Popularity: UPS & Downs Of A Tech Giant

As unthinkable as it may have been at one point, 2018 has seen chatter among observers both inside and outside the tech industry on the subject of whether Apple remains as exciting or as innovating a force as it once was.

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THE CUPERTINO FIRM IS STILL A MAJOR FORCE

As unthinkable as it may have been at one point, 2018 has seen chatter among observers both inside and outside the tech industry on the subject of whether Apple remains as exciting or as innovating a force as it once was. Is there, then, genuine room for concern, or could the Californian giant’s finest days still be ahead of it?

Apple has, of course, released all manner of dynamic and often genre-defining products over the past decade or so, including the iPhone, iPad and MacBook Pro. But are the noises that have long been made in the era of current CEO Tim Cook about Apple’s supposedly waning pioneering verve become too loud to ignore?

Yes, Apple’s track record of success in recent years is incomparable. As recently as 2004, the company’s annual revenues were a ‘mere’ eight billion dollars, but had ballooned to more than $230 billion by 2015, signaling the business’s continually proven ability to grow and adapt with changing times.

But this is a company that is so much more than a company. It has gained a stellar and loyal following and cemented itself as one of the all-time legendary names in consumer technology. However, is there just a tiny chance that the momentum could be flagging?

Apple is no stranger to intense competition and criticism, of course. Nonetheless, a few developments recently have caused some to wonder whether the firm’s hardware and software releases are still quite as strong a license to print money as they once were.

THE FIRM’S RECENT PAST HAS BEEN EXCITING ENOUGH...

As recently as September 2017, things were still looking pretty exciting for Apple, with its introduction of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. This evolution of the iPhone saw such advancements as