Fwd: First Click: Apple’s greatest innovation is its ecosystem

From: newsletter@theverge.com

Date: September 07, 2016 at 07:30AM

Sept 7, 2016 Apple can't innovate anymore, say the critics. A chorus of complaints so common that it received a remarkable "Can't innovate anymore, my ass" response from Apple's Phil Schiller. But that was three years ago, before the launch of quasi-controversial products like the Apple Watch, the single-USB-port MacBook, that chubby iPhone battery case, and some awkwardly charging peripherals. The complaints have grown louder and more insistent ever since. The trouble I have with the innovation argument is that it's often limited to critiquing individual pieces of hardware. I hear it more frequently now that Samsung has matched and even surpassed Apple in terms of smartphone industrial design (exploding batteries notwithstanding). The unspoken subtext is that Apple, post-Steve Jobs, is incapable of producing another Mac, iPod, iPhone, or iPad moment. Here's a comment posted yesterday on The Verge that perfectly encapsulates the criticism: "Forget the iPhone's disappearing headphone jack and digitized home button. What about Apple no longer standing as an innovator of exciting new products and designs, having morphed into another consumer electronics behemoth? Somebody, if not Tim Cook, needs to put the focus back on delivering the best products, not this tiresome cycle of incremental upgrades." Yes, iteration is boring. But it's also how Apple does business, quite successfully I might add. It enters a new market and then refines and refines and continues refining until it yields a success like the iPod nano, the MacBook Air, the glass and aluminum iMac, the iPhone 6 Plus, and even the iPad Pro that's become a stealth hit with businesses. I agree that the iPhone 6 and 6S (and the iPhone coming later today, judging by the leaks) are visual turds next to Samsung's latest designs. But a single device judged in a vacuum isn't meaningful to most people anymore. We may long for the excitement of revolution, but what we really want is the comfort that comes with harmony... Read the full article on The Verge - By Thomas Ricker Five stories to start your day 1 Apple's iPhone 7 announcement: what to expect September is upon us, which in the tech world means it's time for Apple news. As it's done for the past four years, Apple is holding an event to unveil the next generation of its biggest products.... 2 What to expect from Sony's PS4 slim and Neo event On Wednesday afternoon — just a few short hours after Apple will be making some big announcements of its own — Sony will be holding what it's calling a "PlayStation meeting" in New York. The... 3 LG's V20 is an Android phone built for audiophiles and power users LG just announced the V20, a successor to last year's V10 smartphone. In 2015, the V10 stood out for its unique, sturdy design, a great camera, and audiophile-grade music playback. LG has retained... Advertisement 4 Watch Google's response to Microsoft's Chrome battery complaints Microsoft kicked off a battery life war with Chrome and Opera earlier this year, and Google is finally responding. Microsoft used a number of Surface Books side-by-side to compare battery life... 5 Apple's wireless iPhone 7 headphones reportedly use custom 'Bluetooth-like' technology KGI Securities analyst Ming-chi Kuo dropped a ton of iPhone 7 information over the weekend, and he's back with a new nugget on the eve of Apple's big event. It's well established by now that the... About The Verge | Subscribe | Unsubscribe | Privacy Policy

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