating in 2024?

Apple Vision Pro 2024

Apple’s last major innovation or ground breaking product was Apple Watch in 2016. Now, make no mistake, it was not very good at the beginning, but today it is the best selling watch across the entire watch industry (not just smartwatches)

Their next innovation happens to be the Apple Vision Pro 2024. It is their first step into spatial computing (essentially using eyes to navigate the UI which is also projected to your eyes.

I’ll admit it sounds fancy, but with its launch, there was absolutely no hype. No people lining in front of shops. Furthermore, the demo and launch videos were not generating enough hype so they had to run extensive ads to make reasonable publicity.

The initial reviews suggest that Apple has truly innovated with its technology. The eye tracking and the hand gestures are on-point. Yet, the heavy weight and the issues with fitting are a deal breaker for almost everyone.

Not to mention the high price point of $3500 without Apple Care, makes it not feasible financially either. This is again creating a image of Apple creating overpriced goods with little to no lookout for consumer best interests.

Is Apple Losing Its Innovative Edge?

Yes, the lack of new features in its existing products means that Apple has lost its innovative edge, with no distinct advantage of buying Apple over Android/Windows. The Apple Vision Pro will attempt to help Apple regain its innovative edge in 2024, but things remain skeptical for now.

As discussed previously, a company that stops innovating is stopping its ability to adapt and, therefore, won’t be fit enough to survive a radical change in the industry.

Earlier, Apple understood how to use technology to make customer’s life easier/better. Hey always focused on technologies that were in the early stages yet better than the technology of its time. This focus is missing in Apple today. Apple still uses Lightning Port in iPhones instead of USB-C. Even when USB-C is far more technologically superior, customers question whether Apple will still be innovative in 2024.

Has Apple stopped Innovating in 2024? Yes, Apple is dying and is not innovating like Steve Jobs. In the last decade, Apple hasn’t disrupted any primary industry. The 4-5 years of leadership in all products that Apple once had are now gone.

With the recent launch of Apple’s Reality AR headset, they look to bring a paradigm shift in the market that would give them many more years of success.

Apple Is No More Consumer-Friendly?

Look at Apple’s latest product, Apple’s $19 polishing cloth. An ordinary, regular cloth used to clean your Mac or iPhone costs $19 and can be bought from other sites for $2. This is how Apple’s money-minting strategy.

Apple used to give the same cloth for free with its Pro Displays, and there was a time when Apple used to provide such accessories for free with their products. This shows how Apple is Dying in 2024. I’m afraid that’s not right. I understand that the media coverage of Apple’s $19 Polishing Cloth would help them maintain their premium product company and give them free marketing.

Even though Apple is Dying by doing wrong things like these, it’s also worth noting that Apple’s brand loyalty is at an all-time high. Apple’s $19 over-priced cloth is out of stock, and the shipping dates are more than months back. Some instances, like the Bend Gate on the iPhone 6 and the issues with Butterfly Keyboards on Macbooks, further slowed their sales.

Android and iOS are mostly similar today, with the only primary reason to prefer iOS being Apple’s ecosystem. After that, the choice is subjective and the consumer’s personal preference. Compare it with iOS and macOS until the 2010s.

Is Apple Innovating in 2024?

Apple was far ahead of the competition in many ways. But today, Android and iOS are the same; Windows and macOS are the same. Apple losing its technological headstart is a significant factor in whether Apple is still innovating in 2024.

Apple has launched many new products since the death of Steve Jobs. This includes the AirPods (AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, and HomePod), Apple Watch, Pro Display XDR, AirTags, and Apple Vision Pro.

These all came under the leadership of Tim Cook and have done well for Apple. Yet none of them has been able to disrupt any industry bottom-up. Some of these products are doing good. Apple is still innovating in 2024 with products like iPads and Apple Watches. At the same time, products like iPhone and MacBooks that once disrupted the industry today are just as good and often even worse than similarly priced Android and Windows machines.

Besides that, in the past decade, Apple has been seen as a company that only cares about customers and tries to get more and more profit. I shall divide the arguments for “Is Apple still innovating in 2024?” into three parts: • The Slow Improvement in Existing Products

• Lack of Industry Disrupting New Products

• The perception of Apple Being only concerned with Profits

The Slow Improvement in Existing Products

The slow improvement in existing Apple Products is one of the key reasons contributing to the belief that Apple will not innovate in 2024.

The iPhone, iPad, and Mac are three of the oldest and most successful product lines. They once had a significant lead over the rest of the competition.

