iPhone 17: Is Apple losing its innovative edge like Nokia?

WE'VE HAD enough time to reflect about the latest products from Apple. It’s interesting to note that the markets have reacted unapprovingly after the launch.

- WESLEY DIPHOKO

After the iPhone 17 launch, Apple shares fell about 1.5% on launch day, then dropped another 3.23% the following day. The share price on that next day closed around $226.79. Combined, that decline erased roughly $112 - $113 billion from Apple’s market value.

Apple unveiled a new iPhone that is thinner and smaller than previous models. The titanium-encased smartphone is a third less thick than previous models but has fewer cameras and less battery life than its predecessors.

Consumer reaction was more revealing. Many still feel there's less innovation currently at Apple. Some even feel that Apple is starting to look like the Nokia of yesteryears.

This comparison stems from the idea that a hugely successful company could become too slow to innovate and fail to recognise a paradigm shift in the industry.

Critics argue that Apple has lost its "Think Different" mentality and is now focused on incremental updates rather than game-changing innovations. Nokia was also slow to react to the shift from feature phones to smartphones.