SMACtalk 84: Apple: Imitators, Iterators or Innovators?

Today on SMACTalk Brian and Daniel discuss the iPhone 8 and iPhone X launch that took place a few weeks back. The question of the day, is Apple iterating, innovating or just plain imitating.    Tech thought leader Shelly Palmer, wrote this past week...   Imitation is not innovation. The iPhone X (pronounced iPhone ten) is basically a Samsung Galaxy Note 8 (which is basically a Samsung Galaxy S8 with a pen and an additional camera) which is basically a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 (which is its own story). And the Note 7 came out a year ago. Not only is Apple unapologetic about its blatant imitation of Samsung. The company took the artistic liberty of claiming that the iPhone X’s features were “amazing,” “incredible,” and “new.”   https://www.shellypalmer.com/2017/09/iphone-x-imitation-not-innovation/   Both Brian and Dan agree that Apple has built its legacy on simple to use, beautifully designed devices, but the question of whether or not this is still their differentiator has come into play.    Is Apple still easier to use? Are their devices more beautiful than the competition?    The bottom line is that it is hard to discern anymore whether or not Apple truly holds a competitive advantage. Daniel likens the current state of Apple to the Steve Ballmer led Microsoft that followed Bill Gates retirement as CEO of the company.A strong supply chain company that often creates a challenging environment for its suppliers, yet no matter what, they still claim a huge market share and yield massive profits keeping shareholders happy.    The jury is still undecided, but more and more Apple Fans from Palmer to Scoble to both our hosts are now questioning whether Apple still has the magic or if they are running out of the sauce that made them the "innovative" company they are so well known for being today.