The technological headstart that Apple once enjoyed:

• Windows Vista and Windows 7 struggled to gain trust when macOS was flying high with great new releases and good stability.

• Android was new but nowhere close to iOS until 2014-15. In the mid-2010s, it seemed like Apple had stopped innovating in 2024.

But today, Apple has lost all its competitive advantage in the industry, leading to Apple not innovating in 2024. There are many such things that Apple hasn’t been improving for years. That’s why the audience believes Apple will stop innovating in 2024.

Some areas where Apple did not make improvements were:

• The iPhone has flaws that Apple hasn’t solved in almost a decade. The Lightning port has long been criticized, yet Apple refuses to bring USB C.

• iPhone customers have long had complaints about Battery Life and the notch. The iPhone 13 has one of the best battery lives in phones, yet most of their other phones lack that all-day battery life.

• MacBooks have long struggled in terms of performance. Customers may have been annoyed by the lack of beneficial ports, and Apple has not addressed the problems since 2016.

It took Apple 5 years, until the end of 2024, to introduce MacBook Pros that finally solved 5-year-old issues. For a company like Apple, solving problems should be done quickly.

While Apple improved the notch on the iPhone 13, it seems Apple isn’t doing much for the battery. The lack of improvements in areas where Apple lags is an essential factor in our understanding of Apple, which is still innovating in 2024.

iPads saw significant hardware and software improvements in recent years, yet they lack many vital functions. The iPad is limited by its software, even after having excellent hardware.

The iPad Pro still finds itself in a dilemma. It is underutilizing its hardware due to the lack of good enough Pro apps that it runs. The lack of apps is one of the main reasons iPad Pro users have the question, is Apple Innovative in 2024?

Macs have had troubles with butterfly keyboards, though that issue has been solved; the Touch Bar was not a success, and the lack of ports in Macs, along with less performance compared to similar prices Notebooks from other companies.

On the software side, the need for apps like Calculator and a weather app has long been missing on the iPad. iPads have long demanded Pro Apps. Mac users have long demanded better multitasking facilities. Now let’s head onto the 2nd major factor to answer: is Apple still innovating in 2024?

Lack of Industry Disrupting New Products

Apple’s Golden Era was from 1997 to 2010, which saw Apple’s streak of 4 industry-disrupting products, including the original iMac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad. But after the 2010s, the lack of that wild success has raised the question.

However, since 2010, Apple has not had a product launch of that scale. Apple has been working hard and constantly bringing new products. Some of them have been successful, too. Apple Watch is the most popular watch in the world, and AirPods are the most popular earphones. But they still don’t enjoy a monopoly, and their growth is fueled by existing Apple users who can’t get out of the ecosystem.

Here are some of the significant Apple launches that failed:

• AirPower was one of the biggest blunders. A product that they announced but never released to the public.

• The HomePod, Apple’s answer to Google and Amazon’s Home Speakers, was a complete failure, such that its production has stopped, and now only the HomePod Mini exists.

• AirTags are new and are yet to prove themselves.

• Apple Pro Display XDR on release had received massive backlash due to the overpriced stand for the display, though it was a great display.

• The AirPods lineup and Apple Watch were two great products released under the leadership of Tim Cook that gained some degree of success.

• Apple Vision Pro is still far from launch, and it will take some time before its success/failure can be concluded.

Reports suggest Apple is working on a cheaper version of Pro Display XDR. I hope it doesn’t have such an overpriced stand.

The problem has been that AirPods sales are driven by close integration with Apple Products. Overall, AirPods aren’t the best-sounding pair of earphones, and far cheaper options are available—some alternatives with less price and even better audio. AirPods have given Apple fans hope that Apple will still be innovative in 2024.

Apple Watch is considered one of Apple’s biggest successes in the last decade, but even after this success, I believe Apple has stopped Innovating in 2024 in terms of Apple Watch.

Hear me out. Apple Watch since Apple Watch 3 has had only minor generation over-generation improvements with the same design. The result has been existing Apple Watch owners are delaying upgrades to the point where it isn’t worth it for them to upgrade to a newer watch every year or even after two years.

This shows that Apple has been slowing down on the development of the Apple Watch since then. Apple hasn’t been able to disrupt the SmartWatch industry to the point where the majority of people consider a Smartwatch an absolute necessity.

Apple TV, released during the 2000s (it was called iTV back then), has still not gained any significant market share. It has continued to develop over the years, yet it still plays catch-up with industry leaders. Disappointment, like Apple TV, is the perfect example of Apple Still Innovating in 2024.

The Perception of Apple Being Money-Minded

Apple earlier used to have simple battery replacements that cost over $500 for simple battery replacements. In other instances, Apple was found selling a $1000 stand for a $5000 display, whereas the market already had similar frames costing less than $100 available.

Another thing to consider when discussing whether Apple is still innovating in 2024 is selling simple wheels for its Mac Pro, costing $700. There was nothing special about those wheels, and it is quite possible that Apple was making over $500 in profits.

Apple News+ is a paid service that still shows Advertisements. For a company like Apple that has long stood against advertisements, it is really wrong to have Advertisements when a customer is paying for the service.

Besides, services like Apple TV+ have a slow rollout of new shows. Apple and EPIC battle about the 30% fee that Apple takes on any in-app purchase. These have created a perception of Apple as being money-minded. This further influenced our answer to whether Apple is still innovating in 2024.

This has caused some of the most loyal customers to shift to Android/Windows and Apple to lose Revenue.

To all those who wonder, Apple stopped Innovating in 2024. These three prominent factors are primarily responsible for the downfall of Apple and the speculations about Whether Apple is Dying.

Bonus: Reliability

They made a reliable product when Apple saw success, an excellent reputation, and praise. Apple was the company that would make two features, but everything they made would be highly reliable.

This was their specialty when the MacBooks became successful. Windows Vista was highly unreliable and filled with bugs, and Mac OS was flying high. The same was true for the original Macintosh or the original iPhone.

The original iPhone may not have copy/paste functionality, but it did have an extraordinarily well-built and reliable typing mechanism.

Yes, Apple is Dying in 2024 because they are not reliable enough. Look at the number of bugs in their software after the release. In the day, Apple never released Beta versions, and all testing was internal, yet the products were reliable. But today, they do even more testing with Public Beta versions, yet they are unreliable.

The unreliability issues with Apple take away loyal customers and create a bad image. Here are examples of recent unreliability issues:

• The iPhone 13 observed significant touch issues

• The macOS didn’t accommodate the notch.

• Apple Watch also had a lot of software issues, including confusing right-handed and left-handed operations.

The Silver Lining

But not everything about Apple in the past ten years is wrong.

Apple has done some right things, too. These things have made many believe that Apple will still be innovative in 2024. That’s why they exist today. So many years of wrongs would have been enough for Apple to go bankrupt.

We know that Apple will not be innovating anymore in 2024 in most cases. But there are some places where Apple is still innovating. Let’s talk about it.

Apple has still made some innovations over the years in some fields.

Apple’s ARM-based SoCs are innovative, bringing massive performance increments while increasing battery life and running more relaxed than their Intel rivals.

Apple has made some severe innovations with iPads, specifically the iPad Pros.

For me, Apple Silicon for Macs was the most significant innovation in the last decade and made me believe that Apple is still innovating in 2024. Apple Vision Pro looks promising, but we still have a long way to go before we find out.

The Mini LED on iPad and the modern design of iPads with iPadOS and Magic Keyboard have generated interest in the iPad Pro lineup with time.

The iPadOS has brought Widgets, Multi-tasking capabilities, and more exclusive features, including a desktop-class browsing experience that customers love.

AirPods have been successful overall; they are highly profitable, and if AirPods were to be a separate company, it would be in the middle of the Fortune 500. This shows that the AirPods have been successful.

AirPods helped shape the wireless earphone industry, but it still has close to no presence among Android users.

Features like Spatial Audio, exclusive to AirPods, could have driven up sales, yet Apple was very late in introducing that feature. The slow rollout of newer generations and improvements in AirPods allowed other companies to take the lead in the market.

To this day, Apple Watch has maintained its position as the market leader, even after Apple lost its innovation.

Apple Watch is by far the most popular watch in the world. Even after being exclusive to iPhone users, it outperforms all other Digital/Smart/Analogue watches.

The Summary

Now let’s conclude the answers to “Is Apple Innovating in 2024” and “Is Apple Dying?”

Apple has Stopped Innovating in 2024 in many areas. The slow pace of development of established products could prove fatal for Apple. Yet Apple is still making some significant improvements, and Apple is still innovating in iPads and AirPods.

The largely unsatisfied customers see their demands left unfulfilled over time. Badmouthing they receive due to incorrect pricing and controversies like the EPIC vs Apple battle has, with time, harmed the image of Apple as a company. Apple is still far from dying. Yet, Apple has stopped innovating in many vital areas, which could turn out to be a slow poison for Apple.

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